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monomore

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ADCN awards

Design awards with a sustainable twist

Image of the golden glass award placed on a recycled plastic award base

Overview

This projects presents the redesign of a design award in a holistic way: The award, the award base and custom packaging.

My responsibilities

During this project at FROLIC studio, my responsibilities have been: Material research, Supplier search, Communications, 3D modelling, Packaging design, Photography, Project lead

Why

The award handed out by the Dutch Club for Creativity (ADCN) every year was due for an upgrade, sustainability-wise. The mission was to redesign the award, not necessarily geometry-wise, but rather from a material and origins perspective.

How

What is crucial in understanding sustainability is to look at it from a lifecycle point-of-view: How long will the awards be used and what materials might provide such a long lifespan? If the awards are made from compostable materials but don't look good or deteriorate after 2 weeks, would that be a sustainable solution? Analysing the meaning behind the award was the first step. What makes an award feel 'award-like'? How is an award used? And for how long? Such questions helped in finding the right materials to redesign this award, sustainablility-wise.

Material research

Award base material selection: recycled plastics

Glass blowing the awards

Image of various award and base prototypes

Matching the award and the award base materials

Image of a CNC machine milling a recycled plastic sheet

CNC milling the award base

Image of cardboard inlays in a black cardboard box

Packaging design

What

This has resulted in the selection of glass for the award and recycled plastic for the award base.

The lamp-shaped awards are locally glass-blown in Amsterdam. To make these lamps, glass pellets from Sweden are used. Raw materials for these pellets are sourced from European suppliers. Glass has a high-end look and is meant to be treasured for a lifetime: perfect for a design award. In case an award might break, it can be disposed of in already established waste-streams or recycled into new awards.

The award bases are made from recycled plastic (HIPS and HDPE). Two different materials have been used to get the white and black colors needed for the 'regular' and 'grand-prix' awards. It is a durable material which ensures it will last for a long time. In case of disposal, it can be thrown away amongst common waste-streams or recycled into new bases.

The packaging box and inlays are made from untreated FSC-certified cardboard, omitting the use of precious plastic and colorant. Text has been laser-engraved into the inlays to save on ink.

Image of a brass lamp award on a acrylic award base and a black box with foam inlay

Image of a golden glass award on a recycled plastic award base and a untreated cardboard box with cardboard inlay

New design with glass award, recycled plastic base and untreated cardboard box with cardboard inlay.

Old design with solid metal award, acrylic award base and pained black carboard box with plastic padded inlay

Left: old design with solid metal award, acrylic award base and pained black carboard box with plastic padded inlay

Right: new design with glass award, recycled plastic base and untreated cardboard box with cardboard inlay.

Image of a hand holding a black glass lamp award

Image of various glass lamp awards in black, gold, silver and bronze

Image of a recycled plastic HIPS award base with laser-engraved text

Image of the golden glass award in an untreated cardboard box with cardboard inlay with laser-engraved text