Smart Packaging SKO

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S T U D I O KNOWLEDGE O B J E C T Adelista Widjaya RMIT University 2021

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CONTENT 01

Contextualize

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Critical Reflection

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Propose

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CONTEXTUALIZE

In this chapter, I identify and outline the aims of the studio, including the aims and objectives of the studio, also key methods and techniques used in this studio.

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STUDIO OBJECTIVES Smart Packaging is my chosen course for Studio 2. The course was delivered online through Collaborate Ultra, led by Michelle Soldatos. As mentioned on Canvas, this particular studio aims for students’ engagement in research to identify innovative packaging solutions that are effective in incorporating technological applications. Research regarding user participation and engagement is also explored as a fundamental approach to design.

KEY METHODS & TECHNIQUES The studio occurs for five hours of online classes per week. The course is conducted in a studio-based method, which includes thinking through design, giving form to ideas, and working in collaboration. Study-case discussions with peers through breakout rooms is also a method to exchange insights and inspirations.

The title of the studio, ‘Smart Packaging’, is deeply explored to develop students’ capacity for critical-led design. Written and practice experience is explored for students’ opportunity to experiment, take risks, and engage with innovative ideas. Oftentimes, the studio lead also shared important materials through email that is helpful for us to get back, review, and use it to assist ourselves in executing our projects.

Assessment as the main practice tool, this course has 3 assignments that effectively helped us in directly understand, experience, explore and reflect of what we learnt throughout the course.

Along the process of finishing the project, consultation with the studio lead is available during class yet outside of class via email on the weekday. Which is why during a studio session, students are given the time to continue their work so they can directly ask questions, discuss, and consult their circumstances, ideas, or progress to the studio lead yet with peers. Details and reflections of all assignments are elaborated thoroughly in the next chapter.

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C R I T I C A L REFLECTION

In this chapter, reflection of the process, learning outcomes, and my development as a designer will be elaborated by walking through each of the assignments.

The reflection includes ideas elaboration, challenges faced and overcame, inspirations, learning moments, and work in progress.

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NT 1

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PACKAGING SOLUTIONS WITH SUCCESSFUL TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATION 01

Assignment Objective Inquiry Led Research Research, investigate, explore innovative packaging solutions with successful technological application. The research will determine our ability to think through design and take action to test and give form to ideas, experiment, and engage with the design process.

Packaging Solutions A presentation of innovative ideas incorporating my chosen technological applications. Explain why it could succeed in delivering my ideas and my direction of how I present them visually.

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Reflection For this project, I started by analyzing the examples of successful innovations by identifying their advantages and disadvantages.

Having my first assignment in this course, I had my challenges when exploring packaging solutions. New to the ‘packaging’ element, I haven’t really arrived at the most efficient and effective design thinking and solutions. I was expecting spectacular ideas overflowing, instead I barely came up with even one interesting idea.

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IDEA #1 I looked around me and saw whatever appeared concrete. I asked myself what interests me, what my passion is. I browsed back to the successful examples I annotated on the research.

My first idea, ‘Fruit Bin’, came to me when I saw my composter behind me. Trying to live sustainably, my experience crossed my mind of how I could maximize minimizing waste through a packaging solution.

The idea is first, to customize, which is to choose particular fruits you like (I literally include the illustration of pear, lemon, and orange which are the fruits that I mostly bought) and use the bin to carry them so that we don’t have to use a single-use plastic. Then the fruits will be weighed and we’ll pay according to it. At home, we move the fruits to the fridge and fill the bin with some soil.

Tactile wise, the bin has composter features like air duct and tight lid. Everytime we eat the fruit, we can just simply dispose of the seeds, peels, and other organic waste into the bin.

IDEA #2

The digital application feature is a QR code, where it directs to a website with information of composting tutorials. This is inspired by the idea of minimizing waste, since I got a printed one in my experience on buying a composter. It’s not very efficient since it can only include minimal information and it uses paper.

The second idea is inspired by my hobby— jet ski. Working in the industry, I thought it would be nice if people could visualize and try ‘virtually’ riding the particular type of jet ski they would buy from the shore, through first person and third person point of view. Hence, I thought we could utilize NFC and AR technology in the cover without having to unbox or uncover the jet ski, which is not very efficient.

