Innovation by design - Centre for Design Innovation

Build to thinkMargins are thin and investment is lowinto developing new products, so aproject was arranged between ConnachtGold and fourth-year industrial designstudents at the Institute of TechnologySligo. The creativity and designinnovation course is one of the fewproduct design programmes in Ireland.The course runs over four years withthe students encouraged to workclosely with industry on ‘live’ projectswhenever possible.The six-week project challenged thestudents to look at packaging for bothmilk and butter, based on user-centredresearch, that could be launched in 12months time using existing packagingtechnologies with minimum capitalinvestment; and also packaging forlaunch in three to five years time thatwould stretch the sector conventions.Both approaches would have to takeaccount packaging materials and brandguidelines given at the initial briefingby Connacht Gold. All proposals wouldbe for mainstream production. RobertHosey, Technical Manager, agreed“we gave them a fairly difficult brief.Very narrow constraints.”Connacht Gold Retail and Foodservicearranged visits to the diary and tocurrent packaging suppliers. Thedesign students completed additionalfridge to face photosets; evaluated thecompetitive landscape at home andin the UK; and investigated emergingtrends in the dairy and food sector.Connacht Gold came back to the collegefor a presentation of the research. PatCummins and the rest of the ConnachtGold team were already impressed.“You get radical independence from thestudents. You get a completely unbiased,different view of it.”At the final presentation, studentspresented highly finished prototypes.One silver carton was used in storealongside competitive products fortesting preference by the design team.“One woman put it in her cart and likedit so much she didn’t want to give itback.” Estimates of manufacturing costsand retail prices were provided. “Theamount of work they put in was beyondwhat we expected,” said Byrne. “Almostfinished packaging from concept to thetable. The fact that students could dothat is a massive achievement.”18|19 CASE STUDY T WO: Co n n ac h t G o l d