Design Brief.

What happens often in a group setting is overreaching and lack of focus. This leads to trying to solve many problems at the same time and taking too much on at one time. This happened to the group a few weeks ago.

This is each problem mapped out creating 400 possible problems to tackle.

Based on this visualiation the group realised that we needed more focus and chose a topic which could be tackled and a problem which was strongly highlighted by our fieldwork.

We created a design specification / design brief for the team to work on:

This set up each member with a clear target for next week which enables moving on with the project and clarifying our outcomes.

Sustainable Packaging Innovation Model

Based on the problem areas and possible solutions that we had identified last week, I picked up the theme of 'Innovation in (Sustainable) Packaging". As a result of desk research, reading already available study material and some contemplation, I am presenting a Sustainable Packaging Innovation Model (SPIM) here.

Five pillars of this model:
Understanding Consumer Psyche
This is to understand what goes on between customer's first interaction with the package and the final purchase. Does the 'green' factor presented on the packaging really motivates people to buy that product? Research shows that as more and more people are becoming sensitive towards the 'go green' initiatives, they feel a sense of redemption while buying products sustainly packaged.

Packaging as a Service
Customer Satisfaction in Packaging is a function of safety assurance, convenience and information available on the package. Doesn't this equation make packaging a service?

Simplified Innovation Steps
Can innovation be as simple as answering four questions? Or as difficult?

Packaging Innovation Guides
Again, consider packaging as a service rather than a tangible good. Designer looks at the function of this service hence exploring and defining the functions user is most interested in is the key.

Materials and Processes
Isn't picking an eco material for packaging is far better and redemptional than picking an un-eco one?

I am dubious if I should call this an 'innovation' model but the idea is presented here probably helps looking at packaging from a much broader perspective rather than looking at it few folds of the paper or the metal.

The Bridge 12th November 2010

At around 1145 the team converged on The Bridge a local church run community food project. We entered the hall and around 1230 the food hall was at its peak busy period. They served approximately 100 people. The most interesting things is the personal touches. There is a price guide and a trust box where you can govern your own prices.

We began with introductions to some of the staff that volunteer for the project. Two of the ladies that run the farm were our first participants. “Helen” and “Margaret” were regular volunteers and they were easily identified as volunteers with aprons (all the volunteers had aprons on except the men).

“Helen” placed at least 10 little flags on our map of Dundee identifying places primarily along Perth Road that were good places to shop and buy food. Helen seemed really keen on the second day bakery along Blackness Road, stressing it was a good and cheap source of food. “It's not all second day”; “there is some misshapen food and you can pick up some bargains”.

Helen's opinion of the worst place in Dundee was Pizza Hut, “Avoid it like the plague”. Her favourite movie is It's a wonderful life or “The one with James Stewart and the angel”. We found this out when Helen was posed the question by our advent calendar questionnaire.

Sarah and myself started moving from table to table asking questions and using our advent calendar to instigate conversations. We approached one table near the door where an elderly couple had finished eating soup and bread. The couple were in their late 60s and the man looked a few years older.

The couple, “Jack “and “Jill”, were going to their daughters for Christmas dinner. Jill expected that they're may be between 12-15 people going over to her daughters for Christmas dinner.

Jack commented on a question posed from the advent calendar that he was planning to give out fairly standard presents. Jack and Jill did not spend a lot on presents. Wine for adults, maybe whisky, toys and sweets for kids and vouchers for anyone else who didn't receive an appropriate gift. Their Christmas dinner was a traditional dinner with a twist. The first course “has to be prawn cocktail” which would be followed this year by Turkey Parcels (Turkey breast wrapped around stuffing and cranberries in a parcel. A catering company was providing these and all the dinner pre-prepared all ready to go straight into the oven.

When we moved onto another table we were greeted by a mother and her daughter “Alice”. Alice did all her shopping at Morrisons on Forfar Road because the quality of the food was superior to that of Tesco. Anne's mother lives in sheltered housing just off of Perth Road. So the local shops on Perth Road are ideal for convenience and quality when Anne is shopping for her mother. She shops at Fraser’s, butchers, Fischer and Donaldson, Nisa and she can get pretty much everything she needs.

Alice was hosting Christmas dinner this year and the Vegetarian mother and daughter would prepare their own nut roast. However they would also prepare a bit of turkey for Anne's husband / Alice's father. Anne works in a pharmacy and she hates the Christmas build up in the retail environment but enjoys Christmas day. Anne Volunteers at a local church cafe every second week for one afternoon.

The experience was interesting and gave us a small insight into the values of the church community and some of the stakeholders present. We were approached by the vicar and a green energy group, both organisations being interested in our actions and hoped to get more involved.

The fish van has arrived!

