This document summarizes market research conducted to identify opportunities to redesign office stationary. Surveys of banking and office workers found that staplers are among the most costly and wasteful products used. The proposed redesign is a stapler that does not use staples, saving money and resources. Research included disassembling an existing staple-less stapler for inspiration. The target market is professional offices, and the new stapler aims to staple many pages comfortably while being sustainable through design for disassembly and recycling with few parts.

1. Market Research
Catherine Broadhurst and Daniel Marshall

2. Storyboard identifying a new need:
After looking into professional working environments, we have found that the stapler does not work very
well for the user. A very effective product for holding documents together, however it can be improved, as
shown.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

3. STAPLED STAPLER

4. Advantages:
• Clean and sleek design.
• Suitable for target market.
• Doesn’t take up too much space
on the users desk.
• Simple design; not too complex for
use.
Existing Products on the Market:
We have researched a wide range of products, some primary and others secondary for comparing market
prices, advantages and disadvantages for further product development of our concepts.
Disadvantages:
• Heavy as it uses a lot of plastic and
metal.
• A lot of materials used in the
design assembly; thus harder to
manufacturer.
• Constant refill of staples
R.R.P: £1.00
R.R.P: £50.00
Advantages:
• Automatic stapling.
• Can connect to the computer or
run of batteries.
• Robust design.
• Uses staples, but can hold extra,
so refills are less.
Disadvantages:
• Extremely difficult to design and
manufacture.
• Constant refill of staples.
• Very technical for a stapler product.
• Very expensive; the high price of this
product would cause consumers to
make cheaper purchases, such as
the £1.00 staplers often found in
supermarkets or stationary stores
such as WHSmith.

5. Reverse engineering of an existing product:
Reverse engineering looks at the assembly, manufacture and design of a product. We have disassembled
an existing product for research, and have also analysed the product known as the staplless stapler for
inspiration for our concept development.

6. The Stapler Product – general aspects:
• The purpose of this product is to join documents together.
• Rotating staple base for different staple backs.
• Grip base to prevent the product from sliding/slipping of the desk.
• Wider top so its easier to staple.
• Lightweight.
• Sold in a range of professional colours.
On line issues and what they are:
• Uncomfortable to use/operate.
• Difficult to use in its primary purpose, (on a desk/surface).
• General size; some too big/small.
• Safety; can be dangerous when reloading the device, (tension of spring).
OFF line issues and what they are:
• The base; not many users use the product whilst placed on a surface, instead, it is usually picked up
and used in the air.
• It’s unattractive aesthetically and functionally.
• Weight; some staplers are high in mass when handling.

7. STAPLE-LESS STAPLER

8. R.R.P: £1.00
Advantages:
• Uses no staples.
• Small, not very many parts.
• Simple product, yet effective.
• Doesn’t take up much room on
the desk.
• Sold in a range of colours; suited
for all users, professional or
novelty.
Disadvantages:
• Although easy to use, it requires a lot
of pressure to staple through paper
because of the strong springs in the
core of the product.
• Can only staple up to 5 pieces of
paper before falling apart.
• Easily breakable.
Existing Products on the Market:

9. The Staplless Stapler:
BOM:
Part Material Process Quantity
Main Body ABS IM 1
Staple
Platform
ABS IM 1
Base ABS IM 1
Screws Nickel
plated
steel
Screw
Machine
1
Springs Spring
steel
Spring
Machine
3
Top ABS IM 1
Mechanis
m Storer
ABS IM 1
knife Spring
steel
Punched
and
pressed
1
Cutter Steel MIM 1

10. The Staplless Stapler Product – general aspects:
• The purpose of this product is to join documents together.
• It uses NO staples, just PAPER!
• Lightweight.
• Sold in a range of professional colours.
• Small and simple.
On line issues and what they are:
• Uncomfortable to use/operate.
• Unusual to use; press hard with fingers, however easier with the palm of
hand.
• General size; some too small.
• Can only hold 5 pieces of paper maximum.
OFF line issues and what they are:
• The base; not many users use the product whilst placed on a surface,
instead, it is usually picked up and used in the air.
• Small and easy to lose.

11. With the use of springs, human interaction and 2 small components stapling with staples is
completely erased. The product respects costs in manufacturing, its simple to design and is eco-
friendly. This product is an excellent example of sustainable functionality.

12. PRIMARY RESEARCH

13. Market Research
 Our market research was done by
using a questionnaire/survey on
workers from 2 large banking groups,
Lloyds and Bank of America. We did
ethnographic research on admin
workers at Morrison's as due to
security we could not go into the
banks. We also conducted an
interview with the ex head of
Ecommerce of Bank of America who
was also an Assistant Vice President
of the corporation.

14. Survey Results
 Our main respondents where test
consultants, managers and admin staff.
The most used and useful items were
paper, pens and staplers with the most
wasteful and costly being staplers and
paper. The main influence on purchasing
is the function.
 From this we can conclude that staplers
are one of the most costly and wasteful
products but an important one in the
office.

15. Product Design Brief
 Our aim is to redesign an item of office stationary so that it is more
sustainable and responds to user needs.
 Through market research we have found that one of the most wasteful
and costly products are staplers and other methods of joining paper
together.
 The need that we have identified is the need for a new type of stapler
that doesn’t use staples and so saving money and environmental
resources. The market for this product is professional offices such as
banks, financial offices and administration offices. The target user is
aged between 25 to 40, male and female but will be suitable for all
users.
 The aesthetical element of this product will be smart and professional
but with a bit of colour. However the function is the main priority as that
is what influences purchases the most. It will be able to staple a large
number of papers as this in a key issue with current products and it
must also be comfortable to hold and grip.
 A key element of the product is it must be sustainable. To do this, it will
be designed with assembly and disassembly in mind so it can be
recycled effectively and efficiently. As it will not have staples, it will
eliminate the need for repeat purchases, and as it will be a sustainable
product it will have few parts so therefore reducing the amount of
materials used and the environmental impact of the product.