Caroline Francis

Dr Caroline Francis

Program Manager and Senior Lecturer of Industrial Design (Honours)

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Contact details

School of Design

Fight Food Waste CRC

Email: caroline.francis@rmit.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne City

 

Programs

 IBH104 - Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours)

More information

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Black and white profile photo of Caroline Francis looking just beyond the camera, against a solid white background

Contact details

School of Design

Fight Food Waste CRC

Email: caroline.francis@rmit.edu.au

Campus: Melbourne City

 

Programs

 IBH104 - Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours)

More information

iD icon - ORCID

- Google Scholar

- LinkedIn

Caroline's research focuses on design-led trust perceptions and social behavioural change. Her interests include social innovation, holistic care, cross-cultural research, HCI, save food design, and design for sustainability.

Overview

Caroline is proud to support RMIT School of Design as the acting Industrial Design Program Manager and Early Career Researcher, Lecturer.

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Industry experience

Prior to commencing her PhD on culture variables in consumer trust at the University of Melbourne, she was Capability Development Manager for the Food Innovation Centre of Excellence, an initiative co-founded by Mondelez and the Victorian Government. She has provided design thinking trained workshops in collaboration with CSIRO, Food Innovation Australia Ltd, AsiaLink, AIP, Victorian Agribusiness, Meat Livestock Australia, Mondelez Australia, and University of Melbourne. She has consulted to many local and international clients on new product development projects and supported numerous patents.

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Research

Caroline’s research interests focuses on collaborative, sustainable, innovative, user-centred design approaches. She has published in journals on the themes of design education, HCI, sustainability, food packaging, consumer perceptions, and consumer science fields.

Research keywords

New product development, Innovation management, Cross-cultural perceptions research, Participatory action research, Strength based learning, Design for sustainability, Food packaging design, Design-led trust strategies

Research output summary

20

Publications

4

Grants and Scholarships

5

Awards

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Supervisor interest areas

  • New product development (NPD)
  • Consumer research-driven designs
  • Design for sustainability
  • Design business management
  • Design education
  • Design for Holistic care and wellbeing
  • Design for Healthcare
  • Food Packaging Design
  • Applied or embedded technologies
  • Design-deterrents for Anticounterfeiting
  • User-Centred Design
  • Consumer science or Consumer perceptions research.

Supervisor projects

  • Consumer behaviours, plate waste and doggy bags: An analysis in promoting postive behaviour change through design intervention to reduce plate waste in out-of-home contexts.
  • Second Pancreas Project: Supportive care for patients with diabetes

Feature publications

Effects of Packaging Design on Sensory Liking and Willingness to Purchase: A study using novel chocolate packaging designs

Heliyon, Elsevier, Pangborn; 5(6)

Gunaratne, N.M., Fuentes, S., Gunaratne, T.M., Torrico, D.D., Francis, C., Ashman, H., Gonzalez Viejo, C., Dunshea, F.R. (2019).

The Role of Packaging in Fighting Food Waste: A systematised review of consumer perceptions of packaging

Journal of Cleaner Production

Brennan, L., Langley, S., Verghese, K., Lockrey, S., Ryder, M., Francis, C., Phan-Le, N.T. Hill, A. (2020).

The Wicked Problem of Packaging and Consumers: Innovative Approaches for Sustainability Research

Muthu S.S. (eds) Sustainable Packaging. Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes

Brennan L. et al. (2021).

Key publications by year

Expand all sections

  • Francis, C., Ashman, H., Dunshea, F. (2018) Chinese Perceived Trust of Security Elements: Applied to Australian red-meat packaging, 64th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, Melbourne, Australia.

  • Francis, C. (2006) How Information Retrieval Systems Impact on Designers Searching Strategies: Within the Early Stages of the Design process, Masters by Research thesis, Queensland University of Technology. Brisbane. Australia.

  • Francis, C., Bucolo, S., (2005) Designers Search Strategies Influenced by Information Retrieval Systems: Within the early stages of the design process, In Redmond, J, Durling, D, & de Bono, A (Eds.) Futureground, Monash University. Melbourne. Australia.

