Cooperative Project - Friends of the Earth
BYOB3
Friends of the Earth (FoE) sought to implement a BYOB3 campaign designed to reduce the one-time usage of plastic ‘disposables’, particularly bottles, bags and boxes. FoE hoped to educate the public on the perils of plastics and encourage 1% of the Hong Kong population to join the BYOB3 initiative by 2019.
To realise the FoE’s aims, students came up with deliverables such as a campaign strategy (promotional campaign and events), a campaign identity (visual identity, applications and a design manual) and associated products.
The campaign name, ‘Plasolution’, conveyed the twin goals of eliminating plastic usage and promoting a simple lifestyle. The proposed campaign had four stages: raising awareness, product launch, product promotion and consumer retention. The team came up with a minimalist design comprising the three curved lines of the Chinese character for ‘plastic’, a ‘do not’ sign and a stylised image of a leaf. The logo was developed for display on three product items: a box, a bottle and a bag.
The box was an origami-folded sheet using food grade PP, which has an estimated life of 3-6 months depending on frequency of use. To avoid spillage, handles were designed to reinforce the structure and to help reduce the use of plastic bags when carrying takeaway food. The parts of the bottle were separable, and the divider gave customers greater flexibility in usage.
The multifunctional bag was simple and elegant, with an emphasis on organisation and cleaning. When fully unzipped, the bag could be used as a placemat during a meal; when laid flat, any dirt in the corners could be easily removed and the inner layer of the bag quickly dried.
Participating students include —
Advertising Design Year 4 students
CHENG Siu Hin, CHEUNG Tin Wai, NG Yat Yin and NGAI Man Yan
Communication Design Year 4 students
CHAN Hau Lin, CHAU Tsz Wai, CHENG Cheuk Min and CHUNG Ka Yin
Product Design Year 4 students
CHAN Wing Yiu, HUI Yat Ching, HUNG Yuen Ching and YAU Ka Lai
Project Tutors —
FUNG Ho Yin, Visiting Lecturer
School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Work-integrated Education in PolyU brings students together with real-world clients both inside and outside the classroom. Students’ fresh ideas, energy and passion lead to exciting opportunities for clients and collaborators.
The Cooperative Project is undertaken as a compulsory subject in the first semester of students’ final year of study. Collaborators ranging from commercial enterprises to government departments and non-profit organisations work together with tutors to come up with design briefs that meet the needs of their target audiences.