Pizza Box Dilemma
Design Research
-Interviews
-Data Synthesis
-Prototyping
Art Direction & Design
-Presentation Decks
-Case Study Book
-Prototype materials
In partnership with the Deep Ellum Foundation and SMU MADI, my team was tasked with tackling the problem of “How might we improve the pedestrian trash situation in Deep Ellum?”
Below is a brief overview of the design process, for a full and detailed version feel free to access our Case Study PDF.
— Understand
Gaining context
We examined the urban neighborhood of Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas to better understand the relationship between waste management and the needs of residents, local businesses, visitors, and community stakeholders. Our goal was to assess and improve the community’s current trash and litter management system. We focused specifically on the intersection of Elm street and Crowdus, as it constitutes a representative sample of the Deep Ellum community.
— Research
Starting with facts
Themes that emerged from our secondary research included a high volume of crowds concentrated in commercial areas with differing responsibilities and approaches related to waste management.
These themes became evident through secondary research and were confirmed by our primary research observations and interviews. We continued to revisit these factors during our design process and prototyping to ensure fidelity with the identified needs of the community.
— Prototype
Pizza Box Receptacle
After several rounds of ideations, revisions, and rapid miniature scale prototypes, we were able to effectively design a pizza box receptacle that reflected the values of Deep Ellum’s industrial charm and artistic flair while remaining functional and effective given our team’s skill sets. Our team designed and fabricated a temporary receptacle composed of a modular wooden frame system joined with all-thread metal rods. Taking into consideration that our prototype would live outside, we used durable metal and treated the wood with polyurethane prior to construction to prevent weather damage. Durable vinyl coated wire was threaded through the frame to create slots designed for easy interactive function and streamlined gathering of boxes. Each pizza box fits down into the long and narrow slots intentionally designed to fit each size of Serious Pizza box.
— Results
Success indicators
After placing our prototype out in front of Serious Pizza for a few weeks, we documented data that the receptacle was being used and pizza boxes were being collected. We observed positive community engagement and interaction including people taking pictures with it, commenting on it on social media platforms, and even using it to distribute pamphlets for the community. We received good reports and images from the both Serious Pizza staff and the Deep Ellum Foundation Maintenance Expert, Rob Wrinkle, who happily adopted checking on it as a part of his regular routine.
— Design Principles
Our three recommendations for future iterations of a Pizza Box Receptacle:
— Prototype process
Below are a few photos of how we came to build the iterations of our Pizza Box Receptacle.
An initial team brainstorm of potential aspects of the prototype
Prototype placement map
Notes and measurements to start our build
A 3D render of our first iteration prototype
Cutting down the legs in the wood shop
Applying the coordinated logo decal to embrace the Serious Pizza brand
Assembling the pizza box slots
Our first iteration with sample pizza boxes inserted
Our second iteration 3D render
Cutting the metal addition for the second iteration
Assembling the metal sheet to our second iteration
Metal sheet attached to create the look of a permanent sample box