January - May 2022, Parsons School of Design
Calvin Klein, Boxers
The most sustainable packaging is no packaging at all
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Background
— Brief
Working with Calvin Klein we have constructed sustainable solutions to reduce the amount of packaging used for men’s underwear. Through our research and insights, we interrogated the question, “what is the value of the box?”
— Skills
Project Management
Primary & Secondary Research
Synthesis & Ideation
Persona Building
Prototyping
Customer Journey Map
Go-To-Market Strategy
Business Model Canvas
Strategic Recommendations
— Tools
Notion
Mural
Google Workspace
Instagram Poll
Executive Summary
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This project presents findings and recommendations that the Boxers team has built around the central question, “what is the value of the box?”. Through several months of research and design thinking, we have created an alternative underwear display that reduces waste by decreasing packaging elements while simultaneously providing flexibility, security, hygiene, and a new engaging customer experience.
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Calvin Klein is known for being on the cutting edge of culture. With a renewed laser focus on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, the brand is set for yet another radical transformation. In the PVH 2020 Fashion Forward Targets, Samantha Sims, PVH Vice President, Environmental Sustainability & Product Stewardship, emphasized changing customer behavior. Stating that “there’s an increased demand, desire, and expectation for brands to exhibit sustainable practices, and it’s more important than ever to listen to your consumers about what they want. We’re in a catalyzing moment with an opportunity to lean in even more on sustainable products and circularity.”
Considering underwear as the largest revenue growth driver, they ask us, “what is the future of the box? (35M annually) And “how might this new sustainability platform resonate with the firm’s culture regarding inclusion?”.
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The box’s purpose is to contain, protect and sell the product. With this in mind, we conducted extensive primary and secondary research exploring alternatives to the original Calvin Klein box. Initially, we approached the packaging problem from a materials lens and looked into innovative materials to reconstruct the box. However, our research revealed how challenging the recycling process is to track and measure progress, especially when operating globally as Calvin Klein does.
We spent time interviewing and surveying customers and sales associates. Through this research, we gained valuable insights which propelled our project. Our central observation was how divided the customer experience was between men and women. Men’s underwear is contained in a box, whereas women’s is not. As a team of women, we were greatly surprised by this, which led us to question, “what is the value of the box?” We shifted our focus to narrowing the gender gap between men’s and women’s customer experience when shopping for underwear. Our understanding was that if we changed the consumer behavior by removing the box, we could prevent materials from entering the recycling system from the beginning, leading to our solution.
Our solution is a holistic shopping experience that is inclusive, accessible, and responsible. With stakeholders’ needs in mind, we have redesigned an underwear display system that contains, protects, and sells the product. The redesigned structure considers PVH priorities, fashion-forward targets, and impacts on various sectors. In this project, we deep dove into what implementation of this display would look like by journey mapping, prototyping, and creating a business model canvas and value proposition. We also explored how Calvin Klein could utilize current retail fixtures and the next steps for PVH to take to increase the success of our solution.
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Calvin Klein is a global brand with a significant impact. We believe that they can simultaneously achieve their PVH priorities and fashion-forward targets by disrupting the packaging industry. Our research and insights highlight that the customer is ready for an innovative change to the system, and we believe the time is now. Our design is thoughtful, impactful, inclusive, and implementable. The redesigned packaging display will be more environmentally conscious and thought-provoking. It has the potential to shift the fashion industry massively, and we are confident that Calvin Klein should be the leader of the movement.
Context Video
A visual representation of our research, and point of intervention.
Prototype
A video demonstration of the lofi prototype.
Our Purpose
To create an alternative underwear display that reduces waste by decreasing the number of packaging tiers while simultaneously providing flexibility, security, hygiene, and a new customer experience that engages, inspires, and causes customers to question packaging necessities.
About Our Team
— Team Mission & Charter
To make sure the concepts we create will add value, are circular, and sustainable.
— Preliminary Problem Space
With the box going through many touchpoints between the manufacturing plant to the consumer’s hand, our biggest challenge is how we can make sure that the process is sustainable throughout the route.
Key Insights
Currently, the responsibility of recycling the box falls on the consumer. However, if the manufacturer took responsibility, it would be more manageable and valuable because this is where the problem begins. There is too much human error and not enough accountability within the system.
Packaging could be simpler which is easily accessible and also gives freedom to the customer to mix and match the colour sets as per their choice.
It is easier to design a new package but if new packaging does not fit in the system then it won’t be adopted- the system includes the retail store, which is a standardised system for display.
Leverage Points
Leverage points are the areas within our packaging system where we believe a solution can be applied in order to bring out the desired outcome. This process helps us define the scope of direction to know where and how to tackle the challenge—placing purpose, consumers, and the brand at the center of our solution.
Identifying The Problem
We have to change the customers’ behavior when shopping while maintaining brand awareness, product containment, protection, and sellability.
How Might We
disrupt the box to change consumer behaviour and effectively reduce the tiers of packaging while enhancing the shopping experience.
Ideation
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No Packaging
We experimented with the military-roll style fold, which compacted and provided the structure to the product. With this role, we could maximize space and provide brand recognition with the waist strap visible.
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Standardised Box
Similar to the concept of the standardization of soda bottles. This concept sounds promising but considering the impact still causing damage at an equivalent level to the current system. So we decided to discard this.
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Washing Bag
The wash bag packaging allows consumers to use and sustain the packaging lifespan while providing the underwear’s protection and containment. It is suitable for initial purchases but becomes redundant after multiple buys, thus becoming trash that costs higher than the original CK packaging. Because of that, this idea was also discarded.
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Soap Paper
The third packaging concept we developed and tested is dissolvable detergent wrapping paper, aka soap paper concept. The dissolvable function of the detergent sheet would allow the team to achieve the zero package waste goal as well it encourages people to wash their underwear after the purchase.
Concept Development
As a team, we were inspired by the candy dispenser model.
The CK product is folded in the military roll style and placed in the tube-like dispenser, categorizing each fit, color, and size on its line. This can help keep sales associates aware of inventory levels. It also solves the problem of hygiene, theft, and damaged boxes being written off as unsellable. The basic information about the product, color, fit, and size will be on the label on each dispenser.
The supply chain and security issues
As we stripped and transformed the package, the essential parts like the QR code and information label had to be placed and incorporated with the new idea. The QR code is mainly used for the supply logistics and inventory system, printed on the underwear waistband—allowing the system to track the product. With the implementation of the new design we have, the concern that arose is security. The product will attach a security magnet tag, if the product is stolen or taken out from the store area, the alert will alarm.
Customer Journey Mapping
Version 1.0
Version 2.0: Refined with insights from prototyping to include a drop off bin for customers who change their mind.
Prototyping
Our solution fulfils the needs of all stakeholders involved and accounts for the insights and feedback we received during prototyping. The concept remains the same — a reimagined display fixture that provides hygiene, product safety and is sellable while creating an exciting and innovative customer experience. Our design now utilizes current Calvin Klein retail display fixtures to reduce waste further and allow for an easier implementation process. Cosmetically, we have moved the existing shelf and replaced them with the dispenser tubes. The drawers under the display now act as the dropbox if the consumer has changed their mind about the color or style of the underwear. For added hygiene, these drawers are installed with UV-C lights which sanitises the underwear before its placed back into the display case. Through this new display system, Calvin Klein is able to create a holistic shopping experience that is inclusive, accessible and responsible.
Finalised Concept
Impacts
Business Model
Value Proposition