All the materials for the package were found in Alex's and my dorm rooms. I had several boxes and packaging materials. After looking through the materials we decided to put the bubble wrap and paper towels under and around the egg in a medium sized box. We put the egg in a small paper cup and taped the cup to the bubble wrap. Then we covered the box with white paper with a picture of an egg with a parachute on one side of the box. To make the box land on the bottom (where the most padding was) we thought about attaching a balloon or a plastic bag to the top of the box. We ended up using a plastic bag, which also ended up working as a parachute. The package successfully protected the egg from a two and a three story fall from Dewing.
Alex's blog can be found here
Thursday, November 5, 2009
November 6, 2009
1. Gibbs wrote about the way a city is designed in a more general, broad way than Whyte did. For example, Gibbs told about how a city should be designed with a generator and about the signs on stores to get people to come to the street and like it there; whereas Whyte told about how obstacles would cause people to slow down and then notice their store and that second story stores needed to have distracting signs. I find Gibbs' argument to be more convincing because if I were shopping in a downtown, I think that I would become annoyed with some of the ways that Whyte designed the city.
2. An urban area is particularly attractive if it has plants and some open grassy parks. I also like wide sidewalks, windows into stores or window displays, and places to eat outside that are clean and have shade. I am repelled by dirty streets, feeling unsafe, busy (with people or cars) streets and if there are too many similar stores near each other.
2. An urban area is particularly attractive if it has plants and some open grassy parks. I also like wide sidewalks, windows into stores or window displays, and places to eat outside that are clean and have shade. I am repelled by dirty streets, feeling unsafe, busy (with people or cars) streets and if there are too many similar stores near each other.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
City-The Sensory Street
1.The author, Whyte, told about how a city street works--how people interact with the different aspects of stores from the outside. He says that people need to be slowed down while shopping so that they will pay attention to the stores.
2. Norman talks very much about the different aspects of design (visceral, behavioral and reflective) separately and gives examples of each. Whyte talked more about the best ways to get people to shop in a downtown and that was not always by designing them in a better way, ex: have signs used as barriers to obstruct the path of shoppers so that they have to slow down and look at stores more.
3.-Store need to have window displays, and they need to distract window shoppers.
-Doorways need to be open and congested
-a wide variety of stores on the street
-The size of the sidewalk is important
-the design needs to slow shoppers down-many times through physical obstructions
-stores on the second story especially need large distracting signs.
-trash cans are clean and have place for shoe tying
2. Norman talks very much about the different aspects of design (visceral, behavioral and reflective) separately and gives examples of each. Whyte talked more about the best ways to get people to shop in a downtown and that was not always by designing them in a better way, ex: have signs used as barriers to obstruct the path of shoppers so that they have to slow down and look at stores more.
3.-Store need to have window displays, and they need to distract window shoppers.
-Doorways need to be open and congested
-a wide variety of stores on the street
-The size of the sidewalk is important
-the design needs to slow shoppers down-many times through physical obstructions
-stores on the second story especially need large distracting signs.
-trash cans are clean and have place for shoe tying
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Main Street and the Mall
1.-There are not too many benches and they are not placed near each other
-Food and clothing stores not located near each other.
-The area in front of stores is not too distracting from the merchandise inside--fancy sidewalks, or too many plants.
-There is a 'generator' to attract business for itself and other related businesses.
-Trash cans and newspaper vending machines are a dark green color.
-Shops only have to attract someone's attention within 8 seconds
-Layout of stores is done with the principle that people will turn right in mind
-The stores have signs in front with the brands that are sold there, in addition to the name of the store
2. I agree with Gibbs' argument that "Main Street" should be a mall. If Main street were like a mall, then main street would be much easier to shop in. It would also be laid out in a way that was logical, so that shoppers would find shops with the most products that they are looking for, with the least trouble.
3. -There are free areas for parking that are located near the Main Street.
-There is some variety in the types of stores on the street (including restaurants).
-streets are not so busy with car traffic that it is hard for pedestrians to cross the road
-The Main street is clean
-There is some 'green space,' near main street--like a park or field; there should be at least trees or flowers along the street
-Food and clothing stores not located near each other.
-The area in front of stores is not too distracting from the merchandise inside--fancy sidewalks, or too many plants.
-There is a 'generator' to attract business for itself and other related businesses.
-Trash cans and newspaper vending machines are a dark green color.
-Shops only have to attract someone's attention within 8 seconds
-Layout of stores is done with the principle that people will turn right in mind
-The stores have signs in front with the brands that are sold there, in addition to the name of the store
2. I agree with Gibbs' argument that "Main Street" should be a mall. If Main street were like a mall, then main street would be much easier to shop in. It would also be laid out in a way that was logical, so that shoppers would find shops with the most products that they are looking for, with the least trouble.
3. -There are free areas for parking that are located near the Main Street.
-There is some variety in the types of stores on the street (including restaurants).
-streets are not so busy with car traffic that it is hard for pedestrians to cross the road
-The Main street is clean
-There is some 'green space,' near main street--like a park or field; there should be at least trees or flowers along the street
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Iconic Packaging
1.The packaging of a product is very important in the marketing of a product. If a product has good packaging, then it will be much more memorable and stand out more amongst its competitors. Packaging creates an image for the product and that influences who, and how likely on is to buy it.
