Smart Packaging - Vinylity

Seamless Integration of the Tactile and Digital Experience

Adelista Widjaya | RMIT University 2021

Content

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Part 1 Inquiry Led Research Part 2 Digital Solutions Part 3 Final Smart Packaging Solution Reference List

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PA R T 1

Inquiry Led Research

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PA R T 1 . 1

TERMS DEFINITION

User Participation

“The observable behavior of system users in the information system development process.”

— Barki and Hartwick (1989)

User Experience

“The overall experience of a person using a product…, especially in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use.”— Oxford Languages

Tactile

Designed to be perceived by touch.

— Oxford Languages

Digital

Relating to, using, or storing data or information in the form of digital signals. — Oxford Languages

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USER EXPERIENCE ENCOMPASSES ALL ASPECTS OF THE END-USER’S INTERACTION WITH THE COMPANY, ITS SERVICES, AND ITS PRODUCTS. — NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

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PA R T 1 . 2

T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F U S E R P A R T I C I P A T I O N AND USER EXPERIENCE ACROSS BOTH T H E T A C T I L E A N D D I G I TA L E X P E R I E N C E

The idea is users are experts of their own lives, that involving them helps us put ourselves in their shoes. Hence, we can understand more details about their specific situation; including their needs, wishes, and requirements. As a result, the quality of the product can be improved and developed more accurately.

User participation and user experience are essential aspects in both tactile and digital experience. In a tactile-designed piece, the user’s sense of touch is engaged and it creates a sense of connection. It’s important to provide a good experience of tangibility, as when a user picks up the product, tangible effects like glossy coatings, foil stamps, 3D embossing, and more, will create an immediate sense of luxury and premium quality.

Whereas in digital experience, user participation and experience is very important to assess how successful and sustainable the product is when delivered to the user. Users’ insight and interactions can be analysed based on the recorded data to directly see, in particular, aspects that interest the user, also aspects that need to be improved or tweaked.

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PA R T 1 . 3 THE USERS’ CHARACTERISTICS

USER 1: YOUNGER MILLENIALS

Technology-Based

Millennials grew up in an era where the electronic and online environment just started to develop. The generation has the attributes of being web-savvy, curious, independent, and tolerant. They adapt themselves using smartphones, laptops, and other technological gadgets to perform better in their work. Millennials have grown up and express themselves online through apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. It allows them to share and receive information and being the most connected generation.

Embrace Experience and Ethical Spending

Millennials value experiences as their digital personalities appreciate traveling, working online, and other digital experiences. They are willing to spend their money on ethical yet sustainable experiences as they are more progressive and conscious.

Educated and Knowledgeable

Millennials are described as the most educated generation in history. They are exposed to higher education and motivated to learn more. Moreover, social media has allowed them to increase knowledge by sharing information. Some even take online courses and learn new skills that get them to participate in the gig economy.

Health Conscious

Millennials embrace technologies developed to stay healthy. They are referred to as the most health-conscious generation ever because of their access to online health information. They invest and prioritize making healthy lifestyle choices to achieve mental, spiritual, and physical stability. They are less attached to organized religion but more with spirituality. Their progressiveness stems from their spiritual consciousness, where they believe in the concept that all humans are equal regardless of gender, race, religion, or political affiliation.

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USER 2: OLDER GEN-Z(S)

Diversity Is Their Norm

Gen-Z experienced America’s first Black president and the legalization of gay marriage. They most likely are grown up in a more diverse family structure—single parent household, multi-racial household, blurred gender role household. This makes them see differences like race, sexual orientation, or religion as a normal thing.

The First ‘Digital Natives’

Whereas Millennials are digital pioneers, Gen-Z was born when the world was at the peak of its technological innovation. Information is at their fingertips, allowing them to have knowledge and be proactive in their learning.

Mental Health Challenges

This is a sad characteristic, that Gen-Z has been referred to by some as the ‘loneliest generation’. As they spend most of their time online, they are trapped in the feelings of isolation and depression. Not to mention, they’ve fallen prey to comparing themselves with social media toxic standards.

