I aspire to deliver an intuitive user centred approach to the design of products, services, and systems by inventing creative solutions whilst considering aesthetics, inclusivity, and usability throughout the design process
Final year project
To Incentivise Immediate Sustainable and Responsible Packaging Waste Control for Frequent Takeaway Food Consumers in the UK
Ecoisine - High Fidelity Interface and Prototype
Ecoisine is a stepping-stone service which motivates and educates takeaway food consumers on how to change their unsustainable habits whilst reuse models are being designed for the future. The app instructs the consumer to wash and dry their PP 5 containers which adopt a consumer-orientated approach derived from evidence-based research. The reusable returns bag is made from 100% rPET material, can be washed up to 40 times, and only needs to be used 1.3 times by a consumer for a Food Delivery Service (FDS) to make a profit.
Ecoisine - System Design
The high-grade plastic waste is sent directly to the nearby Materials Sorting Facility (MRF) by food delivery service drivers on their usual return journeys to ensure the service is as convenient and valuable as possible for all stakeholders. By bypassing the standard unreliable household collection routes, plastic recycling rates will improve in the UK and broaden the options for export. In return for the consumer's sustainable behaviour change, they will receive substantial discounts, the drivers will be paid per trip to help with the rising costs of fuel, and the participating FDS will be able to responsibly recycle the waste in this category.
Ecoisine - Product in Context
Each 100% RPET bag costs 77p to manufacture, uses 3.2 plastic bottles to produce and can be washed 40 times. A delivery driver can return 30 bags, each holding 30 containers, resulting in £18 worth of high-grade post-consumer polypropylene to sell.
eNESTS - Visualisation
eNESTS is an alternative subscription model to the current ‘WWF Adopt an Animal’ designed as part of a week-long sprint process. Taking inspiration from Russian Dolls, the product evolves throughout the 12-month subscription and utilises e-learning modules through QR codes, creating a truly engaging and collaborative proposal for curious children. Due to the time constraints of the project, quick ideation tools like sketches were used to inform the final high quality renders.
eNESTS - Scenario Board
The target user of this project is children aged between 6-12 years old which is why the colour palette and stylistic direction are inspired by WWF's Kids Space. A simple scenario board was chosen to quickly help the viewer understand the key touchpoints of the redesigned subscription model.
Romy Norgrove
Final year project
To Incentivise Immediate Sustainable and Responsible Packaging Waste Control for Frequent Takeaway Food Consumers in the UK
Awards
2020-2021 Diploma of Professional Studies was awarded to me for successful completion of academic studies and the required period of professional training in the industry being Packaging Design and Innovation at DS Smith.
2019-2020 Loughborough Design School Welfare and Diversity SIO were achieved for me by connecting the Students Union with the Design School to provide students with support personally and academically.
2019-2020 Loughborough Design School Peer Mentor was achieved for myself for providing a point of contact for year one and prospective students joining the design school to ensure they are enjoying their university experience.
2018-2019 Loughborough Design School Course Representative was elected for myself by my peers which involved listening to any critical feedback or issues regarding the course and expressing it in a staff student liaison committee.
Work Experience
I currently work as a Junior Development Designer at Jutexpo Ltd based in Evesham, Worcestershire. Working with the pioneers of the reusable bags market, I have gained experience designing in a professional setting ensuring that my work is both manufacturable and desirable to all stakeholders. Currently, we are developing products which utilise RPET (recycled post-consumer plastic bottles) to halt plastic waste from ending up in landfills. This new position has challenged my thinking in terms of consumer behaviour, ergonomics, fashion trends, innovative printing processes and material development. My experiences designing professionally in the recycled plastics industry and the paper-based materials industry have given me the unique ability to design unbiased and sustainable solutions using evidence-based reasoning
I secured my position as a Group Innovation Intern during my industrial placement year between 2020 and 2021 at DS Smith Ltd, an FTSE 100 Packaging Company based in Redditch, Worcestershire. Whilst leading multiple high priority innovative projects, I completed desk-based research to support the user testing and co-design of our low-fidelity hybrid prototypes. Once refined, I used SOLIDWORKS CAD and the Ultimaker S5 3D Printer to rapidly-produce plastic parts and used ArtiosCAD and the cutting table to produce working corrugated cardboard prototypes. I received formal training on the lab equipment in DS Smith’s brand new Innovation Hub, including the Universal Testing Machine and Box Compression Testing Machine to conduct a range of universal tests to accurately compare design concepts. I specifically enjoyed designing disruptive innovations, re-use systems, and collaborating with my peers to create circular solutions for a changing world
In 2019, I worked part-time as a Carpenter Assistant at Rustic Owl based in Redditch, Worcestershire. I improved my manual dexterity, critical thinking and mechanical skills during this role. As my skills were advancing, my respect for the quality of my work grew. I am now detail orientated and can follow technical drawings in a professional setting. From designing the wooden furniture to assembly, safety was always our most important priority, but aesthetics were never compromised. I am able to apply these values to my course in both the design and ergonomic aspects