I was influenced to buy some white t-shirts based on the design of the packaging, but not because the packaging was a memorable, colorful, or exciting design. I chose boxers with that package design because I could feel the shirts, and knew that they were what I wanted
2.Some products with iconic packaging are Quaker Oatmeal, Jif Peanut butter, iPod bags, and red bull.
3. Packaging should protect the product, but sometimes it is too hard to open--one time I cut my hand on hard-to-open plastic packaging. Some packaging makes the actual misleading how large or the quantity inside the package. The packaging can also can make it harder to display on shelves if it is large or oddly shaped.
I was influenced to buy some white t-shirts based on the design of the packaging, but not because the packaging was a memorable, colorful, or exciting design. I chose boxers with that package design because I could feel the shirts, and knew that they were what I wanted
2.Some products with iconic packaging are Quaker Oatmeal, Jif Peanut butter, iPod bags, and red bull.
3. Packaging should protect the product, but sometimes it is too hard to open--one time I cut my hand on hard-to-open plastic packaging. Some packaging makes the actual misleading how large or the quantity inside the package. The packaging can also can make it harder to display on shelves if it is large or oddly shaped.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Retail Analysis-Natural Health Center
1. I observed the Natural Health Center (4610 W Main St, Kalamazoo, MI 49006).
They market middle class people. Also more specifically to people that eat organic, vegetarian, and/or gluten free food. A majority of the people shopping there were middle aged (both men and women).It is similar to Whole Foods, Papa Joe's, and Trader Joe's, except at a less expensive price.
2. a. The store matches the other stores in the strip mall--green roof, glass front and written on the glass windows, in white , was what is sold in the store (natural skin care, natural groceries, supplements, etc.)
b. There were many people talking (louder than a typical grocery store), and soft music playing in the background.
c. Merchandise is displayed on white shelves, at the end of almost every row of shelves is a table at which samples were given out.
d. The floor consists of square white tiles, with red mats near the doors
e. There are green neon signs marking the different sections of the store (fresh produce, refrigerator, skin care, and vitamins)
Above each isle there is a hanging sign, written in chalk, listing the products found down that isle
Also there are autumn flags (pumpkins, leaves) hanging from the ceiling
f. The cashier area is at the front of the store, facing the entrance/exit. This set up causes a customer to have to turn immediately to the left when entering the store.
3.Natural Health Center tries to project the image of healthy living, all natural lifestyle
4. -At the end of most aisles there are samples of food to try.
- The fresh produce is on display so you can see and touch it
5. I was most interested in when you walked into the store it smelled of several spices, not the usual supermarket or grocery store smell (or lack of smell).
They market middle class people. Also more specifically to people that eat organic, vegetarian, and/or gluten free food. A majority of the people shopping there were middle aged (both men and women).It is similar to Whole Foods, Papa Joe's, and Trader Joe's, except at a less expensive price.
2. a. The store matches the other stores in the strip mall--green roof, glass front and written on the glass windows, in white , was what is sold in the store (natural skin care, natural groceries, supplements, etc.)
b. There were many people talking (louder than a typical grocery store), and soft music playing in the background.
c. Merchandise is displayed on white shelves, at the end of almost every row of shelves is a table at which samples were given out.
d. The floor consists of square white tiles, with red mats near the doors
e. There are green neon signs marking the different sections of the store (fresh produce, refrigerator, skin care, and vitamins)
Above each isle there is a hanging sign, written in chalk, listing the products found down that isle
Also there are autumn flags (pumpkins, leaves) hanging from the ceiling
f. The cashier area is at the front of the store, facing the entrance/exit. This set up causes a customer to have to turn immediately to the left when entering the store.
3.Natural Health Center tries to project the image of healthy living, all natural lifestyle
4. -At the end of most aisles there are samples of food to try.
- The fresh produce is on display so you can see and touch it
5. I was most interested in when you walked into the store it smelled of several spices, not the usual supermarket or grocery store smell (or lack of smell).
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Science of Shopping
1. The most important points from the article are that shoppers are predictable and because of this stores can then be changed so that they are sell the most products to the most people (by watching people in many stores on video cameras). People tend to walk to the right or on the right side of stores or isles.
2.I think that I am influenced by a stores design because the way in which it is designed changes how much of the store I see when looking for the things I had planned on buying. The atmosphere of a store also changes how I would shop in a store: if it is over the top with lighting, music and smells, I would not want to stay long or at all; whereas if a store were too bland, I would also not want to shop there for very long.
3.Analyzing a retail store:
-the store has an appropriate atmosphere (smell, sounds, lighting) for the products being sold and the image the store has.
-Important products are not put in the front of the store so that people move farther into the store
-That products that would appeal to people with similar interests be placed near each other
2.I think that I am influenced by a stores design because the way in which it is designed changes how much of the store I see when looking for the things I had planned on buying. The atmosphere of a store also changes how I would shop in a store: if it is over the top with lighting, music and smells, I would not want to stay long or at all; whereas if a store were too bland, I would also not want to shop there for very long.
3.Analyzing a retail store:
-the store has an appropriate atmosphere (smell, sounds, lighting) for the products being sold and the image the store has.
-Important products are not put in the front of the store so that people move farther into the store
-That products that would appeal to people with similar interests be placed near each other
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