Shrewd Consumers

Gen-Zs make informed purchasing decisions with their extensive social networks. They are able to explore and evaluate a range of options before settling on a product.

Unconsciously, they look at their purchasing decisions as an expression of their values. They are drawn to products and brands who share their point of view—and are often willing to pay more for them.

CONCLUSION The users of this product are younger millennials and older gen-Zs. Both are progressive in terms of technology and appreciate experience—perfect for the product and the packaging in this particular project that combine culture, art, music, well-being, wrapped in technology.

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PA R T 1 . 5 U S E R E N G A G E M E N T S T R AT E G Y

#1 CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAP

AWA R E N E S S Online Ads Search Articles

RESEARCH Website Social Media Page Live Chat

C O N S I D E R AT I O N Website Pricing

PURCHASE Easy Checkout Process Various Payment Options

USE

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#2 OPTIMIZED WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIENCE As a centerpiece of a customer's digital experience, the website will provide as complete of customers’ needs. From purchasing, product information, production, to customer service, presented in a well-designed interface. The product is also available in other local digital marketplaces, for instance Tokopedia, Shopee, and Blibli.com Through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook page, the proposition of the product will be elaborated where the users will be guided through to an accurate understanding of the product’s value. Static and dynamic visual representations will be presented in a high quality experience.

# 3 F E E D B A C K F O R E VA L U A T I O N S To optimize the experience, users will be asked to give feedback for their overall experience as a form of direct user participation for the brand to be able to provide users’ needs more accurately, and enhance the users’ experience based on the received evaluation.

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PA R T 1 . 6 E X A M P L E S F O R S U C C E S S F U L I N T E G R AT I O N O F T H E T A C T I L E A N D D I G I TA L E X P E R I E N C E

# 1 W - I N - T H E - B O X B Y S K Y W E L L S O F T WA R E This is a great example of an augmented reality applied in a beverage can. It’s showing the ingredients of the drink through an app. The physical appearance of the can is also presenting a sense of premium and luxury vibe from its design and the use of gold color in the top.

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# 2 S H A Z A M X B O M B AY S A P P H I R E B Y Z A P PA R This unique AR experience uses the bottleneck label as the activation point. Users were able to scan the label to reveal an immersive animation in augmented reality. Customers could then watch exclusive video content, showcasing different Bombay Sapphire recipes.

# 3 W - I N - T H E - B O X B Y Z A P PA R Zappar created this eco-friendly example of a promotional water product with an interactive AR content experience that tells the story of water’s health benefits, the eco credentials and the rest of the range to show the cross-promotional possibilities. This is a great example of how AR can add a new narrative to an existing product through interactivity and animation.

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PA R T 2

Design Solutions

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PA R T 2 . 1

HOW DESIGN SOLUTION WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING U S E R E N G A G E M E N T A N D PA R T I C I PAT I O N

Smart and engaging packaging can relatively increase product experience, whereas unoptimized packaging experience often only ends up becoming waste.

When we want to buy a product, sometimes we hesitate because of these reasons: #1 #2

It’s generic, nothing’s special with the product. Or if there is, nothing urged or interested us enough to browse at the product’s uniqueness further.

There is no sample or preview of the product that we weren’t assured enough that we’ll gain a worthwhile experience buying the product.

The lack of pre-buying experience is vital— one of the solutions that can be offered is experience through the packaging. We forget we can do so much through packaging.

The concrete physical design of a product’s packaging determines whether a targeted user will pick up the product or not—the color, the shape, the overall aesthetic. We took the first win when the user picked up the product. Hence, the tactile of the packaging for this particular project will be made pleasing yet attractive visually. The materials used will also be incorporated differently and made interactive.

Digital solutions are also very effective in achieving user engagement. Further product information can be included through digital experience, for example through a scannable barcode that directs users to the brand’s website. This enhances efficiency and saves space in the packaging. It’s also more convenient to read information that is presented neatly on a digital platform, and makes it possible to include more interesting details like brand story and highlight their unique selling proposition. Motion, audio, and even interactive visuals can also be delivered through digital. For instance images and a short video of the product, or AR experience maximize product preview and experience virtually.

