Brief: 

The current box is too expensive—reduce cost without compromising customer experience.

Insights:

While observing customers shop for helmets at a bike expo, I noticed that the operation of the current box was poorly understood. The current box used a drawer design that required the drawer to be opened before the helmet could be lifted vertically out. Multiple customers were observed attempting to pull the helmet straight out of the front of the box.

The current drawer design not only made up the majority of the material used in the packaging, it also required the use of six blocks of PU foam to reduce abrasion to the helmet shell. The drawer component was expensive in terms of material and assembly labor and was posing a barrier to customer interaction with the helmet.

Redefining the Problem:

It became apparent that there was a constraint on any new design—the drawer design would only allow the helmet to be removed vertically.

New Constraint: 

The helmet must exit the front of the box, the panel from which it is visible and the only exposed panel in a stack of boxes.

The current support designs prevent the helmet fit system from deforming during shipping. The current designs would only allow the helmet to move vertically and clearance for the fit system needed to be adjusted for a new front-entry box.

Improved Access:

The revised box design includes a hinged front panel while the revised support replaces the drawer and with a ramp that allows the helmet to be removed directly from the front of the box. 

Reduced Material:

The redesign eliminates four of the six foam blocks used in the drawer while utilizing only 75% the material of the original design. 

Simplified Assembly:

This new box reduces the number of packaging components from three to two. It also eliminates the costly assembly time of the two drawer components (four folding steps and three tabs). Reducing the count of foam blocks also improved assembly time.