Project 1: Focus Group Discussion

In studio our class was split up into groups of 4 where we had a focus group discussion about each others posters while the designer was unable to comment. As a result of the discussion of my posters it was evident that there were a number of issues. Firstly it was commented that the blue curve in the background was too dominant. It was suggested that the shape of the container be improved am move it away from a rectangular form. Another point made was that the context poster could be incorporated into the first poster which would allow me to make greater use of the 4 poster limit. As a result of the discussions i was able to make not of these recommendations and alter the posters.

Product lifecycle analysis

On the 6th of August in our studio class myself and a group of other students set out to disassemble a domestic iron and assess its components with the intention to improve its lifetime and ability to be disassembled and recycled. In today's society consumers are constantly wanting the latest and greatest products and as a result they are prone to throwing away still functioning products. These products mostly end up in landfill as they are difficult to disassemble and reprocess. Throughout the process of dismantling the iron we discovered just how many parts go into a single appliance and the vast range of materials that are used. As designers we have an ethical responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of the products we design so it was very interesting to explore the ways in which other designers create products and to observe the material choices them make. After 30 minutes we had disassembled thee iron and grouped the materials. We were unable to separate one part due to the ultrasonic welding that had been used in the manufacturing process. After grouping the materials it was evident that we could significantly reduce the different types of plastics being used. Our focus was on the ability to redesign the iron with just 2 plastics (PP and Bakelite). Our group learnt a lot about the make up of domestic products and how easily these products could be converted into more environmentally friendly products allowing them to be disassembled with ease. 

Project 2: Peer comments

Mikee Ronquillo
Lukas Cubirka
Seb Gregory
Dale Wakeham
Bec Womersley

Project 2: PSS - Eco Lunch

Eco lunch is a sustainable solution to the issue of employees skipping lunch due to tight time frames. Studies have found that a large proportion of employees have a tendency to skip Lunch breaks on a regular basis as they do not have time to leave the office to buy lunch.  Eco lunch is compact unit which offers a range of different herbs, salad greens and dressings for employees to consume for lunch. Eco lunch addresses the worrying environmental issues of take away food packing waste. The product service system which Eco lunch offers is sustainable and encouraging of ethical social behaviours.

The product service system begins with the Eco lunch Company who germinate a variety of lettuce greens in the innovative Eco lunch pods. As shown in poster 4, seeds are sown directly into the pods into a mixture of perlite and vermiculite. The pods are lined with a layer of geotechnical fabric then a piece of agricultural grade Rockwool is inserted into the bottom and the perlite mix is then added on top to fill the pods to the top. Covering the mixture is another sheet of geotechnical fabric which has a number of small holes for the seeds to be sown into. The pods remain upright throughout the period of germination as to let the roots take hold. After the seeds are sown each pod is watered a substantial amount to allow the Rockwool to fully absorb the water which acts as a constant water supply for the greens.

When the pods are one week from maturity they are delivered to the workplace and in replacement of used pods. The pods are placed in a sunny spot in the office where they will continue to grow until the pods in the vertical garden unit are ready to be replaced. The pods are turned on their side and slotted into the unit where the greens await consumption.

The Eco lunch system provides a range of organic salad dressings which perfectly accompany the salad greens. This system overcomes the barriers surrounding the time taken for lunch breaks as it eliminates the need to leave the office to grab a bite to eat which significantly reduces the time. Supplying employees with a free healthy lunch is a good way to improve work performance. Eco lunch assists in reducing the waste caused by take away food packaging. A study taken by Newstatesman revealed that only 50% of workers bring a packed lunch, meaning the remaining 50% either buy lunch or skip lunch all together.  Out of the 50% who do not pack lunch it was found that 48% leave the office to buy lunch. With almost one quarter of all workers purchasing lunch there is a significant amount of packaging waste being generated each day and Eco lunch is a sustainable alternative which can reduce this waste.

  

With the introduction of the Eco lunch system, workplaces can become more environmentally friendly and employee’s behaviours can be altered to become healthier and more productive.  Eco lunch offers a range of benefits and is an innovative addition to any workplace.