I figured this actually was a brilliant idea, but I missed the technical part of the research. Instead of applying on the jet ski cover, it should be the box that is featured with the NFC, because the outermost packaging is the box, not the cover. The studio lead helped me figure this out through their feedback in my submission.

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IDEA #3 The third idea is ‘Next Level Diffuser’. It’s inspired by a personal experience where I just bought a diffuser as a part of my tactile mental therapy. Aromatherapy is known to help improve mental health.

The idea is to make the packaging not a single-use box, rather a better quality and designed box that can be used ‘forever’. The packaging experience will come with an app that allows users to scan the packaging and experience an AR experience. Through the app, when scanned through the user's camera, it will show a calming motion animation and at the same time produce therapeutic music.

The hope is to enhance the experience of the treatment. I personally think the tactile and digital application in this idea is prospective and I leaned on this idea the most to be explored further.

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CHALLENGE

A technical difficulty also occurred when I was about to present this project to the class. Since moving into my new apartment last semester, the internet has been unstable and it really affects my whole experience of learning in uni. I wasn’t able to present in class but the studio lead let me make a video of my presentation and send it through email. This experience cancelled my opportunity to consult directly with the studio lead. Hence, I can only receive feedback through email—which definitely takes time— and consequently, I had to submit the assignment without the feedback and I made preventable flaws that affected my grade. I didn’t regret it though, because I did my best and my studio lead really appreciated my work.

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NT 1

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SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF THE TACTILE & DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

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Assignment Objective

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Inquiry Led Research Research, investigate, explore the importance of user participation and user experience across both tactile and digital experience. Define the user for my final idea and the strategy to engage the user whilst maintaining visual integrity along with examples of my idea of successful integration of tactile and digital experience.

Digital Solutions From the research, create a successful design solution for the digital experience, explain how it will be successful in achieving user engagement and participation and provide a seamless visual integration of my tactile packaging and digital solutions.

Final Smart Packaging Solution Utilising from the research beforehand, finalise the ‘Smart Packaging’ design solution for entire tactile packaging and digital experience. Include my understanding of technology and user experience to deliver the highest and innovative outcome in delivering a successful combination of technological application and engaging digital solutions.

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Reflection Moving on to the second slash main project, I handled this project 100% alone because of an unavoidable circumstance, which is work that forced me to miss half of my total class. I planned to do online consultations online through email, but I didn’t have the time due to work and personal problems, including health problems. Through reading the brief thoroughly and going to some emailed materials from the studio lead, I managed to finish the project in my own interpretation and understanding—even though I failed to submit assignments on time due to those circumstances.

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I started the project by understanding the literal terms through research. User participation, user experience, tactile, digital, and comprehending di importance of each subject through different contexts and applications.

I brainstormed ideas, leaning towards design solutions using a chosen digital application from my previous research, which is AR. At first, I planned to continue with the ‘Next Level Diffuser’ concept, but honestly, I had challenges for the execution because I’m currently not staying in my own place. Tools and execution are limited. So, I decided to explore other options for a better result.

Through more research, observation, browsing and brainstorming, I landed on and ended up very liking an idea of exploring vinyl packaging on its tactile and digital experience.

I decided to work on the content using Google Docs. My approach to executing the assignment is to work systematically from the brief given. I started pouring my ideas through paragraphs and let my train of thoughts run through.

Hence, I moved on to determining the audience that suits my design solution, which are younger millennials and older gen-Zs. I researched on their characteristics to basically understand ‘What Would They Do’ as a user. After user research, I got more confident in my design solution because I concluded that it really fits for answering their personality and needs.

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USER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY

Based on the users’ characteristics, I moved on to determining the user engagement strategy. I browsed strategies for user engagement and I decided on maximizing the plan through these approaches: 01

A customer journey map to help comprehend strategies through a timeline.

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Website and social media experience as the main tool to approach users effectively since it involves the users’ lifestyle in this technological era.

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Feedback for evaluations as a form of providing users’ direct participation in improving and developing the solution offered.

Then, the content is followed by successful examples on AR experience applications in innovative tactile packaging across products. I leaned on Zappar—the world’s leading augmented reality platform and creative studio—to see their product presentations through their Youtube account. The fact that I found them from Youtube convinced me even more regarding the importance of social media engagement. Seeing explored tactile packaging from the examples also reminded me again that tactile experience is not less important than the digital ones, because in my opinion, a visually interesting appearance increases the users’ sense of intrigue and willingness to jump and participate in the digital experience.

