It is imperative that all Industrial designers are
knowledgeable in how things are made, as this information will help them to
fully resolve their designs. The video series 'How it is made' portrays a
succinct overview of how different everyday household items are manufactured
and processed. It gives an overview of how packaging develops from its initial
raw material form and then the processes it undertakes to become the final
product. These packaging includes cardboard boxes, packaging tubes, tetrapak,
aluminium cans, plastic bottles/jars and glass bottles. The series give us as
designers a concise insight about the various production processes related to
packaging or other product designs. Some interesting facts I took out of the
videos were:
- the cardboard box was invented by accident
- Tetrapak's have a 1 year shelf life without refrigerating
- plastic is graded into various bins
- aluminium cans can be infinitely recycled
- recycle glass endlessly, uses less energy than producing metal or plastic
- recycled plastics lose some of their properties
Three take home messages from this series I'd mention are:
- It is important for designers to understand how packaging is made and manufactured, as it seems to be a necessity with everyday products
- Packaging should be either recyclable if disposable, or reusable. This limits the environmental impact and allows consumers to get the most out of the products, including the packaging
- Packaging can at times be a major necessity in relation to health and safety impacts, so its function and purpose should not be overlooked or ignored
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