Product design · Semester 4, B.Des · Group of two

Earpods packaging that opens without tearing

A case and box for wireless earpods, after interviewing a student who uses hers eight to nine hours a day and damages the box every time she opens it. A ribbon-pull box, a sliding case lid, and four gradient variants.

Program
B.Des Product Design, MIT World Peace University, semester 4
Role
Group of two
Deliverables
Interview, problem identification, mechanism sketches, final concept renders, four variants
Links
Full board on Behance
Render of a pink earpods case beside a phone, a USB stick and a mug
The final concept in pink.

Problem identification

We interviewed Sapana Rai, a design student at MIT-WPU who uses her earpods 8 to 9 hours a day. She does not like the current packaging. She wants something easy to open, trendy and feminine, and opening the box is a hassle because there is very little space to fit a finger in, which often damages the box.

The other problems with existing packaging: a new box is hard to open without tearing it or using something sharp; after a drop the hinges are not strong enough and the opening mechanism fails; a bulky case is hard to put in a pocket; and the opening mechanism is delicate.

Ideation

The design is for women and men aged 13 to 40, with four options to choose from. The brief was futuristic, unique, modern, bold, confident and new, with a gradient color scheme. The new box has a ribbon attached, so it opens by pulling the ribbon instead of by force.

Pencil sketches of the earpods case mechanism and three line drawings of the case
Mechanism sketches: the sliding lid and the clasping point.

Final concept

The lid slides instead of hinging. Push the button on the front and the top slides back into a pocket on the side and under the case; to close it, slide the top into the latch on the front and lock it. There are no flimsy joints to break after heavy use. Lights on the bottom show the charge level and the charging point is on the back.

Renders of the white earpods case closed, half open and open, with notes on the mechanism
The sliding mechanism, closed and open.

Variants

Four gradient colourways, on the box and on the case.

Four gradient variants of the earpods box and case in cyan, purple, pink and coral
Box and case in the four variants.
The full industrial design board, with the interview and every render, is on Behance. Open on Behance
Next projectA perfume bottle for Tesla
All product designBack to top