  • Francis, C., (2004) Designers Search Strategies influenced by the Interaction with Information Retrieval Systems, In Masoodian, M, Jones, S. (Eds), 6th Asia Pacific Human Interaction conference proceedings, Rotorua, New Zealand.
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Feature projects

Research and design strategies to deter design counterfeiting

Funding - $10,000 industry-sponsored

1 month

Applying the design process to map e-commerce vulnerabilities for exporting Australian Businesses

Funding - $5,000

Multiple Workshops

Packaging innovation concept developments for the application of colour changing polymer inks to indicate authenticity of product

Funding - $5,000

1 month

Key projects by year

Expand all sections

  • Fight Food Waste CRC 1.2.1. Save Food Packaging Guidelines
    In partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging, RMIT and the Fight Food Waste CRC
    Verghese, K., Lockrey, S., Francis, C., and Ryder, M.
    2019 - 2021
  • Fight Food Waste CRC 1.2.2. Consumer Perceptions of the Role of Packaging in Reducing Food Waste
    In partnership with Woolworths, Sustainability Australia, RMIT, Victorian State Government, and the Fight Food Waste CRC
    Verghese, K., Lockrey, S., Francis, C., and Ryder, M.
    2019 - 2021

  • Mapping RMIT Capabilities in Design for Social Innovation
    Internally funded
    Francis, C., Vaughan, L. Internally funded
    2019, 3 months

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Awards

RMIT School of Design Teaching Award

Recipients: Caroline Francis

Vice Chancellor's Honours List Award

Recipients: Caroline Francis

DIA Queensland Design Institute of Australia, Best Student Design Award

Recipients: Caroline Francis

Key awards

  • RMIT School of Design Teaching Peer Award
  • Vice Chancellor's Honours List Award
  • DIA Queensland Design Institute of Australia, Best Student Design Award
  • Sydney Object Design Competition Finalist Award
  • Pro-E Calendar Selected Design 3D CAD Best Practice Award
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Grants

  • Fight Food Waste CRC 1.2.1.
    Save Food Packaging Guidelines
    In partnership with the Australian Institute of Packaging, RMIT and the Fight Food Waste CRC
    Verghese, K., Lockrey, S., Francis, C., and Ryder, M.
    2019 - 2021
  • Fight Food Waste CRC 1.2.2.
    Consumer Perceptions of the Role of Packaging in Reducing Food Waste
    In partnership with Woolworths, Sustainability Australia, RMIT and the Fight Food Waste CRC
    Verghese, K., Lockrey, S., Francis, C., and Ryder, M.
    2019 - 2021
  • $70,000 Industry Growth Grant
    includes a feasibility research report on entry into China and Japan markets
  • $7 Million Delivering quality assured Australian Honey Bee Products
    The Australian Government Community Grants Hub (ACT)
  • Supporting the anti-counterfeiting design workshop and training material for Australian honey bee farmers and researchers
    Grant Number 4-EJEGPFF
    2019 (3 years)
  • Research Training Program Scholarship
    University of Melbourne (Melbourne, VIC)
    2017 to 2019 Grant Number: RTP000
  • Owen J Wordsworth Scholarship
    DIISR APA (Brisbane, QLD)
    Grant: APAOJW
    2002-2004 
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Public and media engagements

2019

2018

  • Francis, C., Ashman, H., Dunshea, F.R. (2018) Chinese perceived trust of security elements applied to Australian red-meat packaging, 64th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology. Melbourne. Australia.
  • Francis, C., and Ashman, H., (2018) How to Gain Consumer Trust, Meat Livestock Australia (MLA), Digital Forum, Canberra A.C.T, November 2018.

2017

  • Francis, C., (2017) Packaging Innovation and Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies, Food Innovation Centre (FIAL) and Private Label, Industry Workshop, Dandenong City Council, August 2017.
  • Francis, C., and Weber, K., (2017) Responding to the Consumer: Smart Packaging and Design Strategies that Strengthen Consumer Confidence, CSIRO and University of Melbourne Joint Presentation, Victorian AgriBusiness Summit, Industry Workshop, August 2017.
  • Francis, C., (2017) Validation Options for Anti-Counterfeiting, Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Convention, July 2017.
  • Francis, C., and Ashman, H., (2017) Anti-Counterfeiting, e-Commerce and the Export Market Consumer, National Technical Forums, ID Innovation and Design Segment, AIP Conference, March 2017.

2016

  • Francis, C., (2016) Pack Innovation and Anti-Counterfeiting, Asialink and Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) Industry Workshop, October 2016.
  • Francis, C., (2016) Design Thinking and eCommerce: Understanding your export opportunity, Greater Shepperton Regional Council, University of Melbourne Dookie Campus Victoria, April 2016.
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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

More information