Review: Who killed the Electric Car?

This video was one of the most intriguing and engaging documentary about the electric car evolution. From the beginning, you are captivated to find out the reason as to its depletion and its value to the environment according to different people. It was development in 1996 in California as a vehicle that required fast speed with no exhaust or gasoline, quiet and home charged. It was adapted with success but all of a sudden it disappeared. Ten years later there was no such ‘futuristic’ car on the road it had disappeared from the consumer choice.

 

The video illustrates how the power of the combustion engine was seen always to be the number one choice, even though the apparent signs of environmental struggle were becoming increasingly notable. The Greenhouse gases, smog, air quality, ‘black cloud of death’ leading to the increase of asthma/cancer rates, lung impairment, respiratory disease thus limitation on living. Although it wasn’t until the advancement in technology allowing the first solar car to arrive, which lead to a mandate whereby all car dealerships had to provide a percentage of cars with no exhaust (Electric cars) to continue selling. Thus the EV1 was introduced to save our planet.

 

You discover that the EV1 had redeemable qualities such as sexiness, low cost, speed, aesthetic and independency. Although consumer acceptance was an issue, questioning its reliance, ability, size, features with the addition of conflicting oil companies, questioning the environmental dubious of the electric car (coal). This then caused change in the mandate to customer demand. Gone…..

 

The video conducted a continuous debate trying to provide blame to the reason behind the abolishing of the mandate thus the refuge of all electric cars. You learn the extent of how much the environment was valued according to all parties of blame, from the consumer, batteries, car companies, government etc. The most convincing point seen as reasonable blame is from the car companies whereby the electric cars not having an internal engine removed their economical profits on the repairs, maintain and oil imports.

 Industrial designers should watch this video as it gives and insight to the importance of demand and politics that get involve in design. It allows us to see the importance and the possibility of the introduction of eco design as a potential necessity especially in the electrical car industry. Let us understand the consumers and their needs as more than just profitable gain. Create clear awareness through design of the environmental impact and how a product you buy will help the future of the world. Persuade benefits and functional features to support the design as seen no different as the existing just with an additional benefit.

 

The 3 keep messages:

1.      The harm we do on the environment has to be made clear to consumers. In educating the understanding on how a product can help through experience and knowledge will influence the demand. Demand is dependent on awareness thus the success of a product in order to make a difference on the environment.

2.      Providing a continuous debate on blame doesn’t achieve necessary action but seems to result in the depletion of an electric car and potential market for new innovations.

Economy and hidden agendas of the government, politics, car companies etc. in regards to profit take a big part in the success of the electric car.

3.      Educating the consumer to move away from their mindset that eco design is worse than existing products but the same with added beneficial qualities.

Comments - Cormack Packaging Project

Rebecca Womersley
Dale Wakeham
Anastasie Panagopoulos
Lily Nguyen
Kate Barclay

Rationale – DinoVites

Problem:

The redesign of children’s vitamin containers was seen as a necessary, purposeful design issue to resolve, fitting in with requirements for the Cormack packaging competition. As parent’s foremost priority is in the health and safety of their children. One of their biggest fears when exposing their child to vitamins is the risk of overdose due to the lack of knowledge on dosage and the lack of supervision – what happens when you are not looking.

Looking at the current existing vitamin bottle designs targeted at children, it is seen to package over a 2 weeks supply worth of vitamins. The design of the bottling is very consistent throughout all brands. The common tall, structured, clinical transparent brown bottling or solid white containers, child proof capping, polycarbonate made containers which aren’t seen as inviting, making the daily ritual of taking vitamins a struggle for parents. Although the refusal from taking vitamins has been suppressed especially by  the newly introduced gummy supplement whereby now has increased the fear of overdose possibility due to the thrill of the gummy bear experience and attraction enhanced by branding for children between 5 - 8 years old. Temptation is present and willingness to get involved in the taking of them has increased but the fear sustained.  

