Role:
Engineering Design Project Manager
Company:
iRobot
Program:
Roomba j7+Packaging
Summary
As an Engineering Design Product Manager, I collaborated with UX and leadership to improve the unboxing experience for the Roomba j7+. By addressing user challenges in packaging removal, I developed sustainable, cost-effective solutions that enhanced usability and contributed to significant product success.
Key Contributions:
Identified and addressed user difficulties in product removal through UX research.
Developed three sustainable and cost-effective packaging concepts using sketches, CAD models, and prototypes.
Defined packaging vision, timeline, and roadmap in collaboration with leadership.
Brief:
Design and create an improved unboxing experience for users that minimizes materials, reduces costs, and is more user-friendly.
Research:
I collaborated with the UX team to address user struggles in removing products from packaging. Research revealed challenges in hand placement for removing the charging dock from the box. There was a lot of extra packaging material around the product during the removal, and many users were taking a very long time, becoming frustrated with the removal at times and almost causing light damage to the product
*These are not my sketches*
Ideation:
*This is not my image*
Sketching
After gathering data from the UX team, I started sketching a few concepts. I also drafted concept sketches of other packaging designs that some higher-ups were interested in realizing.
Carboard Prototypes
Leadership requested an investigation into the feasibility of a temporary handle designed solely for charging dock removal, which would be discarded afterward. To assess its viability, I conducted ultimate strength testing to determine whether the handle could withstand sufficient force before failure. Additionally, I explored alternative design concepts to refine and optimize the packaging solution.
Unboxing
Concepts:
Design 1 | Flush
Rotating the charging dock to be on its back side. ID effort need to add a handle grasp to the charging dock. Decreases material and uses false handle
Ribbon
Handle Grasp
Efforts
Horizontal Box
Paper Handle
Unboxing
Corner Board
Plastic Clip
Efforts
Sleeve Box
Handle Grasp
Design 2 | Clip
Uses a plastic clip that the user would have to undo to separate the bottom and top box, which Reduces material and saves money, being mostly made of only cardboard.
Unboxing
Design 3 | Book
The user cuts open the connecting tape that keeps the two sides together, revealing the product. This design reduces material by creating cavities in the packaging to hold and protect items. Because the product is revealed upon opening, there is no ID effort needed for the charging deck. The use of mycelium for accessories for protection and sustainability.
Mycelium Foam
Efforts
Thicker Box
Outcome
After presenting my design to the Director of Design at iRobot, I received positive feedback, with the team particularly enthusiastic about the "Clip" concept. While the final design evolved, I believe my work may have influenced the packaging design of the Roomba J7+ before my departure.
