From the category archives:

new product development

Design Strategy – A Short Film About It

by Mario Vellandi on June 21, 2009

[Video Link for Email/Other Subscribers - 10min]

Where do new ideas come from? Produced by the global innovation consultancy Continuum, this film is about design strategists and how they identify the right ideas. The notes below are golden nugget excerpts from the script, edited by me for conciseness while adding my own perspective logic for flow, and to fall within the boundaries of fair use. So while I didn’t indent the text, make it red, or place it in italics, consider it their thinking :) and a wee little bit o mine. [click to continue…]

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Winners of the 21st DuPont Awards for Sustainable Packaging

June 11, 2009

[Video Link for Email/Other Subscribers - 6min]
Every year, DuPont hosts a competition for various sustainable packaging designs & innovations, as decided by a jury of various individuals (none of which are DuPont employees). Hope you enjoy seeing some of the cool items

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Terracycle on Product Development and Desirability

May 7, 2009

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on how Mars was teaming up with Terracycle to create new products along with some commentary on the role of sustainable products not just being useful, but also desirable for the long term. It’s one thing to create a relatively “green” and socially responsible product, but it’s […]

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Intense Axe-Wielding Reductionism and Sustainable Design

April 24, 2009

Reductionism is both a classic technique for placing greater user focus on select elements of an object/process, and for lean & sustainable product development. One major design proponent of reductionism is John Maeda, dean of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) - Although not explicitly related to sustainability, I do recommend you check out some […]

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Sustainable Packaging Design Interview with Wendy Jedlicka

April 23, 2009

The Costs and Benefits of Better Design | GreenBiz.com
Wendy is the author of Packaging Sustainability: Tools, Systems and Strategies for Innovative Package Design (I got the book last week and am dying to eat it up), and gave a pretty good interview.
“It’s really a matter of - you know, they go hand in glove. You […]

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Terracycle to Create Products from Mars Inc. Brands

April 23, 2009

Mars Inc., Terracycle Partner for Waste Reduction Program - Waco Tribune

TerraCycle will repurpose waste packaging from Mars’s U.S. operations into products ranging from cell phone holders and laptop sleeves to messenger bags, significantly reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. Mars will also sponsor TerraCycle ‘Brigade programs,’ in which organizations can raise money by […]

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Amazon Expands Packaging Feedback Program

April 16, 2009

So after recently reading about the expanded Amazon program as part of its Frustration-Free packaging initiative, I decided to check it out myself and give you a visual of how it looks:

This is not just an environmental initiative, but a great example of continuous product/service improvement through online customer feedback.
via GreenBiz

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Sony PlayStations Recycled into Chairs {Article}

April 14, 2009

Recycled PlayStations Have Front-Row Seat in Reee Chair Design - Design News
Pli Design Ltd. originally designed the Reee chair for the Eden Project, a massive greenhouse and environmental center in England, using recycled plastic. After delivering 50 chairs using a single source, they began thinking about the potential for a much larger manufacturing vision.
“Pli began […]

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Payless ShoeSource Launches Zoe & Zac Green Footwear Line

April 14, 2009

Payless ShoeSource Announces the Launch of Zoe & Zac

While I don’t shop shoes often, it is refreshing to see a specialty shoe retailer put together a brand that isn’t overtly green, particularly in its branding and product design. The new line promises sustainably designed shoes, handbags, jewelry, and socks for under $30.
“The Zoe & Zac […]

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Unilever’s Sustainable Brand & Business Strategy – Santiago Gowland

April 11, 2009

From Sustainable Brands International in December, comes this interesting presentation from Santiago Gowland - VP Brand & Global Corporate Responsibility, Unilever. He speaks about the company’s Brand Imprint program, statistics, and considerations on the social role of business in the 21st century. Here’s the breakdown of his presentation:

Embracing Reality: Average income of $2/day in emerging […]

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Kimberly-Clark Adds Recycled Paper Products to Scott Brand {Article}

April 8, 2009

Kimberly-Clark Launches Recycled Products - Reuters
“The launch this month of Scott Naturals makes Kimberly-Clark the first major paper products maker to have a full line that taps into the growing market for environmentally friendly products…Charmin and Bounty maker Procter & Gamble Co does not make recycled paper products, and a spokesman would not comment on […]

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Aligning Customer Value With Green Value {Article}

April 3, 2009

How to Align Customer Value With Green Value - Leading Green - HarvardBusiness.org
Bob Lurie critically addresses two constraining assumptions in questioning whether or not customers will pay a premium for green products:

They do not have any tangible benefits for customers other than making them feel good about helping the planet.
They are more expensive to produce […]

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Shopper Input Promotes Sustainable Packaging {Articles}

April 3, 2009

Audit May Boost Light Weighting of Packaging - Beverage Daily
Tesco Runs In-Store Market Research To Cut Packaging - Env. Leader
In itself, a great idea on multiple fronts:

Customer insight yields areas for product improvement and recycling service design
Decreased material usage throughout life cycle
Feedback system may leave positive company impression on retailer

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Timberland Makes Boot Soles with 42% Recycled Rubber {Article}

April 3, 2009

Timberland Turns Old Tires into New Shoes | Sustainable Life Media
Nice! The increased use of recycled content percentages is always quite welcome (at least under most circumstances). You see, the general idea is to use whatever material inclusion process with the smallest carbon and long-term waste footprint. This requires:

A Basic Life Cycle Assessment
Supply Chain Scenario […]

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Packaging Design’s Importance in Customer Appeal

March 13, 2009

Advertising is Dead. Long Live Packaging
Ted Mininni is a packaging and branding expert I usually read over at the MP Daily Fix blog. Today, he’s written a phenomenal piece on the importance of packaging design for consumer products. Ted’s rationale is that with the decreasing effectiveness of advertising in gaining consumer mindshare, how your product’s […]

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