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Industrial / UX
Sponsored Team Project • 14-week duration • SP 2020
Sustainability • Problem Solving • Design Thinking
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator • SolidWorks • KeyShot • iMovie
Life
Without
Plastic
In this 14-week project, we redefined
the FOOD SAVER with sustainable thinking. Starting with the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), we understood the pollution and hazards that occur at every step of the production process.
We proposed an improvement plan for each problem to minimize the environmental hazards in the five steps of production, transportation, sales, use, and abandonment.
Three Main Issues
Social impact on mica
Crippling poverties force many families and children to mine the highly prized mineral, with as many as 20,000 children believed to be working in mica mines, about 90% of which are illegal.
Plastic pollution
After purchasing the FOOD SAVER, you still need to buy a lot of plastic bags when you used all the accessory ones. These plastic bags are usually used for only one time before you throw them away. And it takes hundreds of years to degrade them in the wild.
Disposal of circuit board
Electronic devices are toxic yet still ending up in the landfill. Therefore, many states in the US are banning electronics from being thrown in the trash and going to landfills.
Our Design Goals
Sustainability goals
• Reduce the environmental impact of disposing the vacuum sealer.
• Close the loop by collecting used products at Points of sale.
• Propose sustainable materials to reduce the use of plastic.
• Design for disassembly.
Social impact goals
• Reduce negative social impact by eliminating the use of mica.
• Build brand value by sharing
knowledge about fresh food and healthy eating.
Brand goals
• Diversify product line to attract
Millennials and Gen Z as customers.
• Introduce product features that the current customer base can also
resonate with.
• Simplify the user experience.
• Make sustainable purchases
affordable through the new
product line.
Ideations
Final Design
To use this product, just place the vacuum on the clip, and press the start button. It will stop automatically while bag is vacuumed.
Comparison - Bill of Material
All Rights Reserved, Lincoln Chen 2020
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