Our prompt was to create a unique carrier for a chosen object, considering its characteristics and needs; my object was a vinegar bottle. We had to consider the role of a carrier, besides its primary role to carry (for example, how it could open up or display the object at a dinner party). The carrier must also be made with a single sheet of corrugated cardboard and be easy to assemble and disassemble.
The first task was to construct three-sided cube corners that were 6" x 6" x 6". For this phase of the project, we were encouraged to explore as many forms of connections as possible.
I ended up exploring the following three connections:
The first corner used tape to hold the corner together. Although it was a strong connection, it required adhesive as a locking mechanism. My second corner locked in place with a tab on one side and a fold with a hole on the other side. It did not come together at a perfect right angle due to a bulkier construction, but had the strongest connection and did not require adhesive.
For my third corner, I attempted making dovetail connections between all three sides, taking inspiration from woodworking dovetails. For this Unfortunately, since cardboard is a much more flexible medium than wood, the tabs were structurally weak and at least one side fell apart constantly. However, through this last corner I learned to use the direction of the corrugations of the cardboard to my advantage (see the below picture).
Through these explorations, I took away a few key pointers about working with cardboard, all of which came in handy when constructing my carrier later on:
1. Function takes priority over form, especially when working without adhesive.
2. The direction of the corrugation (along or against the grain) of the cardboard can affect the structural integrity of a construction. Sometimes one orientation may be better suited for a purpose than the other.
3. Cardboard is created when corrugation is sandwiched between two flat layers. Creasing the top layer of a sheet of cardboard and folding it results in a much stronger joint than cutting through the first two layers and folding the last layer.
4. Tolerances between tabs and slits must be fairly close for tabs to lock in properly.
We were then tasked with creating an accurate representation of our object with cardboard. I decided to measure my vinegar bottle and its major landmarks, such as the length of the spout and width of the neck. I recorded these below:
After measuring sections of the bottle, I divided the bottle up into key sections that I could construct individually and put together at the very end, to allow for ease of construction:
While making minis to test out how the forms would connect, I ran into a major problem: my vinegar bottle had a square body but a round neck, and the transition from flat to round would be extremely difficult without compromising structural integrity.
I ended up creating the transition by making a four-side pyramid, cutting a corner off each flap, then pasting a separate triangle between each gap for continuity. To form a gradual curve towards the narrower neck, I used a steep cone and a cylinder. I also constructed a separated spout and stopper to reflect that the vinegar bottle could be opened. With those issues solved, my biggest other issue was weighting the model as if it were filled with liquid, which I solved by placing small pebbles inside the carrier.
For some of my classmates, having cardboard models was crucial, as their items were perishable (such as cupcakes, donuts, and pears) and therefore a permanent stand-in would be useful. Since my object would not decompose, I ended up fitting my carrier prototypes around the actual vinegar bottle, filled with water to simulate an unopened bottle.
Constructing a model of the vinegar bottle reinforced the lessons I learned previously when making the cube corners. I had to prioritize structural strength over aesthetic so that my model with stay together. Additionally, I learned that cardboard is much easier to cut in straight lines instead of curves, which definitely influenced my final carrier design.
Steve and Stacy brought some old packaging to class for us to draw inspiration from. I noticed that the cleanest packages were constructed out of one or a few strips of folded cardboard with tabs to keep them in place. Although it was not apparent in my early prototypes, this simplistic construction showed up in later iterations.
Since I was still in the early stages of ideation, I decided to try two very different approaches to the vinegar bottle carrier, however, both prototypes shared the common function as a one-use package. In other words, once opened, the package would not be able to hold the vinegar bottle again.
This first model (Prototype 1)was a very minimalist and utilitarian design; this was more of a concept than a finished carrier. It was a tall rectangular box with a rounded viewing window cut into the side and small supports inside to hold the bottle in place. This prototype was held together at the top with 2 strips of cardboard (see picture, masking tape used for emphasis); to open, the user would cut through both strips, causing the package to unfold like a flower:
Although it was not meant to be a fully fleshed-out concept, this carrier was far too big for the bottle and was hard to carry, due to the handles in a cross shape.
With my second concept (Prototype 2), I decided to capture the process of distilling vinegar within the carrier. Some vinegar is aged in barrels, which became the inspiration for this carrier. Concentric rings secured the bottle in place, while a handle wrapped around the entire carrier to hold the two sides together, like the sternum in a ribcage. Once again, the user would cut the top handle to unfold the packaging, which could not be used again.
