Disassembly and lifecycle analysis

The disassembly and life cycle analysis was a really interesting exercise in many ways. Firstly i never realised how many products go into a toaster to make a simple piece of toast. Secondly i didnt realise that 90% of the toaster would end up in land fill all around the world and how much energy is used to transport the product from china, to australia from the docks to the warehouse, to the retailer and then to your home. Does this warrant me making toast every morning?
Green fly was a great website that i will definitely use again. You are able to enter usage, products manufacturing, transport etc. It is a real eye opener and recommend everyone to at least use it once to see the carbon footprints of all the products we love.
Our groups main findings you can see below in the report but the two main aspects i was chocked about was the transport and the landfill.
Overall a great exercise.

Disassembly and lifecycle analysis

Lifecycle Report

Video reflections

Video reflection:
How can i become a 'green' designer?
There are many different aspects where one can become a greener designer. One is the advances in material sciences for example bio plastics and stronger composites. Due to this engineers and designers have more options for green and more sustainable materials which can increase a products efficiency. 
Through my own experiences studying as a designer and also working in retail where i am surrounded by products i understand that chocie of material and the weight of that material is very important throughout the product lifecycle.Making things lightweight reduces cost throughout every process from production to consumer especially in shipping costs and material breakdown. 
Extending a products use phase is another way to extend its life.  To do this you can make it more durable, recyclable or even make it possible to be upcycled.
Light weighting has a huge environmental impact that benefits when materials are a big part of your product’s environmental impact or when you’re designing something that moves.

As a designer it is important that i am educated in material selection and regulation an have access to a broad materials data base. Material choice can have an immense impact of a products life. 

Good Material selection and reducing weight ultimately results in one thing, more efficient energy usage. As a designer it is my role to help reduce societies usage of energy and waste. This is something that i have incorporate into my design for my pill packaging for parkinsons patients. I have created a strong housing which will last for the duration of the disease but the cheeps recyclable plastic tablet casing gets replaced and recycled by a pharmacist insteadt of replacing the whole tablet packaging. This reduces costs as it is lighter.

Reflection

This week was really helpful as i devised a system for my pill dispenser for people with Parkinsons Disease to make it simple for them to hold and dispense their medication. As seen in the posters the system is made from 4 parts with the inner housing being the replaced when medication runs out. Initially the packaging was in a slide open position but actually locked. After discussion with Mar and my focus group it would make more sense if the packaging was closed and locked rather than opened and locked as this is the way the human brain would deceive it. The placement of the whole where the pill dispenses from was also a talking point as it was in the centre and there might be a possibility that the pills may not fall out. I have now moved the whole from the centre to the corner as it will be easier to guid the pill out. The overall size of the packaging was good but in the replacement mechanism could be easier to open for pharmacists and replace then this would save time when refilling a script. This would be a huge plus because the last thing people with PD want to do is spend half their time at the chemist. Overall good feed back and ready for a busy week ahead.

mock up for mechanism and insert

Draft Posters for Cormack

Week 2: Presentation and Concepts

weekly consultation week 2: Peer and tutor feedback

Tutor Feedback:
Concept 1:Concept one and two were my strongest concepts both focusing on assisting with tasks that are hard to execute with Parkinson's disease. After consulting with mar and my group, concept two came out on top as it has more opportunities to develop and innovate. The focus will be on guiding and aiding the user holding and pouring milk/juice, focusing on the lid mechanism and the use of a the users second hand. The concept i presented was not a realistic shape but was exaturated to highlight key areas. Mar stated that for this design to work it will need to fit within existing cartons to keep costs down as it is a high consumer good. This is a challenge but can be executed with a large number of mockups and testing with people with parkinsons. I am looking to get in contact with a local physiotherapist in St Leonards who is know for their work with Parkinson's patients. Hopefully after talks with them i can further gage an understanding and test my concept and mock ups. Concept 3 was lacking innovation and essential not meeting the needs for the market.

Peer consultation: Alex Jackson
The three concepts presented offer good solutions for people that are suffering from Parkinson's disease. The cap idea of the pill packaging offers a simple yet effective solution in catching the tablet from the container and the allowing it to be taken. However, it could become problematic when trying to recap the top. The milk concept however, seems to be the most viable of the three. Having watched the video on this blog about Parkinson's and someone trying to make a simple cup of tea, it is easy to see how such a simple daily task can become a chore. The shape and positioning of the handles and spout would allow the milk to be easily poured without needing to be raised too high. Textures will be important to assist with grip, as will the spout design to allow easy opening and smooth pouring. It will be good to see it as an overall design.