Airless & Refillable Containers
Designed to work seamlessly with the CO.8 Custom Cosmetic Creator, the Pump & Compact Container system demonstrates how thoughtful hardware design can deliver both premium user experiences and cost-efficient, scalable solutions.
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The project began with a clear need: an airless container system that could preserve formulas longer while improving overall product performance. At Unbox, we translated this into a manufacturable, system-driven solution balancing innovation with practical considerations such as cost, production, and long-term use.
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The resulting Pump and Compact Containers combine reusable hardware with biodegradable consumables, reducing waste while creating a more efficient and margin-conscious product model. This approach extends the product lifecycle, simplifies logistics, and supports scalable production.
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Engineered for precision and ease of use, each device delivers consistent performance in a compact, portable form. By integrating user-focused features such as secure locking, modular components, and ergonomic design the system enhances usability while minimizing complexity.
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For startups and growing companies, CO.8 serves as a case study in how integrated design, engineering, and product architecture can reduce costs, improve scalability, and create high-value, defensible hardware products.
bACKGROUND
CO.8 reimagines cosmetic creation with its at-home Cosmetic Creator giving users full control while enabling a more efficient, scalable product system. The Pump and Compact Containers were designed as part of this ecosystem, with a focus on manufacturability, cost efficiency, and long-term use.
Using an airless, refillable architecture, the system preserves formulas while separating reusable hardware from consumables, reducing waste and lowering long-term production costs.
Beyond performance, the containers maintain a premium, user-focused design demonstrating that cost-efficient hardware solutions can still deliver high-quality experiences.
Design for Manufacturing (Dfm)
From the earliest stages, every component is designed with manufacturability and cost efficiency in mind. At Unbox Product Design, we focus on the critical details that directly impact production, reducing part count, simplifying assembly, leveraging standardized or off-the-shelf components, and optimizing geometries for tooling and molding.
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By integrating DFM principles early such as draft angles, minimized undercuts, consistent wall thickness, and simulation-driven validation we reduce complexity, lower tooling and production costs, and accelerate time to market.
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For founders and growing companies, this approach ensures products are not only functional and well-designed, but also scalable, cost-effective to produce, and positioned for long-term profitability.
Visualization
Every detail of CO.8 was developed with intention, aligning product design and brand strategy from the outset. Rather than treating branding as a later-stage effort, we created high-quality visual assets such as photorealistic renderings and animations early in the process to support both development and go-to-market needs.
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These assets serve multiple functions: enabling faster decision-making, improving communication, and doubling as marketing content across websites, campaigns, and investor materials. By integrating product and brand development, we reduce redundant work, accelerate time to market, and lower overall costs.
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For founders and growing companies, this approach demonstrates how aligning design, engineering, and branding early can create a cohesive product story, strengthen market positioning, and maximize return on development investment.
pROTOTYPING
Using rapid prototyping technologies including 3D printing, CNC machining, and vacuum casting we iteratively build, test, and refine designs with a focus on speed, cost efficiency, and manufacturability. Each prototype is evaluated for performance, usability, fit, and construction, allowing us to identify issues early and reduce costly changes later in development.
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By validating tolerances, mechanical function, and part design throughout the process and supplementing simulations with real-world testing we minimize risk, improve reliability, and streamline the path to production.
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This approach reduces development costs, shortens timelines, and ensures products are optimized for both performance and scalable manufacturing.
Engineering
The CO.8 Airless Containers demonstrate how thoughtful engineering can deliver both premium user experiences and cost-efficient, scalable hardware solutions. Traditionally limited to single-use consumables, airless systems were reimagined as a reusable architecture reducing waste while extending product lifecycle and improving margins.
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At Unbox Product Design, we redesigned internal mechanisms, part construction, and the separation of reusable and consumable components to create a more efficient system. This includes proprietary airless valve technology that ensures precise dispensing, extends formula shelf life, and maintains product quality.
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CO.8 illustrates how strategic engineering and system-level thinking can reduce long-term costs, improve sustainability, and create differentiated, high-value products.
Concept Development
The Pump and Compact are integral to a cohesive product ecosystem, designed for both performance and scalability. Each serves a distinct use case: the Pump for at-home use and the Compact for portability.
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Both were conceived to balance user experience with manufacturability, minimizing complexity, part count, and cost while ensuring reliable performance. Every detail aligns function with brand positioning, demonstrating how thoughtful design can deliver premium experiences efficiently.
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For founders and growing companies, this approach highlights how connected products can strengthen user experience, reduce costs, and build a scalable, cohesive brand system.