While constructing this idea out of cardboard, I immediately noticed a problem: it was difficult and time-consuming to cut equally-sized circles out of cardboard. On top of that, each circle needed to have a square cut out to fit over the bottle; lining up 6 or more of these squares proved to be a nightmare and easily took a few hours.
Glueing the semicircles onto the support strips on the sides was extremely tedious: I once again had to position the semicircles on both sides carefully so that they would look attached when the two halves were attached together. Since I measure the bottle’s width slightly narrow, the halves did not come together perfectly at the end.
This concept had functional issues as well. Since the bottom platform of the carrier was completely flat without a sturdy restraint, the carrier had a tendency to lean to one side or another as the vinegar bottle moved around. Although this model was much easier to carry, the handle was not confidence-inspiring due to how thin it was (this was a restraint of the design: a thicker strip would be distracting).
I decided that although the aesthetic theme of this prototype was worth exploring further, the model would need serious rethinking in terms of usability and ease-of-construction.
I created this concept (Prototype 3)by merging the strengths of each of my last two prototypes while minimizing each one’s flaws. In other words, I wanted to create a carrier that had ample interaction but was structurally sound. After watching classmates struggle to understand that the first prototype had to be cut open, I decided that this next concept had to be more intuitive to deconstruct. I also sketched another ring-based carrier but with square supports instead of circles since squares would be easier to cut consistently.
At first, I tried sticking to the original concept as closely as possible, glueing two halves of squares to a central spine once again, with a strip of hand-cut perforation running down the middle so the user wouldn’t need to cut a handle. However, the perforation worked inconsistently and would rip often. The two square halves were still on the weak side, since they were glued onto the spine on their sides (a weak connection).
Therefore, I abandoned the unfolding mechanism and opted for scaffolding that would lift off the bottle instead. I reduced the number of horizontal rings to simplify construction without sacrificing too much strength. Instead of glueing on the support rings, I cut slots into them so that they would slot into the “spines”, therefore requiring no adhesive.
In addition, I added a sleeve that wrapped around the outside of the scaffolding and included a handle for easier and more secure transportation. This had the added benefit of extra protection while being simple to construct.
This prototype had a new mix of strengths:
+ The double-layered concept and new construction methods helped hold the vinegar bottle more securely
+ This packaging was much simpler to construct and could be done more consistently, due to the square shapes
And weaknesses:
- The carrier was less aesthetically pleasing and didn’t match the form of the vinegar bottle
- Interlocking pieces made the model too complex and prone to handmade errors
- Although the tabbed sleeve was intuitive to unfold, the scaffolding confused people; most tried to pull the spinal supports open instead of lifting it off the bottle.
-The handle was too small for most hands
Through this revision, I learned the importance of communicating a function through form (for example, adding a handle where something should be pulled). I realized that although I myself was very familiar with the carrier, others would have to take cues from its form to understand how to open it. Stacie suggested that I reduce the complexity of the carrier, going as far as to ask if this revision could be simplified down from eight or more to just two cardboard pieces.
Having proved that my carrier was secure, I moved onto to simplification, in order to streamline construction and eliminate construction errors that could result in the carrier not fitting.
The main change compared to Prototype 3 was a reduction in pieces, mainly that the scaffolding element was reduced down to a single accordion-fold support. I made two variations of this mechanism:
Prototype 4 (Left): This accordion fold had cutouts that fit over sections of the bottle perfectly (nozzle, neck, and bottle). Since there was nothing stopping the vinegar bottle from falling out of the bottom of this folded support, I added a wraparound sleeve that doubled as a handle. To hold this sleeve together, a third cardboard sleeve slid over and locked it in place.This design could be made in 3 pieces: two sleeves and one support.
Since the accordion fold from Prototype 4 was tightly fitted to the bottle, it could not collapse downwards, and only lifted upwards, which was unintuitive to the user/opener. For the next prototype, I wanted the accordion support to push through the bottle and collapse, providing a level of interaction with the user. My classmate Tate suggested locking the bottom fold to prevent the bottle from slipping out and to add a handle to the top so that a sleeve would not be needed.
Prototype 5 (Right): This version could be made out of a single piece. To enable the support to collapse through the bottle, each cutout was made to fit the widest part of the bottle. In order to use the bottom flap to support the weight of the bottle, a tab was added that could lock into the cutout directly above it. This design was far more intuitive to use: when a user picked the carrier up by the handle, the folds lengthened, locking the bottle into place. For opening, the user could now simply push down, compacting and locking the folded support in place to reveal the vinegar bottle.
