MULTIDISCIPLINARY DAIRY MILK PACKAGING COLLABORATION
Year: 2023
Editor: Buck, Lyndon; Grierson, Hilary; Bohemia, Erik
Author: Howell, Bryan F.; Lee, Kanae S.; Holbrook, Rebecca N.; Houghton, Sophie J.; Reynolds, Linda; Jefferies, Laura K.
Series: E&PDE
Institution: Brigham Young University, United States of America
Section: The potential of interdisciplinary activities to foster responsible innovation
DOI number: 10.35199/EPDE.2023.38
ISBN: 978-1-912254-19-4
Abstract
There is a growing trend fostering interdisciplinary projects at universities, as scholars and students from different fields unite to tackle complex problems to real-world challenges. This research explores how 25 food science, industrial design and graphic design students and three instructors from the same disciplines collaborated to address declining dairy milk consumption in the United States. The project had three phases (P): research, design, and innovation. In P1, student teams studied the dairy industry and packaging-related topics, including regulatory constraints, farm management, market and brand analysis, packaging technologies, and environmental impacts. In P2, individual students designed dairy labels for a 1-gallon US plastic jug and a ½ gallon US paperboard container. P2 designs were evaluated in a 100-person consumer sensory panel and a national survey reaching 619 people. In P3, student teams designed new environmentally responsible milk packaging forms and purchasing experiences. Results in P1 indicate that students working in multidisciplinary teams developed a comprehensive understanding of milk. P2 packaging results differed by one design between the sensory panel and the national survey. P3 designs were not surveyed for this study. Educationally, students reported a mixed learning experience. Some embraced the challenges of a research-driven class project, while others found the disciplinary and cultural differences chaotic and emotionally challenging. The two-year difference between graphic and industrial students exposed professionalism differences. Instructors reported a positive educational experience but would train future classes on private vs public feedback, personal vs user-driven design narratives, and consumer-driven design ranking.
Keywords: Interdisciplinary Design, Multidisciplinary Design, Innovative Milk Packaging, Multidisciplinary Collaboration, Multidisciplinary Educational Experience