This document summarizes a research project that aims to co-design a reusable food container with university students to promote its usage and minimize environmental impact. The research will involve participants engaging in activities using a provided toolkit to understand motivations and perspectives on reusable containers. Activities include photo sorting, a 5-day lunch journaling app, and prototyping improvements with clay. Data from the activities will be analyzed to inform the redesign of a functional and sustainable reusable food container.

1. Co-Creation
Report
Victoria Tai

2. Contents
Introduction 3
Project Intention 5
Profiles 7
Activities and Toolkit 10
Questionnaire 12
Toolkit Booklet 14
Data Analysis 24

3. 3
Introduction
Abstract
This research will take place at Emily Carr
University employing 24 university students
between ages 18 and 25 as participant to
co-design a reusable food container and
redevelopp an efficient system to promote
its usage and minimize enviromental
impact.
Activities will generate information on a
potential user’s motivations, habits, and
perspective on the product.
Through collaboration with participants,
we hope to generate a functional, efficent
and sustainable product that can be used
everyday.

4. The Strive to Sustainable Habits
While on its way in becoming “Greenest City in the World” by 2020, Vancouver is still
struggling with landfill waste.
In 2015, the City of Vancouver released a landfill annual report stating that a total of
1,063,673 tonnes of wate was produced that year.
Though more restaurants are beginning to switch from styrofoam to compostable boxes,
reusable containers leave a more sustainable footprint as it results in zero impact in a long
term usage. (City of Vancouver)
Project Intention
Emily Carr University is situated on Granville Island. Known for its public market, and artisan
boutiques. The location offers students a wide range of food choices, though foodcourt.
Food Courts often use an efficient purchasing and discarding routine that is convenient for
consumers on the go. This mentality creates huge issues with waste prodution. Materials
discarded include:
-Styrofoam containers
-Plastic containers
-Paper containers
Although there are some designs that use biodegradable material, it still creates impact as
materials must be collected from natural resources. (City of Vancouver)

5. 5
Project Intention
Research Question
What features of current reusable food
container designs need refining to enforce the
use of portable food containers and minimalize
enviromental impact in everyday routine?
Research Project Intention
This project’s goal is to understand what
is working or not working with current
reusable food containers and finding ways in
improving. This project will be looking into a
potential user’s motivations, past experiences,
priorities, routines and behaviors while having
them partake in co-design activities that will
contribute to a stronger understanding of the
food container design.
A toolkit will be provided to participants
gathering qualitative data from the activities.

6. Research Methods
Research methods that will
be used are:
- Questionnaires
-Experience Sampling
-Photo Cards
-Interview
-3D Prototyping
-Group Discussion
Path of Expression
This co-design session is to guide the particpants through a path
of expression.
The stages include:
1) Sensitizing and Immersing
Participants will be exposed to current issues of waste
production and pollution to understand the goal of this project.
2) Activating memories and experiences
Though some participants may rarely use resuable food
containers, a journaling activity will allow users to create
memories and experiences with the product.
3) Reflecting and thinking of future possibilities
Through group discussion, participants can share and elaborate
on each others ideas on the approach to the research qeustion
question.
4) Translating
Allowing the participants to create 3D forms will help express
and translate visual ideas to researchers.

7. About the Toolkit
This toolkit follows the Say, Do, Make technique as mentioned in the book “Conivival Toolbox: Generative
Research for the Front End Design (Sanders & Stappers, 2013). A questionnaire will also be handed out
prior to the activities.
Say technique will be performed through a questionnaire that will be provided before the activites. Answers
provided will contribute to understanding predetermined opinions of this topic, and providing personal
information on specific aspects of a participant.
Following the questionnaire, participants will complete activity 1 which focuses on sensitizing the
participants. Through the use of photo cards, this method will help participants brainstorm and reflect on
their lunch options. Participants will also be analyzing and discussing pre-existing tupperware designs as
provided through photographs.
In activity 2, particpants will be practicing the “Do” Technique by recording their 5 day progress in a
minimal impact lifestyle. Data collected from the journal will be analyzed and taken into consideration
for an improved design. This acivity will help further understand the participants routines, motivations
and behavior as well as finding the advantages and disadvantages of this task through experience while
observed in an unobtrusive manner.
In activity 3, participants will use the “Make” technique by analyzing their current experience with the
product and finding ideal features through 3D modeling clay. This activity will investigate and translate
a participant’s needs by expressing visually and creatively. Participants will also be asked to bring in their
school bags and analyze their carrying capacity.
Finally, in activity 4 will be followed by a group discussion on ideas for future product designs. Group
discussions are very useful for sharing different perspectives and elaborating ideas.