Accordion fold support, collapsed.
Additionally, I learned the importance of using corrugation to my advantage. Prototype 5 could hold the bottle’s weight easily, but its folds started crumpling due to the corrugation running across the folds. In contrast, Prototype 4 showed no signs of crumpling due to the corrugation running lengthwise against the folds.
Both prototypes improved vastly over the last version:
+ Simplification of the support structure made construction even easier and consistent.
+ The size of each package was better fitted to the vinegar bottle itself
+A new accordion-fold support was more intuitive to open
+The handles were large and sturdy
There were still areas to work on, but they were minor tweaks:
-Both packages needed extra security (the bottle was held up / in place by too little)
-The accordion fold was still confusing to open for some people
- The handles were uncomfortable to hold after a period of time
At this stage, iterations of the vinegar bottle carrier were refinements instead of prototypes, as the main elements were locked in place. Little details such as handle shape and corrugation direction now mattered the most.
The main issues I wanted to fix were intuitiveness of opening the carrier and secureness of the accordion support. Once again, I combined the strengths of previous prototypes to create Prototype 6.
This iteration struck a balance between security and aesthetics. Gone was the double sleeve design of Prototype 4, replaced by a series of tabs attached to the accordion support that stuck through the sleeve, preventing the vinegar bottle from slipping out the “open” side. I also reused the locking tab of Prototype 5. Finally, I attached a small handle to the topmost accordion fold to indicate to users that it was meant to be pulled down. Finally, I rounded the handles for a cleaner look.
This model eliminated several issues from the previous prototypes:
+Added sense of security due to sleeved design
+Constructed without adhesive
+Simplified to 2 pieces
+Strong construction going with the cardboard grain
But introduced new problems:
-Less secure due to no restraint at the bottom (prone to slipping out sideways)
-Handles awkward to hold (no folds to bring them together)
-Tabs failed to hold sleeve in place and were separate pieces
In this iteration (Prototype 7), I made very minor changes to the design of Prototype 6 as mentioned above. To solve the lack of restraint, I extended the length of the bottom accordion fold and cut slits into the outer sleeve to lock the bottom into place:
The tabs were made larger, had cutouts that locked into slits in the outer sleeve, and were cut out from the accordion folds to keep the support structure as one piece.
Finally, I cut out a small strip on the edge of each handle for more comfort and folded the sleeve near the top to bring the two handles together so they would be natural to hold. Additionally, I changed their shape to a more geometric design since the sleeve had hard edges and corners:
Compared to the last version, Prototype 7:
+Held the vinegar bottle much more securely
+Held together without human assistance (the sleeve)
+Was slightly more comfortable to hold
But still needed work on:
-Aesthetic refinement (handles)
+Holding comfort
At this stage, Stacie suggested that to further simplify my design, I could try cutting it out of one piece of cardboard. Unfortunately, when I laid out both pieces, I found there was no way to do so without compromising the carrier’s proportions or strength. Joining both pieces at a 90 degree angle (right) would result in either the sleeve or support being constructed against the grain, which I knew from earlier would result in a weakened structure. Laying both pieces side-by-side (left), the handle overlapped the the accordion-fold support; if I were to extend the handles so that the two pieces would not overlap, the result would be an overly lengthened sleeve (not as true to form).
The last stage of refinement. I identified the areas I wanted to fix from my previous draft:
- Change the handle shape to look more natural
- Taper the top of the carrier to reflect the vinegar bottle’s shape
- Add more / relocate tabs for extra security
- Make the handle more comfortable to carry
In order to solve issues #1 and #2, I rounded the handles and followed the handle’s curve along the sleeve. This resulted in a natural transition from the blocky lower sleeve and the rounded handle while also indicating the form of the bottle.
I moved the accordion-support’s tabs to the highest fold to increase their restraint and lock the upper fold into place, while also adding slits to the other side of the bottom of the sleeve to lock both sides of the accordion-support in.
The final carrier securely holds a vinegar bottle and matches its aesthetic quality. Additionally, the accordion-fold provides a level of interaction with the user and is intuitive to use. The carrier is easy to construct and deconstruct and can be reused if desired. However, the added security in this final carrier hinders its opening function and the handles could be enlarged.
Through this project, I learned to think of products at multiple levels, from interaction to basic function. Translating ideas from paper to physical models, iterating and documenting were all skills I had a chance to practice while finalizing my design. Working without adhesive was a struggle, but simplifying my design helped immensely. Craft plays a huge role in the aura of a final product and its functions, and I will pay attention to that as I continue design work.
