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CHIARA BORTOLI
The QUT Pocket Notebook
Individual Project - 2020 - 1.5 months
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Autodesk Fusion
Overview
The QUT pocket notebook was designed to be a gift prospective international students considering enrolling at QUT. It is a pocket sized notebook made from the recycled notes of current QUT students and has a disappearing ink light bulb which changes colour with the temperature, revealing a secret message.
Design Process
// Research
Research was conducted surrounding gift giving etiquette, manufacturing methods and current QUT corporate gifts. It was discovered that there is a gap in the market for gifts which are individually unique and responsibly manufactured. Additionally, many gifts contained large amounts of plastic packaging, meaning that the large amount of small corporate gifts dispersed creates a huge amount of waste.
// Product Development
The notebook was required to be designed within a budget of $5, thus, a smaller product that would make users feel a connection to QUT and its students was decided to be the general design direction. It was also important for the product to be sustainable to reflect the values QUT upholds and ensure that the gift would not pose a risk of pollution. Thus, the idea of a circular lifecycle was developed where old notes, which would usually be discarded, are turned into new notebooks.
Sustainability
This system utilises old notes of QUT students that would otherwise be thrown away or not used. It is also intended to be produced on campus using QUT facilities and hiring students to produce them. This eliminates the need for heavy machinery and ensures that the books are not produced in excessive amounts.
Learning Outcomes
Designing for corporate gifting
Designing within a client determined criteria
Designing within a low budget
Designing for sustainability and circular lifecycle
User-centred design process