Design Solution:


DinoVite vitamin bottle design is a new innovative approach to vitamin dispensing. It provides a controlled vitamin dispensing system for a 2 week cycle vitamin dosage for a child whereby the child is able to engage in obtaining a daily dosage under the watchful eye of a parent controlling its accessibility.

The main component of this design that makes it unique to the rest of vitamin containers is that it operates on a dual action system. It doesn’t compromise the child resistance factor, only disguising it so that the child is able to engage in responsibility and learn about health and safety through the control of a parent.

From the exterior of the design the centralised button is connected to the wheel within the design separating the vitamins. The operation of the container is easy to use and sufficient. This is not a complicated combination, only the strength of adult for child safety. It requires sustained push down pressure and then a twist motion to allow for the transfer of vitamins to the access point. With the use of a spring based system, it releases the wheel from a locked position in the ribs in the top casing and slots into the next set firmly therefore next day dosage. The ribs are rounded to making the transition from slot to slot easier and easy for parent to use on a busy schedule. This action is controlled by a parent as to when it’s down so the child has the experience of opening the door to the allocated amount.

The form of the DinoVite design was inspired from the branding surrounded by the historic dinosaur era. It’s shaped like a dinosaur egg with the added feature of the top casing texture with the skin of a dinosaur. This allows for greater interest by the consumer in the product compared to the plain translucent bottles. It adds another dimension to a vitamin container as a unique selling point allowing the child to want to take the vitamins thus create interest in a supermarket thus increase in sales due to differentiation although with the hidden feature of parental control as a unique selling point. The soft, gentle presents of the branding enable the parents to connect to reliability as such connecting it to their child. The smart branding slogan ‘mum’s choice’ represents the innocents of a child approving its safety form by a higher authority.

The design consists of a central wheel which allows the division of the vitamins per day. It encases space only for 2 vitamins per slot meaning per day for a child above 5 years old. This allows the parent to not fear of over dosing their child when refilling the container as it will only dispense the 2. The wheel allows separation of the vitamins restricting the child’s access when obtaining themselves after the mother has set the dosage.

The colour of the wheel has the potential to be changed according to the vitamin contained creating a unique selling point. Colour coding – orange = vitamin C, blue = Omega 3, purple = minerals. Association can be created to identify with contents.

The way it sits on the shelves, it is supported by an addition moulded casing to stand vertically enabling it to be viewed at full impact of its rounded nature, so when glancing to the shelves it standouts for the tall, slender bottling. It also has the ability to stack due to the balancing of the container, bottom smaller than top half and the base feature curving inwards is the same dimensions as the wheel button that sticks out, allowing nesting. This makes transport more stable and storage within medicine cupboards.

Since the design of the container is in two parts, combined together through the use of a screw thread it allows for further design development whereby the texture can reflect what is within. For example fish scale for omega 2, orange skin for vitamin C etc. This is to say this design application can be taken for child pharmaceuticals or older generation medicine containers were control of daily dosage is required under the supervision of a nurse.

From this advantage comes the ability for the container to be refilled. The screw thread feature allows the parent to re-use the container adding to environmental benefits. It is easy to refill as the top casing is deeper than the bottom allowing for easy allocation and then sealing for a busy working mother. Placing it upside down minimises the risk of parts flying everywhere. The vitamin container also having a wall section of 1.5mm, exhibits substantial strength for a container that can be used over and over again. The added benefit of the refillable packs when opened can’t be closed. This encourages the re use of the devise as the packaging of the refills are made of plastic film, a onetime use and cheaper refilling option, reducing the amount of bottling material as the DinoVite design is reusable, containing with sustainable container for freshness.

The DinoVite container is made from polypropylene which makes it a recyclable product when it comes to the point of end of use. This material allows for the possible design detail of a live hinge door on the bottom casing. This simplifies the design for the ability for a child to access the vitamins independent with a click in and out motion whilst the parent has the control of dosage and the time to administer. The whole container being made with no glues adds to the recycling processing as it reduces time spent in the disassembly of the parts and the harm to the environment. All parts are injected moulded making the production run much faster and efficient for the mass production of this product.