Sustainable Application and Evaluation of the Novel Stingray Model in Non-Heritage Packaging: The Case of Clay Sculptures in Joon County

Featured Application: This study is based on the innovative Stingray model, combining perception engineering, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the TOPSIS method to establish a systematic and scientific design process for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) product packaging. Taking the packaging design of Henan county-level clay sculptures as an example, the study achieved innovation and sustainable development in packaging design, enhancing design efficiency and the rationality of design solutions. This method promotes the deep integration of generative tools with traditional design, facilitates the application of eco-friendly materials (such as wheat straw), effectively reduces the carbon footprint, and enhances product competitiveness and cultural value. The model demonstrates good versatility and is applicable to green packaging design for other intangible cultural heritage and handicrafts, supporting the modernization and sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage. Generative tools often lack the guidance of scientific design methods in the design of non-heritage products. This study proposes a new Stingray model, which collects perceptual vocabularies of modeling and other aspects by integrating the perceptual engineering method to clarify the design direction and establishes the design objectives by ranking the importance of the vocabularies using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) hierarchical analysis method. Taking the Joon County clay sculpture as an example, this study uses generative tools to achieve the innovation of packaging patterns, selects sustainable materials such as straw to complete the sustainable non-heritage packaging design, and verifies its feasibility using the TOPSIS method. The results show that the new Stingray model effectively integrates multiple design methods and solves the subjectivity and feasibility deficiencies of a single model. Meanwhile, the system-guided generative tool significantly improved design efficiency and simplified program adjustment. This study provides theoretical support for generative tools and opens a new path for the sustainable development of non-heritage packaging.