VOX

Case Study

Date
16th Dec 2020 to 8th April 2021
Summary
The VOX Group is a trusted Point-of-Purchase (P-O-P) and merchandising specialist that partners with the world’s biggest brands to improve the measurability and effectiveness of their P-O-P marketing spend. However, they were facing increasing demand from its clients for higher sustainability performance to meet the UN sustainable development goals. This four-month project, ran from (16th Dec 2020 to 8th April 2021), focused on the reduction of environmental impact for one of the company’s highest volume selling display units, and was divided into two phases which includes the life cycle assessment and product redesign.
Our approach
The project team consist of 5 members from the University of Cambridge, selected through HC internal interviews and approved by the VOX client. For each two-month phase of the engagement, there were a kick-off meeting, a mid-term review, and an end-of-phase meeting with the client. HC team was divided into three sub-groups leading by two design skill leads, and the information was shared across the team through weekly sync meetings. The initial phase of this project involved a series of Life Cycle Analysis (Light Eco-audit), estimating the carbon footprint, energy usage and waste generated of the current product throughout the product lifecycle, which includes material selection, manufacturing, transportation, and product end-of-life. Based on the developed results, the team moved on to re-design the product with a special focus on improving environmental performance. To identify the critical features for Point-of-Purchase display shelves during the second phase, the team held a brainstorming workshop to gather ideas with other members of the HC Ace Design Team.
The outcome

Deliverable 1: 33 pages LCA report (The life cycle assessment and end-of-life analysis were carried based on the ISO 14044 and ISO 14040, which supported the product redesign.)

Deliverable 2: The sketches, renders and CAD model of the redesigned product: a new mechanism for display shelf assembly, eliminating the PVC display panel by combining with the product package. The new design can reduce the weight of the Q-pallet from 14kg to 10kg and reduce the energy consumption for manufacturing by 300MJ (40% of total energy consumption) in the optimal using/disposal conditions.

Deliverable 3: The user manual design of reversed logistic system for VOX product, with a unique prototype for the UI/UX system.

Client testimonial

Vox Group has had a long association with Cambridge University and has always been impressed with the standard of students that we have worked with, and the Hercules team has proved no exception. From the outset of this project, they approached the challenges in a methodical and considered manner, bringing a rigorous analytical eye to the initial research phases. What I found most exciting was the ability of the team to bring a fresh perspective to some of the issues we were looking to solve, offering solutions in a way that we had not considered previously.

Adam Sobocinski
Development Director at Vox
Student testimonial

The experience of joining the VOX project through HC was beyond my expectations. It was a good opportunity to branch out and have some real project xperiences. The HC team will get you out of your comfort zone. I assumed it would be just product design, but with open-minded teammates, we did more than that, including the package design and reverse logistics system. It turns out that the other two help offer a better solution! I would suggest that you never assume anything before the design process and see where the inspiration and team lead you to.

Lide Li
Member of VOX Project Team