The packaging of a product is what connects the consumer to the product. It is the outer shell, the apparel, of the product. Interactive packaging enhances the user experience of the product in accordance with the context of its usability aspect with the additional values of interaction elements for the user to make it more exciting and engaging. Extensive study has gone into this paper, which includes everything from a literature review to an analysis of different types of packaging to bring out a clear definition for interactive packaging. The similarities and differences among smart, intelligent, and interactive packaging have been analysed.

An extensive exploration of the wonder material ‘bamboo’ is done at Uravu, Wayanad, for a deep understanding of the possibilities that can be achieved through the manipulation of the material. Certain design solutions and suggestions for an existing resort were put forward as a development of the current scenario there. During the course of one month, staying at Wayanad with a bunch of bamboo enthusiasts around helped a lot in terms of design thinking and acquiring a deep understanding of the material, which in turn helped to make toys out of bamboo.

Brickmaking is labour-intensive, mostly unskilled work, and requires different levels of skill in different parts of brickmaking. Each worker has a specific function and has to be highly skilled and specialised in that work. Brick kilns in India are mostly manually operated. The process of jalaai involves baking green bricks and strengthening the bricks for a specified time. The workers who perform this task are known as Jalaai workers. Jalaai workers have to endure high heat stresses while working on the kiln top against the background of general environmental heat. This study was focused on the Jalaai workers and the challenges that they face while working, their occupational health hazards, and their possible solutions. This project, in particular, was aimed at reducing the radiant heat being experienced by the workers, with special reference to their face and neck region.

The project addresses the issues faced by wild honey harvesters by having a comprehensive study of the entire wild honey harvesting process. The non-violent harvesting of rock bee honey and wax and their post-harvest storage are taken into consideration when developing a comprehensive design approach. The wild bee (Apis Dorsata) is considered the most defensive of all honey bee species, and their nests are mainly built in exposed areas far from the ground, like on tree limbs, under cliff overhangs, and sometimes on buildings.

A site visit to Wardha, Maharashtra, improved the knowledge of the wild honey harvesting process through the interaction of honey harvesters. The visit to the workshop where the protective suits are made helped in understanding the issues with the existing suit design and manufacturing process. The tools and methods used to make the suits are very frugal, and a similar approach was continued in the project in order to make it easy for manufacturing. After analysing the manufacturing process and the interactions with honey harvesters, the design direction for the project was formulated.

The design direction was to achieve an optimised solution for the manufacturing of the suit using locally available facilities. The protective suit was required to withstand bee stings and wear and tear from the bark of trees while climbing and crawling during the harvesting process to ensure safety and personal protection for honey harvesters. Hence, the fabric chosen should be durable enough, so canvas cloth is chosen as the material. An industrial hard hat had also been integrated to ensure the safety of the skull area. The need for cleaning the suit after every honey collection was taken into account in the design process. The design had evolved to ensure smooth working and the safety of the personnel, who climbed several beehives one after another without compromising on comfort.

Initial ideas with mockups were made, and further feedback from actual users was obtained. Prototype testing with the mock-ups helped refine the concept. Based on the feedback received from the harvesters, some ideas were taken forward to develop them as concepts with features like quick fixing of canvas with the helmet, lightweight and durability, ease of washing, and ease of manufacturing. Anthropometric measurements of three sizes (small, medium, and large) were adopted during fabrication. A full protective suit was made for demonstration, and constructive feedback was received. The project was useful in the field of wild honey harvesting to raise awareness of safety and self-protection while carrying out the harvesting process.