Offering a fresh solution can be engaging for users. Understanding what they care about, the problems they have, and offering something that touches their personal value can trigger engagements. Targeting users like younger millennials and gen-Zs, some relaxation or calming solutions might be attractive for them to take a break after their hustle. Some high-technology experience might definitely intrigue their sense of natural curiosity.

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... CONTAINERS CAN TELL STORIES, BOXES CAN AUGMENT REALITY AND UNLOCK HIDDEN CONTENT. — JOHNSON (2017)

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PA R T 2 . 2

S T R AT E G Y F O R S U C C E S S F U L V I S U A L I N T E G R A T I O N O F TA C T I L E A N D D I G I T A L PA C K A G I N G E X P E R I E N C E

A successful tactile design is most maximized when extended to the digital realm.

In achieving digital experience packaging, it’s inevitable to abandon the tactile. We want to offer augmented reality experience, but we still need the ‘box’ to do it. Which is why, both tactile and digital aspects need to be developed side by side.

For this particular project, I will be working on creating a better experience for an LP record. My strategy of maximizing its packaging experience is to make interactive innovations. The idea is to connect the tactile experience with the digital experience.

Physically, I plan to create a unique cover design by providing an erasable marker and its eraser, where users have the option to draw on the cover and erase it according to their creativity. After that, they can scan their drawings on the LP cover through a pre-downloaded app that allows the users to experience augmented reality in a form of animated graphics from their phone. It can also preview the songs inside the particular album briefly and direct the songs to the digital songs that are available on Spotify.

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PA R T 2 . 3

I M P L I C AT I O N F R O M I N Q U I R Y L E D R E S E A R C H T O WA R D S M Y D E S I G N S O L U T I O N S

Based on the research upon the user’s characteristics and the importance of user participation yet experience in both forms of digital solution, I came up with a packaging solution that tries to accommodate those considerations. Regarding the user’s characteristics, there are some things to note down. First of all, they are awake and curious about technology—which if applied effectively is a huge plus point—almost essential. They appreciate experience, and they are educated people who understand value.

Highly-exposed to the internet, the negative effects these generations have been receiving is mostly the stress gained from the pressure of hustle culture and unrealistic internet standards. This phenomenon creates a specific need of ‘longing for a slower-pace-kind-of-life’—a sort of entertainment, a therapy, a me-time.

BECAUSE THE WORLD THAT WE’RE IN NEEDS THIS KIND OF FORMAT—IT NEEDS US TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY A REALLY NICE MEAL ONCE IN A WHILE, A GOOD BOURBON OR COCKTAIL NOW AND THEN, AND TO SIT DOWN AND JUST LISTEN TO MUSIC SOMETIMES.

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SCOTT HAGEN, CEO OF VICTROLA

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... THERE IS SOMETHING ROMANTIC ABOUT RECORDS, SOMETHING SATISFYING ABOUT OPENING THE ALBUM JACKET, SEEING THE FANTASTIC ARTWORK AND STUDYING THE LINER NOTES WHILE LISTENING TO THE ALBUM. THAT’S SOMETHING THAT TODAY’S DIGITAL FILES JUST CAN’T REPLACE.

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CHARLIE RANDALL, CEO OF MCINTOSH LABS

Speaking of the product itself, in the last decade, vinyl is on the rise. (The Manual, 2020).

Unlike digital music, vinyl is an active experience. It creates a sense of art and the activity is therapeutic. Vinyls can be touched. shared, traded and gifted—it is something tangible.

Thoughtfully approaching, vinyl’s comeback can be maximized in terms of its packaging.

Definitely a maximized packaging experience in both digital and tactile aspects can be one solution for the user to their needs of having some sustainable healthy ‘rituals’.

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PA R T 3

Final Smart Packaging Solution

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PA R T 3 . 1

THE IDEA

With challenges the world has been offering to the generation, they need to refresh their minds once in a while, healthily. Record—as one of the cultures that has sustained in decades, even rising again through generations— is a potential to maximize and to answer a need for leisure. As well as an attempt to utilise technology and reduce single use packaging, combined with design and technology, this project was born to prove that the collaboration of culture, art, music, technology, and sustainability is a brilliant idea.