It was a busy session for us at The Bridge Friday lunch – roving reporters, a Dundee food map, box full o' recipes and a Christmas advent calendar loaded with questions… really busy, loads of interest and encouragement, lots of awareness of local food and food issues. Plus some great soup, lovely atmosphere and some melt-in-your-mouth tablet. Highlight for me was the announcement from the gentleman who mans the door - he came in, clapped his hands, and in a big booming voice announced "The fish van has arrived!" Brilliant! Fish, veg, tablet, soup, books, tea... all served with aprons and a smile :)

A lot of the interest in the map came from people who are already doing their best to shop locally - folk who eschew the supermarket and are really well informed about where their food comes from. Conversations ranged from make do and mend, food coo-ops (anyone interested?), foraging and survival skills, local suppliers, the history of The Bridge, wild mustard, Skills Share and bread making.

Work in progress

We have been working on some concepts and ways of finding interesting stories from our user groups.

By looking at some christmas products we have created a christmas inspired questions pack for use at some meetings with our stakeholders in coming days.

Gathering ideas for recipies and other food related information in a christams box.

Creating an advent calander with question on the sweets inside.

An example of a wrapped sweet and co-creation mapping solutions

A concept for a "turkish" folding green map / christmas card

The christmas card folding map is a concept that allows users to create their own maps with us on a larger scale on our first meeting. We then can post them a "christmas card" with their own unique christmas green map which identifies places of interest and other information which may be valuable for them.

This gives users feedback and allows them to see direct influence on the results of the mapping excercises.

to summarise our findings so far, we are creating some cards with key info on them...

would you like an apple?

Our team went out the other day to talk to people about food and Christmas food. As an incentive we had some apples from Fraser’s veg shop to hand out – in exchange for a chat. As we set out, I remembered a friend who, as part of Cupar art festival last year, gave away marmalade that he had made. He said it was a really difficult thing to do, that people were almost offended when he was offering them something delicious to eat – for free. Anyway we did manage to give away a few apples, though it was by no means easy!

We spoke to two couples in their 60’s who go to their families for Christmas dinner. Mary said she hated cooking; she goes round to her friends to have her tea cooked for her. Her friend said, “I go to my daughter’s. A couple of years ago I had 19 round, didn’t I Mary? Probably go to Asda to buy the food, not go to the butchers or anything, just get it all at once…and cooking from scratch – I’m from the old school!”

We then spoke to two guys in their early twenties. When offered an apple one said “I don’t like apples, honestly… my gran does the cooking at Christmas. I’m a really fussy eater… I only eat chicken and tomato sauce that’s it.” His friend said he has Christmas dinner at his parents house, where they have a full spread. They would buy most of the food from the supermarket, but go to the butchers for the steak pie.

Christmas Dinner...

At this time of year, in Britain our shops are gearing up for the busiest trading quarter of the year. It is a time when we share presents with others we love and spend time with people we might not love by the time its over. Its a stressful time and it is a time for celebration. 

For me, and many families, the climax of thew whole season is Christmas dinner, on meal that brings the whole family together for better or for worse around one table. This makes the meal so much more important than any other meal your likely to have for a whole other year. With this high value placed on the meal people are much more likely to go out their way to find quality food, this is partly because it's the one meal that everyone wants to really enjoy and its a time for indulgence. 

We are approaching the right time of year to start asking people and understanding how people shop for their Christmas dinner. The perfect Christmas dinner is different for each person so we went out and found out what some people were going to do for their dinner.

We met Patrick. Pat is about 45, he wasn't too specific. He's bald and has a rotten front tooth. We meet Pat as he is smoking outside a pub and he's doesn't seem to cold. He is wearing jeans, t-shirt, and a denim jacket.In Christmas' past Pat spent his time with his grandparents and wife and kids. This year they are disconnected. His children are spending time in another country and he is divorced from his wife, we assume this year. 

Pat's Christmas dinner is the standard Turkey, Potatoes & Veg combo and he'll be sharing it with his nephew most likely at a hotel in Dundee. Pat is a Catholic, he attend mass in the morning and goes to visit some grave, and rounds off his visits with some pints at a pub. He gets home around 3pm to open stockings and presents (if any) and will probably head out for dinner after opening the presents.

We also met Doris while waiting for a bus, she looks recently retired and around the age of 60-65. She is well dressed in a long coffee coloured coat and is carrying a wet umbrella and 2 Tesco bags. She usually shops at M&S or Tesco for most of her Christmas shopping. Her husband died two months ago so this will be the first Christmas she spends without him.

Her brother and step-sister are her support for Christmas this year as she has no kids or grandchildren. Her sister will cook this ear but Doris normally does all the preparation and cooking.  She has never went out to eat a Christmas dinner at a resteraunt. Her meal consists of Turkey crown and potatoes & veg. On Christmas eve Doris normally opens up her presents internally, those from within the direct family, and shares the rest on the 25th December.

This is a glimpse of two, very different, Christmas dinners.