Professional Processes
Featured Digital Enchantment: Strategies and Challenges for Brand Activations on Roblox View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rakshitha Raghunandan
This study explores how leading brands manage and execute brand activations on Roblox, focusing on strategies that enhance engagement and challenges unique to the virtual environment of the Metaverse. Using a mixed-methods approach, including case studies and interviews with developers and target audiences, the research examines the essential elements that contribute to successful brand activations. The presentation addresses critical project management challenges, such as balancing brand identity with creative possibilities within Roblox’s technical constraints and fostering community engagement to build brand loyalty. Key insights reveal how brands navigate the limitations of virtual assets, develop meaningful interactions, and adapt their brand narratives to resonate with digital-native audiences. Findings from this research provide valuable guidance for brands aiming to effectively align their strategic objectives with the dynamic and immersive potential of virtual environments like Roblox, offering practical insights into managing digital activations that support both brand goals and user experience.
Bamboo Furniture Eco-friendly Coating: Plasma Ionization and Light Metal Material View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Supatcha Charoensiri
This paper presents the results of a design management study aimed at replacing polyurethane (PU) coatings with titanium dioxide (TiO2) coatings activated through plasma ionization. PU coatings are commonly used in the bamboo furniture industry for surface protection and as part of the luxurizing process. However, their application demands repeated use and large quantities of PU material to achieve the desired surface strength and durability. Furthermore, the aromatic compounds present in most PU sealants pose health risks and create environmental hazards at the end of the furniture’s life cycle. Transitioning to eco-friendly materials or reducing harmful compounds is a critical step toward sustainable practices in the industry. In our study, a plasma ionization device and process were developed. The dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator was designed based on specific parameters, including the lengths of exposed and insulated electrodes, dielectric thickness, gaps between dielectric and electrode tips, and applied voltage and power. Plasma ionization, generated by high-voltage electrodes, was used to treat bamboo surfaces, producing positive and negative ions to facilitate TiO2 adhesion during the coating process. This process was conducted under atmospheric pressure and room temperature within a closed system. The findings demonstrate that TiO2 coatings activated by plasma ionization emit lower carbon dioxide and exhibit better eco-efficiency compared to PU coatings. This paper proposes the detailed designs of the plasma ionization device and process tailored for TiO2 application, highlighting their potential for reducing environmental impact while maintaining performance standards.
Integrating Circular Materials and Environmental Impact Awareness into the Design Process View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Viktor Malakuczi, Luca D'Elia, Mariia Ershova, Lorenzo Imbesi
Today the need for circular manufacturing is widely recognized, and designers are considered responsible for choosing sustainable materials as well as making it desirable to the product’s audience. However, the typical designer’s education and toolkit do not allow them to think about environmental impact in quantitative terms, while local waste streams and available circular materials are often obscure and mediated through specialists. The overall goal of the presented research is to find ways for effectively channeling locally available circular materials (from pre- or post-consumer waste) into the design process, and therefore back into manufacturing cycle. To tackle such challenge, multiple fields were involved including material experts, computer science and design researchers, with an initial hypothesis that updating the designer’s digital toolbox could significantly enhance sustainable design practice. To understand the possibilities of intervention, three categories of stakeholders were identified: designers, furniture manufacturers and waste transformers, investigated through an initially wide mapping, then interviews. These interactions have highlighted several unexpected issues, such as regulatory complexity, lack of trust in environmental declarations, and blurry lines between supposedly different stakeholders. Nonetheless, the interview campaign, together with the analysis of available LCA tools and platforms, has helped define functionalities for an experimental platform, characterized by the integration of georeferenced circular materials with sustainability data, plugged directly into the designer’s modelling workflow. Such approach promises to embody sustainability knowledge in design tools, providing a continuous awareness about the environmental impact of choices and helping to develop a sense about it over time.