The idea is to collaborate with a local (specifically Indonesian) artist, to create a fresh, unique, and next level record experience by involving interaction through the packaging. Moreover, by providing a durable packaging and with a concept that involves the experience, it will sustain longer as users will take care of the packaging carefully and not straight up ending it becomes waste.

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PA R T 3 . 2

THE OUTCOMES

#1 THE ALBUM

The idea is to collaborate with local artists. For this particular project, I chose an album from Indonesian artist, Monokrom by Tulus. His third album, it was released in August 2016. He dedicated the album as a gratitude for all the people he met who helped him grow and made him who he is, throughout his life and music journey. I think this album is perfect as a pilot project as it conveys deep meanings, that it could help people when listening to slow down to whatever they’re doing, relax and reflect.

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This album has 10 songs:

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Manusia Kuat Pamit Ruang Sendiri Tukar Jiwa Tergila-gila Cahaya Langit Abu-abu Mahakarya Lekas Monokrom

English Translation:

Strong Human

Farewell

Personal Space

Soul Exchange

Crazy Over

Light

Grey Sky

Masterpiece

Soon

Monochrome

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#2 THE DESIGN

ORIGINAL ALBUM COVER

S P E C I A L PA C K A G I N G A L B U M C O V E R

The visual design of this particular record cover will be different from the original one, since this one is a special project. Hene, it has the label ‘SPECIAL PACKAGING’ on the bottom. TULUS’ logo is attached on the top left, followed by the album title ‘MONOKROM’ right below it in a smaller scale. The hero image of the composition is an image of vinyl with Tulus’ portrait that is used in the original album cover design, placed on the inside center label. The background is adapting the original album as well, which is a blurred and foggy image of Tulus’ portrait that is perfect to portray the whole album’s mood.

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# 3 T H E M AT E R I A L

Regarding the material, the paper for the printed cover is coated with a glossy texture. This allows the surface to be doodled with an erasable marker. The glossy finishing also gives the sense of premium quality as it creates reflective effects that comes from light reflections.

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#3 THE MARKER

For the purpose of packaging experience, the product will come with a fluorescent yellow erasable marker. As mentioned before, the marker is used for the user to doodle on the album cover. This experience is purposefully designed as a platform for users to explore their art soul and connect themselves with the album through drawing.

MY DOODLE

The canvas area is limited to the vinyl image in the middle of the album cover. The idea is to combine the user’s personal touch with AR. When scanned using a particular app, the drawing will turn together along with the vinyl in the augmented reality animation.

Here in the left side, is an example of my doodle. I wrote ‘MANUSIA KUAT’ which is one of the song title of the album that means ‘STRONG HUMAN’ in English.

CANVAS AREA

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#4 THE APP

On the first try, I used an existing app called HelloAR to create the augmented reality experience. It turned out fine, except the quality was very bad and it has watermark.

Came the idea to build an exclusive app called Vinylity. The word came from ‘Vinyl + Agumented Reality’ which literally means the combination of object vinyl and augmented reality technology.

Through the app, the user can scan the doodled (or non-doodled) record cover with their phone camera. The app will show the animation of the record in a turning motion, along with playing a 20 seconds preview of one selected song in the album, Manusia Kuat. The doodle made in advance will also appear turning along with the vinyl.

When users have bought the product, they will get a code inside the record cover and input it in the app to access premium features: 01

Direct song preview to the song’s page on Spotify for them to listen more digitally.

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Access to album’s whole song and change song directly from the app.

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Freeze frame, play song and enjoy the animation from their own drawing not just for 20 seconds, but for the whole song!

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Access information about the album, song lyrics and artist biography through the app.

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#5 THE QR CODE

ENJOY THE EXCLUSIVE AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE DOWNLOAD VINYLITY APP HERE:

QR CODE DIRECTS TO VINYLITY APP DOWNLOAD LINK

On the back side of the album cover, there is a QR code that directs to VINYLITY app download link. Besides the QR code, there is a text highlighting the packaging’s exclusive feature, which is augmented reality experience. It also directs the user to download the app to enjoy the feature.