Afterwards, I analysed deeper about how the tactile and digital solutions are both essentials in achieving user engagement and participation, and how combining both aspects could reach efficiency and effectiveness more optimal. I tried to reason about users' behavior in their experience with packaging and concluded that the collaboration of both aspects are effective to engage millennials and gen-Z’s awakenness technology and appreciation of experience.

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DESIGN SOLUTION

Here is when I finally entered to introduce my design solution, which is an attempt to create a better experience for an LP record packaging. I mentioned that my main strategy to integrate the tactile and digital experience is to make an interactive experience.

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In summary, my design solution is to create a unique vinyl packaging by making it drawable and erasable. So the product comes with an erasable marker where users have the option to draw on the cover according to their creativity. After that, they can scan their drawings through a pre-downloaded app that allows them to experience augmented reality in a form of animated graphics from their phone, along with playing a 20-second song preview from the album so they would know the vibe of the song in a unique experience. The idea is to collaborate with a local artist and come up with a ‘special packaging’ edition for their LP album.

I continued by elaborating the implication from previous research towards my design solution, which is answering the needs and interests of the users. Highly exposed to the internet, the users have the need of ‘longing for a slower-pace-kind-of-life’. Combining this need with the rising vinyl trend, culture, the idea of collaboration with local artists, technology, art, and experience, the users are most likely appreciating the solution since it matches their value and also feeds their curiosity.

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I remembered listening to the whole album back when I was in high school and was astonished by each of the song lyrics. It triggered me to reflect and actually self-actualize through the meaning delivered. After further research, I figured that the album was dedicated as a gratitude for all the people he met who had helped him grow throughout his life and music journey. Until now, I’ve listened to this album on repeat and it personally is a go-to-comfort album to my ear. So I thought this album is a perfect pilot project.

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In deciding the album and the artist, I browsed through my Spotify liked-songs. I was looking for an artist and/or an album that is suited to delivering deep, positive, encouraging, and relaxing music to optimize the ‘slowing down’ idea of the experience. It landed on one of my favorite local artists, Tulus‘ album, Monokrom.

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In the ‘Final Smart Packaging Solution’ chapter, I elaborated the whole idea and outcomes in detail, including the chosen album and artist for this pilot project, the songs, the ‘special packaging’ cover design, the material used for the cover print (which is a glossy coating to allow the drawing and erasing feature), the marker included for the doodle, the exclusive supporting app—Vinylity—and how it works in trial and premium accounts, and another additional digital experience to maximize it even more: a QR code.

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MAKING THE DUMMY

Regarding the effort in presenting my idea as accurately as possible, the first tool I use is a vinyl PSD mockup that I downloaded. The idea is to illustrate and showcase the physical outcome in real life. Then I realized that to demonstrate the tactile experience and test the effectiveness, I need the literal example of the product. I decided to print a dummy to explore the product deeper and effectively. I printed the design on the intended material, which is coated with a glossy texture, and tried doodling it with a yellow Sharpie.

The animation idea in the AR is for the doodled vinyl to be illustrated turning like it’s playing on a player in real life. For the demonstration purposes, doodled on the dummy cover, took a picture of it and edited it using Final Cut Pro to make it turn for around 20 seconds. I made sure I adjusted it to turn 33,3 times in a minute as in real life a standard LP usually works 33,3 RPM, and I inserted the song mp3 for 20 seconds.

I exported it into an MP4 and imported it to an existing AR maker app. I used Halo AR because it’s very easy to use, I just need to capture the surface where it’d ‘trigger’ the AR to appear. So I captured the printed dummy, and selected the edited video that I had made before to appear whenever the camera captured the ‘triggering’ surface. I was so happy because it succeeded in my first try!

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Inspired by Zappar’s promotional video on Youtube that I watched before, I decided to make a short video demo of this project. It’s not an ads video, instead the purpose is just to showcase the concept outcomes more clearly that would be very limited and less accurate if explained through sentences only.

Hence, in the video, I include simple shots that highlight the material and visual design for this special packaging, and mostly showing the AR experience demonstration, then ending the video with the 20s video and song preview, closed with the ‘Vinylity’ logo at the very end.

For submission purposes, I linked the video URL in the ‘press here’ area to make it easily accessible, along with another alternative of entering a customized URL manually in case the ‘press here’ couldn’t be clicked.