8. 8
Profiles
Co-Designing will be beneficial for
researching this project as it helps
designers with a better understanding
of a potential user’s thoughts and
feelings of related products.

9. Participants
This workshop will be asessing 24
participants ranging between the age
of 18 and 25. This age range is based
on the lifestyle of indivituals who
are beginnign to leave home with
a lower financial income and social
engagement.
Target Group
As this research will be put towards
developping an improved product,
the target group will be people who
go to school or work everyday, or
individuals with busy schedules.
Potential Clients
Companies that will benefit them most
from this research would be food container
distributors, and retail. This research will
provide key information about food container
designs through a user centered appraoch,
thus catering directly to the needs of the target
market.

10. 10
Activities and Toolkit
ACTIVITIES
With multiple contributors of the
targeted user group, a potententially
functional, and efficialt product will
be produced that caters to a user’s
needs.
To capture all this, participants will
engage in three different activities
using the See, Think, Do technique.
(chpater 3)
Toolkit Materials
Participants Must Bring
• Mobile Device
• School Backpack
Provided by Researcher
• Instruction booklet
• Ballpoint Pen
• Notepad
• Photo Cards
• Block of Clay

11. Activity 2: Activating- Lunch Journal
The second activity will involve making and interacting with tupperware designs that exist
already. Participants will be asked to download a mobile application designed by the
researcher named “Lunch Journal” . This application aids in recording thoughts, feelings,
process and photos of their lunch for five consequitive school days.
Activity 1: Sensitizing- Photo Sorting
The first activity will be focused on sensitizing participants in lunch posiblities. Participants
will be asked to sort through a selection of photos of foods, food containers and utensils
into two piles: “Would have” and “Would not have”. Then, participants are to be asked
questions about their choices.
Activity 4: Translating- Group Discussion
For the concluding activity, all participants will meet up with the researcher to partake in
a group discussion about their designs and elaborate on each others ideas, thoughts and
experiences.
Activity 3: Reflecting 3D Modelling
The third activity will involve participants bringing in their school bags and analyzing their
experiences with current food container designs and will be givent the opportunity to
redesign or refine some features using a block of clay.

12. Questionnaire
1. Which of the following do you value the most
a. Money
b. Time
c. Food
d. Sustainability
e. Minimalism
f. Other _____________
2. Which of the following do you value the least?
a. Money
b. Time
c. Food
d. Sustainability
e. Minimalism
f. Other ______________
3. What kind of bag do you carry to school?
a. Purse
b. Tote
c. Backpack
d. Messenger Bag
e. Other _______________
f. None of the above
4. On average, how often do you go out for lunch during a school week?
5. On average, how often do you pack a lunch during a school week?
6. Why do you go out for lunch at school?
a. Being social
b. Convenience
c. Food tastes better
d. Cravings
e. Other____________

13. 7. What is your favourite kind of lunch?
a. Sandwich
b. Leftovers
c. Soup
d. Salads
e. Grains
f. Other ________
8. Make a list of common items you would bring to school in a week.
9. What are three advantages when packing a lunch? What are three
disadvantages when packing a lunch?
Advantages Disadvantages

14. CO-CREATION SESSION

15. ABOUT Researcher
Victoria Tai
vtai@ecuad.ca
778-886-3338
Facitily
Emily Carr University
1399 Johnston St,
Vancouver, BC
V6H 3R9
604-844-3800
Feel free to contact us for any questions
or concerns...
This project will focus on the analyzing and redesigning
reusable food containers. As the participant, your role
is to help generate ideas and contribute your personal
experiences to this topic through a series of activities
and questionnaires. The project’s aim is to find a way
to reduce our enviromental impact in everyday routine
by avoiding disposable food containers.