Aside from AR, this project includes QR code as a form of digital experience that is very efficient in packaging. It literally can direct anything quickly and accurately which I think is a big plus point in terms of user experience.

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Watch a short video demo.

PRESS HERE or ENTER bit.ly/VinylityDemo

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PA R T 3 . 3

THE CHALLENGES

For the product, the challenge for this project is probably regarding the cost. Building an exclusive app and AR technology needs an amount of money. Which will affect the product price. The challenging part is some people might think it’s not worth it to spend the money for the experience that doesn’t play a relatively significant part for the product itself.

However, this project is made for a niche market who appreciates experience and is willing to pay for the value offered they found interesting.

As for personally, the challenge along the process lies around how to integrate everything into one solid solution—my idea, the user's needs, the tactile aspect, the digital aspect, and the execution to make it possible. There are a lot of aspects to consider, like the packaging material that is durable yet allows the drawing tool to be erasable, the app that could make the AR work, the visual look that has to be attractive, the animation that’s cool but suits the album’s personality. It’s a challenging yet fun process to merge them all together into a well-designed yet reasonable outcome.

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PA R T 3 . 4

VA L U A B L E K N O W L E D G E F R O M INQUIRY LED RESEARCH IN SUPPORTING FINAL SOLUTION

Understanding the importance of user participation and user experience underscores the requirement to involve them in the product. In this particular project, users’ drawings and their smartphones are the main tool of direct involvement in the experience idea.

The purpose is to interact with the users’ personal touch as a tactile experience. Then followed by digital technology, the AR system finishes the whole experience in various convenient ways.

Comprehending the user’s profile also helps in the process of developing the design. It plays a big part in creating an effective and answering solution. Moreover, knowing the record is both a trend and proven a sustainable hobby for these niche users.

Understanding their characteristics also helps to see if they have the readiness and capacity to ‘afford’—mentally, physically, intellectually, financially— the solution offered.

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Reference List Bika, N. (2021). 8 Smart Customer Engagement Strategies. Acquire.io. https://acquire.io/blog/customer-engagement-str ategies/ Casey, A. (2021). What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z?. AECF.org. https://www.aecf.org/blog/what-are-the-core-ch aracteristics-of-generation-z Cheng, M. (2019). 8 Characteristics of Millenials That Support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/margueritacheng/ 2019/06/19/8-characteristics-of-millennials-that-s upport-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/?sh= 4984b7c29b75 Fischer, B., Peine, A., Ostlund, B. (2020). The Importance of User Involvement: A Systematic Review of Involving Older Users in Technology Design. The Gerontologist Oxford Academic. https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/ 60/7/e513/5644100 John, S. (2020). Why Vinyl Records Are Making a Comeback in 2021. The Manual. https://www.themanual.com/culture/why-vinyl-iscoming-back/ Johnson, T. (2017). Packaging Beyond the Tactile: Why Designs Need to Go Beyond the Physical. The Dieline. https://thedieline.com/blog/2017/7/19/packagi ng-beyond-the-tactile-why-designs-need-to-go-bey ond-the-physical?

Kappelman, L., McLean, E. (n. d.). The Respective Roles of User Participation and User Involvement In Information System Implementation Success. Citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download ?doi=10.1.1.140.2124&rep=rep1&type=pdf Nielsen, J., Norman, D. (n. d.). The Definition of User Experience (UX). nngroup.com https://www.nngroup.com/articles/definition-us er-experience Sarkina. (2020). What Is Tactile Packaging?.

Sarkina.com. https://www.sarkina.com/blog/post/what-is-tacti le-packaging Skywell Software (2019, April 5). Augmented Reality For Packaging - Case of Using AR technology in Food and Beverage Industry [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4tnPETjga w TulusCompany. (2016). RILISAN PERS: “TULUS MONOKROM’. Situs Tulus. https://www.situstulus.com/press-release-tulus-m onokrom/ Zappar (2017, November 28). Augmented Reality for Packaging - Shazam x Bombay Sapphire [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcoPlvhi_LI &t=2s Zappar (2018, March 15). Augmented Reality for Packaging - SIG | W-in-a-Box [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NNYgCks 72I\

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