LunchPal Lunchbox
Create a Lunchbox for 3rd-5th graders who pack their own lunch.
Initial Research
I first began by researching products preexisting on the market. I found that lunchboxes were either hardshell and with pre-sectioned areas, or soft fabric material with one big compartment.
I then also researched what preexisting items kids are taking to school with them already. Some that stood out were:
Pencil Case
Water bottle
Folders and/or binders
Outerwear depending on the weather
After talking to parents and peers who reminisced on their childhood two issues become clear;
The soft fabric lunchboxes didn’t protect the food well enough but were easy to place in a backpack
The hardshell lunchboxes with sections sometimes didn’t hold enough food and also were sometimes hard to fit in a backpack
From there I developed the needs and challenges of the user
Insulating
Easy to hold
Lightweight
Durable during transportation
Stylish
Seals well and easily
Before I began Ideating I had to remember…
This user is packing their lunch by themselves or with minimal help
Ideations
Final Concept
Physical Model
Why?
This concept along with having fun visuals, has a semi-hard shell. The LunchPal is fully insulated on all sides. The back of LunchPal, the top, and the bottom have hard plastic sandwiched between them. The sides are still soft to allow for easier storage capabilities. The buckle on the handle allows for LunchPal to be clipped to the side of the backpack. LunchPal also has two separate areas to pack food. On one side there is a soft divider. The other has no dividers in case a container needs to be packed with lunch. These separate sides are meant to help users still learn to pack their lunch neatly and efficiently.