Apps & Softwares Involved During The Process

Halo AR

Final Cut

Google Docs

Adobe Photoshop

I ended the document with mentioning the challenges I faced during the process, along with the solutions to overcome it and concluded that the whole project was a challenging but fun process to create. I also came to an understanding that comprehending all materials gained from the research is essential to creating effective and answering solutions.

Finally, I’m closing the document with an image of the AR demonstration and the reference list.

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STUDIO KNOWLEDGE OBJECT

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Assignment Objective Reflect, write, design, and produce an artefact that communicates the development of my knowledge and skills gained from the Smart Packaging studio experience. Contextualize, reflect, and propose ideas, communicating my process, challenges faced, drivers for inspirations, moments of learning, and how I expect to apply the knowledge and skills gained to my future practice.

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Reflection The challenge for this SKO is mostly because I experienced less in-class sessions. In fact the last two projects were a big challenge because I’m doing this alone, no consultation. I decided to approach the SKO with the point of view of walking through each of the assignments, and shared what I thought, felt, and did.

For the first chapter, ‘Contextualize’, I decided to reread the course objective stated on Canvas. I paraphrased and put it into my own wordings, and added what I experienced that aren’t literally mentioned there.

For the second chapter, ‘Critical Reflection’, I went through each assignment’s detailed process. The idea, where I got the inspirations, the challenges I faced, useful insights, new lessons learnt—technical yet soft skills, along with some process documentations.

As for the last chapter, ‘Propose’, I went back and reflected moments of inspiration and learnings through the studio that can be applied to my future design practice. I mentioned how I learnt things in this studio that are also relevant to other design areas and not limited to packaging areas only which is very useful for my overall design practice.

Creating this very assignment, at this moment, also has its challenges. I haven’t really been in a stable place this year because I have to move around the cities for work and personal urgencies, especially since coming back to my home country because of the pandemic. I struggled with time management that leads me to not being able to submit projects on time, yet I’m in the process of accepting that it’s beyond my control and not that I’m lazy nor intentionally flaky. Which is why I am so proud of myself for being able to finish this course in complete (and relatively not bad I guess), even though I didn’t get to experience a lot of things in the most ideal situation.

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P R O P O S E

In this chapter, I’ll describe how I intend to apply the insight and lessons learned from the studio to your future practice, including moments of inspiration, revelation, key learnings, design methods, principles and techniques that can be applied and could benefit future design practice.

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I experienced a lot of self-learning during the course. Yet I really appreciate the first half semester when I got the chance to participate in-class sessions. Appreciate the discussion and feeling inspired, witnessing other peers’ ideas and presentations. Even more, I appreciate the art of packaging more and more through this course. Used to see packaging limited in the frame of tactile aspects, but now I appreciate tactile experience even more and keeping digital solutions in mind when working on a packaging.

As a freelance graphic designer, I came to see the presentation of my solution outcomes can be engaged through packaging. Exposed more about packaging through this course, I personally and directly utilized the use of packaging to present my client’s order and it ended up leaving a really meaningful memory for them. In the end, it benefits me as the service-giver as my freelance brand is known for its appropriate and professional service, just by allocating some budget for a tactile presentation. Which is why I definitely will keep in mind to include packaging as one essential tool in design solutions.

I realized that digital experience is effective, needed, and intriguing not just limited in terms of packaging, but to be included in overall design solutions. For instance, QR codes can be a very effective experience when included in a printed business card. That way, people can easily get directed to intended information through a single scan. Apparently, what I learnt in this ‘packaging-themed’ studio is not limited to the packaging area only. Things I learnt in the research and the problem solvings are relevant to other design fields.

Regarding external challenges I faced, I personally learnt that there are things I can control and things beyond my control. I learn to focus on the things I can control, like working on my responsibility the best I can, applying for special considerations when needed, informing unavoidable circumstances, and catching up when I have the chance to. Also, to let go and accept things I can’t control, like connection problems, taking rest when I fall into sickness, and having to prioritize more urgent matters. I learnt that things can’t always be as ideal, but what matters is I’m doing my best to overcome and be responsible in my part.

I personally would like to thank Michelle Soldatos, the studio lead, for understanding my never-ending circumstances and appreciating my efforts. After all, even though this wasn’t my best performance and participation in class, I enjoyed being in the studio and it has successfully pushed me into striving to be a better person and designer in the future.

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