Challenge
In a society where working out and eating nutritious supplements is an everyday part of a life for fitness enthusiasts, our innovation team noticed an unmet need: Nutritional supplements, particularly protein powder, that focus on sustainability in packaging, delivery and supply chain.
How might we reimagine protein powder containers to be less wasteful and bulky?
With the protein supplement market is booming… to $8 billion, we understood there is a healthy market where more and more people are looking for new ways to consume protein.
Opportunities
Ease of Use
Ease of use is a larger driver of purchasing decisions vs. concern over plastic waste.
Impact Awareness
Customers that use supplements are mostly unaware of the impact supplements packaging has on the environment.
Pay to Save the Planet
Consumers would be willing to switch brands, and even pay more, for eco friendly packaging.
Research and Development
Our team collaborated on the big ideas, thinking of everything from non-plastic
packaging to dissolvable cubes and universal scoops.
We interviewed individuals with a passion for fitness and used such products. Those initial insights led us down a pathway to create a subscription model for protein powders.
Once our team looked at our problem statement, our challenge was that this solution did not feel like it met the needs of our consumers — a sustainable, less messy and convenient way to include protein in one’s diet.
Prototyping
Back to the drawing board, a teammate and I rapidly prototyped the variety of
shapes protein powders could come in. Based on trends, our team knew up-and-coming products that attach itself to nostalgic moments were gaining traction. From our pen and paper session, we had our ah-ha moment — a frozen protein treat.
Through this iterative process, our team came together with a data-driven, story-rich solution to our problem statement.
Outcome
Introducing…PRO-POP, a delicious frozen protein treat for better living … and a little fun!
The product we developed was based on 6 months of research, iterations and pivots. The one piece our team would return back to was our commitment to foods that are good for your body and the environment at large. This form factor of a protein is a new way to experience healthy foods with a transparent ingredients list while giving a nod to moments once enjoyed as a kid. Adulting can be fun too.
Credits
Class project: Innovation 2020 and Venture 2021, DMBA program at California College of the Arts
- Anita Chordia
- Don Russell
- Kristy Kindinger
- Krishna Parthaje
- Felicia Reyes