16. SCHEDULE
Time Time Activity Discription Date
Introduction 10 minutes Discuss topic and research intentions. Short brief on
activities.
Questionaire 15 minutes Participants will complete a questionnaire prior to
activities.
Photo Sorting 15 minutes Participants will examine and sort photos of
possible lunch items.
Journal Activity 5 days Participants will download an app and record
entries for five days.
Product modeling 20 minutes 3D protoyping with clay
Discussion 20 minutes Participants will gather and discuss their prototypes
Please fill in the dates provided at the first
session.

17. ACTIVITY 1
Participants will be given photo cards
to analyze and sort into the following
categories: “Would have” and “Would not
have”. Cards will contain photos of possible
meals, lunch containers and utensils. After
sorting the cards, and interview will take
place regarding the participants decision
making process.

18. ACTIVITY 2
Participants will be asked to download
a journaling application “Lunch
Journal” to their mobile phones and
record their packed lunches for five
consecutive school days. Participants
are use only reusable containers,
encouraging minimal enviromental
impact.

19. Step 1
Download “Lunch Journal” on
your app store.
Step 2
Set your entry reminder. (You
can also set a lunch packing
Step 3
When your entry reminder goes off,
write a brief discription of your lunch
and the process of preperation.

20. Step 4
Swipe right and you’ll find
a mini questionnaire to
Step 5
This process will repeat for five
consecutive days. You can review
your entries by tapping on the
booklet icon.
Step 6
Tap the figurine icons to see
how other participants are

21. ACTIVITY 3
Participants will be asked to bring their
school bag filled with their personal
belongings. Together with the researcher,
participants will analyze and prioritize
the items in the bag.
Then particpants will be given some
modeling clay to create their ideal lunch
containers.

22. ACTIVITY 4
After prototyping, participants will be
asked to discuss their designs and ideas
in a group discussion.

23. NOTES

24. 24
Data Analysis
Plan
Because the data collected from
these research sessions are qualitative
data. Heavily based on analysis and
observations, the data will be put into
tables and visual diagrams from each
category.

25. Data Representation
Word Storms
After recording the participants’ opinons and though process, a Word Storm composed of key
words from participants will help visualize the important qualities of the design.
Photo Journal
Keeping a photo journal of the sessions will be useful as participants will be making models
and sording photo cards.
Mapping Diagram
A network diagram will be helpful for tracking and visualizing a participant’s train of thought.
This method would be useful for activity 1 by mapping out the participant’s decisions after
each interview question.

26. 26
Process
For this project, I wanted to do a topic on a growing issue that is not highly discussed. I chose this
topic because I’ve strived towards minimal impact habits, the idea of a reusable food container
and thinking about the amount of unecessary waste I produce each day from purchased foods
has always interested me.
The first co-design activity I came up with was the photo journaling. I provided myself a journal
booklet and I tested the activity on myself and found that it was difficult for me to record my
data due to its inefficiency. I then moved over to designing an mobile application that would
appeal to my participants.
Looking through the “Universal Design Reasearch Methods”book, I though the
photocard activity would be useful as photos can tap into memories efficiently.
After discussing how this activity would apply to my research, I decided to do this activity before
the lunch journaling as it also helps participants brainstorm ideas prior to being immersed into
the experience with the product.
Finally as an industrial designer, 3D modeling has always been my favorite technique for
brainstorming. Whether it is making a finalized prototype or just exploring shapes, this technique
is helpful when trying to express complex ideas.
I struggled with finding time to do a complete pilot testing, finding participants was difficult due
to the short class time, futhermore one of my activities requried 5 days.

27. Citations
Kumar, V. (2013). 101Ddesign Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in
Your Organization. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Martin, B., & Hanington, B. M. (2012). Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research
Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions. Beverly, MA:
Rockport.
Sanders, E. B., & Stappers, P. J. (2012). Convivial Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front
End of Design. Amsterdam: BIS.
2015 Vancouver Anual Landfill Report. Retrieved from
http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/2015-Vancouver-landfill-annual-report.pdf