2022
Calvin Klein: Re(imagine) the Box
— Business Solution, Strategy
Project Team: Bailey, Ifah, Juilee, Nikki, Supanit, Tanvi
The most sustainable packaging is no packaging at all.
This project presents findings and recommendations that the team has built around the central question, “What is the value of the box?” Through several months of research and design thinking, we have created an alternative underwear display that reduces waste by decreasing packaging elements while providing flexibility, security, hygiene, and a new engaging customer experience.
To view the article on MSSDM Parsons School of Design Showcase, click here.
Challenges.
Calvin Klein is known for being on the cutting edge of culture. With a renewed laser focus on sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, the brand is set for yet another radical transformation. The brand emphasizes changing customer behavior, stating, “There’s increased demand, desire, and expectation for brands to exhibit sustainable practices, and it’s more important than ever to listen to your consumers about what they want. We’re in a catalyzing moment with an opportunity to lean in even more on sustainable products and circularity.”
Considering underwear as the largest revenue growth driver, they ask us, “What is the future of the box? (35M annually)” and “How might this new sustainability platform resonate with the firm’s culture regarding inclusion?”
Approach.
The box’s purpose is to contain, protect, and sell the product. With this in mind, we conducted extensive primary and secondary research exploring alternatives to the original Calvin Klein box. Initially, we approached the packaging problem from a materials lens and looked into innovative materials to reconstruct the box. However, our research revealed how challenging the recycling process is to track and measure progress, especially when operating globally as Calvin Klein does.
We interviewed and surveyed customers and sales associates. Through this process, we gained valuable insights which propelled our project. Our central observation was how divided the customer experience was between men and women. Men’s underwear is in a box, whereas women’s is not. We then shifted our focus to narrowing the gender gap between men’s and women’s customer experience when shopping for underwear. Our understanding was that if we changed consumer behavior by removing the box, we could prevent materials from entering the recycling system from the beginning, leading to our solution.
Our solution is a holistic shopping experience that is inclusive, accessible, and responsible. Considering stakeholders' needs, we have redesigned an underwear display system that contains, protects, and sells the product. The redesigned structure considers PVH priorities, fashion-forward targets, and impacts on various sectors. We dove deep into what the implementation of this display would look like by journey mapping, prototyping, and creating a business model canvas and value proposition. We also explored how Calvin Klein could utilize current retail fixtures and the next steps for PVH to take to increase the success of our solution.
How might we disrupt the box to change consumer behavior and effectively reduce the tiers of packaging while enhancing the shopping experience?
Customer Journey Mapping
Prototype Testing
