MIRROR PACKS FOR THE BATHROOM FURNITURE INDUSTRY
In developing our relationship with a major supplier to the bathroom furniture industry, we were recently tasked with a new project. They currently buy in a range of mirrored cupboards from China which are already packaged. However, the current packaging received from China wasn’t robust enough to meet the physical demand of the supply chain and incurred regular damages.
PLANNING
First and foremost, our aim was to supply packaging that would prevent the product being damaged during transit. As always, our objective is to carry out design work that is cost-effective. With this in mind, our idea was to create returnable packaging so once the mirrors are installed by their engineers, they could return the packaging to the warehouse for reuse.
We brought the three different sized products to our design facility to consider various options. We noticed similar size dimensions in height and width in two of the packs and looked at designs that would uniform these two packs into one.
Initially, we trialled a pack which consisted of a top and bottom tray and a die-cut outer that fit the size of the largest mirror. We created two buffers that would fill the extra space and restrict movement during transit for the smaller mirror pack. During trials, our client was pleased with the strength of the pack but was open to other designs. This design required a large blank size and, as a die-cut style, a tool (at cost) is needed.
THE FINAL PRODUCT
Exploring more cost-effective options, our design team created a pack that consisted of an unjointed sleeve with a base and lid that would support the sleeve and keep it in place. The benefit of this design is that not only would it not require tooling for the sleeve, but also increased efficiency in the packaging and repackaging process, whilst offering the necessary level of protection to avoid damages.
Overall, the design created was able to prevent transit damage, increase efficiency and save costs due to the style and reusable nature of the packaging.
