In 2.744 - Product Design, small teams were tasked with creating eco-friendly office products for Staples. I worked with a team to create prototypes for EcoShred, a paper shredder that harvests blank areas of scrap paper for reuse. Given the complexity of the project, separate “looks-like” and “works-like” models were created to prove our concept. I partnered with a teammate to build the looks-like model.
SKETCHES + MODELS
With basic product functions determined, sketches and foam models were used to iterate on the product form. This phase helped work out issues like having buttons next to the paper feeder (oops!) and finding the right button configuration.
Foam sketch model that tested button placement and paper feed methods
PACKAGING
After a field trip to a Staples store to understand how the product fits into the retail environment, a package was designed to match the Staples private brand and provide eco-friendly features. To reduce waste, a pull-out handle was placed at the top of the box so that a bag isn’t needed, and molded cardboard fiber inserts were used instead of styrofoam to prevent in-box damage.
While visiting a Staples retail sore, we noted that display models are placed at eye level, with boxed models placed directly beneath.