PIEROGI POUCH
The carrying pouch-place mat
My classmate and I developed the Pierogi Pouch, a portable pouch-place mat. This product transforms from a pierogi-shaped carrying compartment that holds eating utensils and napkins into a circular place mat, creating a portable dining space.
Guided by research on sustainability and ideas from the book "Meaningful Stuff" by Johnathan Chapman, the Pierogi Pouch aims to address current issues with packed lunches like soggy napkins, dirtied desks, and food residue in lunch boxes from dirty silverware.
Crafted from reclaimed materials from classmates and faculty in the Department of Design, this product keeps utensils organized during transportation and reduces the hassles that come with packed lunches.
This product was developed for and sold at OSU's Sixth Annual Winter Market in our Department of Design. To learn more about the event click here.
Materials: Reclaimed bus seat vinyl, HDPE plastic bags, Fabric scraps, Thread
MARKET RESEARCH
To determine the cost of each Perogi Pouch, we conducted a market analysis of related home goods like pillows and placemats. We positioned the Pierogi Pouch as an instrumental, lighthearted product and charged $25 per purchase.
PROCESS
My team received three "actionable insights" based on research from a group of classmates. These insights were intended to guide our concept development and early design iterations. They are shown below:
We proposed the following two concepts in front of a panel of design professionals. They determined that we would move forward with the Pierogi Pouch (formerly idea 3). This was for the best as our limited production timeframe and budget of $100, the Couch Companion (formerly idea 2) was not realistic.
Inspired by the book "Meaningful Stuff" by Jonathan Chapman, my team decided to integrate multiple sustainable design-related ideas like "urban mines", community support, and designing for the "inner self". We sourced plastic bags, secondhand clothes and fabric, thread, and tools from our communities; local stores, friends, family, and Ohio State faculty.
Then we cut, sewed, and packaged the pouches.
And, of course, a selfie of my teammate and me selling our Pierogi Pouches!
