Pierogi Pouch
a placemat-carrying pouch
Packing lunches can be a huge hassle, from dirtied silverware to messy desks at work. The Pierogi Pouch eliminates these issues, making lunch time cleaner and more enjoyable. Sized to fit silverware, chopsticks, and napkins, the pouch is small enough to fit in a lunchbox or backpack. When opened, the recycled plastic interior becomes a placemat and can be easily wiped down, keeping desks and lunchboxes residue-free.
[Physical sustainability]
Making lunchtime more sustainable.
Disciplines
Design research, industrial design, sustainability
Collaborators
Mark Celestina
"Product experiences that are deeper and richer need to go beyond pleasant, one-dimensional encounters."
-Johnathan Chapman
Family. Food. Ritual.
Sustainability is both physical (materials used) and experiential (how long it is used). Pulling from research in experience design, the Pierogi Pouch enhances the experiential dimension of sustainability by transforming the daily ritual of packing lunch into a meaningful moment of connection. It serves as a “connection zone,” where small, everyday gestures—like the notes my parents left in my lunchbox when I was a kid—carry as much emotional weight as more novel expressions of care.
[Experiential sustainability]
Market research
Where is there a gap in the market?
Ideation
Exploration of portable forms
Material experimentation
Mockup testing
Materials
Plastic grocery bags
Vinyl bus seats
Second-hand fabrics
Thread
Clothing Iron
Fabrication
Sanitize materials
Heat press plastic bags
Cut trim and handle from second-hand fabric (1, 3)
Cut pouch exterior from bus seat vinyl (2, 5)
Cut pouch interior from plastic sheets (4)
Assemble via sewing
