Package design optimisation of a modular product

Abstract

This is a case study for a company making modular products. The case was to develop alternative concept for one company’s product package. Initial motive for the study was to decrease package size in order to fit as many product packages to a sea container as possible. Optimisation aspect was included to also enhance the sustainability of the packaging and make the packaging process as efficient as possible. All this while maintaining great customer experience. The first research problem was to how can customer experience be optimised by the package design. Product is packaged as modules that still need to be assembled into the final product at the end customer. The customer was here defined as the installer of the product. This customer experience evaluation was done with interviewing company’s customer experience team who had gathered information from previous installations, trainings of installers and feedback from the installation cases. Second research question considered the optimisation with Design for X (DfX) method. It was studied how well can this method be applied for optimising the package design. Two main things to be optimised was environmental and assembly-related. Naturally Design for Assembly and Design for Environment were chosen. These methods were applied during the design process in order to observe the applicability of these methods in the optimisation of the package. A structure for conducting the design process was needed. Third research questions was how well Pahl et al. Systematic Approach to Designing Products can be implemented for this design process. It was observed how this guideline works in package design. To enhance the customer experience of installers the lifting ergonomics were the most important. As little lifted packages in as ergonomic orientation was prioritised. Before research the installation order was thought to be important but proved to be not significant because the package rarely reaches the installation site as a whole crate. Thirdly the recycling is burdensome task that should be as easy as possible and number of waste types should be minimised. The study explored the use of DfX methods in product development, leading to a prototype and a requirements list for an improved design. The impact of DfX on various aspects like assembly and environment was analysed, although it's uncertain if the final design decisions would have been the same also without the DfX. The methods provided a focused design perspective and acted as a checkpoint, ensuring that environmental and assembly requirements were considered. It was noted that while using sustainable materials is essential, the design choices should not be in controversy with another, rather a balanced design approach should be found. The effectiveness of Systematic Approach to Designing Products was evaluated based on the use from initial task clarification to conceptual design. This method provided a structured process, breaking down tasks into manageable steps, beneficial for complex and modular designs alike. Emphasis was placed on the importance of a requirements list, a critical tool for ensuring that design objectives are met. Challenges of the use included method's potential complexity and abstract nature of some steps, suggesting a need for selective task implementation. Method's future application in packaging and other design projects looks promising, with prioritisation and selection of relevant key tasks like the requirements list.