Grippa Clip

Overview

Grippa 1, led by Principal Investigator Lorraine Gamman with Research Assistants Marcus Willcocks and Jackie Piper, received AHRC funding between 2004-2006, with additional support from the Metropolitan Police and the councils of Westminster, Camden, and Islington. The project researched the effectiveness of the Chelsea Clip, an anti-theft device for hanging bags under tables in bars. Early research identified several design issues and criminal techniques that limited its use. Collaborating with the Metropolitan Police and the councils, a new design, the Grippa Clip, was developed to address these issues. 

Grippa 2, led by Paul Ekblom with Co-Investigators Lorraine Gamman and Kate Bowers from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at University College London, was linked to the AHRC-funded Turning the Tables on Crime project. The Design Against Crime Research Centre (DACRC), in partnership with the UCL Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science and Elisava School of Design (Barcelona), worked with bars in London (JD Wetherspoon) and Barcelona (Glaciar and Horiginal) to assess the usability of the latest DAC bag hanging Grippa design prototypes. This assessment focused on both bar customers and staff. 

Outputs

During the 2008-2009 period, four bag hanging objects and five graphic communication proposals were tested to gauge public response across the cultures of London and Barcelona. The results aimed to inform the final design round for crime prevention effectiveness. 

The clips were trialed in partnership with JD Wetherspoon and All Bar One, which led to further improvements in the anti-theft clip design and the development of additional measures, including communication and service designs for the hospitality industry. Evaluative mechanisms were also established to measure the design's effectiveness. 

In 2010-2011, the latest version of the Grippa clips was trialed in collaboration with the Design Council, British Transport Police, and a major café retailer, yielding very positive results.