The Challenge
Traditional shampoo packaging has remained unchanged for decades, often relying on plastic that ends up in landfills. Moreover, water-based shampoos contribute to higher CO2 emissions due to their weight during shipping. How can we revolutionize shampoo, prioritizing eco-friendly packaging? Let's dive into recyclable and recycled materials, sparking creative ideas to redesign both the product and its packaging. By doing so, we can spread awareness about waste-free packaging alternatives. This venture was a joint effort with industrial designers and ChaseDesign.
Goals
Our aim is to provide customers with the opportunity to personalize shampoos and conditioners according to their daily requirements, accommodating various hair types and issues with unique fragrances. We seek to enhance product choice through efficient display design and underscore eco-friendliness by advocating for single-dose, waterless alternatives. Lastly, we want to promote effortless mixing and matching, all while nurturing environmental awareness.
Deisgn Process
Background Research: Laying the Foundation for Sustainable Innovation
Our journey began with an exploration into the world of shampoos, understanding their mechanisms and properties. Prioritizing a clean formula, we delved into ingredients that may pose risks to hair health or trigger allergic reactions. Moreover, we turned our attention to environmentally friendly packaging, investigating materials that lend themselves to easy recycling or biodegradability.
User Research: Exploring the Preferences of Eco-Conscious Consumers
To better understand our audience, we conducted user research among eco-conscious individuals aged 18 and above. Our audience includes diverse shoppers interested in reducing their environmental impact and supporting planet-friendly companies. We sent out a survey to gather important insights for our product development and documented our findings.
Competitive Analysis: Exploring Competitor Practices in Shampoo Industry
After compiling valuable user data, our curiosity led us to explore the competitive landscape. With a keen focus on sustainability, we delved into renowned shampoo brands that share our commitment to eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. Notable brands such as Eco-Root, JVN, and NATIVE captured our attention as we sought to better understand their practices and approaches.
Visual Research: Aesthetics and Form in Focus
We explored visual graphics and form with usability in mind. Carefully crafting a purposeful color palette and product design, we achieved a seamless balance of aesthetics and functionality, reflecting the essence of our project.
Branding Identity: A Whimsical Twist on Shampoo Branding
Inspired by a wealth of visual ideas, we coined our brand name: POURIFY. This embodies our eco-friendly spirit and the refreshing act of shampooing. Our branding colors, tagline, typography, and palette were carefully curated to create a captivating and lively visual identity. This reflects our commitment to sustainable hair care while adding a playful charm that engages and captivates our audience.
Product Design: Bringing POURIFY to life
As we honed our branding identity, we conscientiously crafted the product graphics, seamlessly integrating them with an elegant form that was carefully considered throughout the packaging design process. Ensuring a consumer-centric approach, we diligently included essential details that shoppers seek in a shampoo product. Culminating our collaborative efforts, our team presented the final pitch to ChaseDesign. To gain a deeper insight into our journey, spanning research, sketches, and graphic breakdowns, we invite you to explore our comprehensive presentation available here.
Takeaways
This inaugural team project was a valuable learning experience. Shifting from solo work to a collaborative setting taught me the art of consensus-building amidst a plethora of ideas. Collaborating with students from diverse fields and partnering with a design agency provided insights into effective teamwork and client engagement. Despite challenges, I'm content with our final product. Our project's recognition on the RIT website, under Packaging Design / GRDE 431, Fall Semester 2022, adds to our sense of achievement.
