Seulbi Kim
Togo burger
Rhode Island School of Design
Togo burger
Its fundamental role is carrying fast food, but it also works as a individual tray when you have it.
The design of Togo burger is simplified to minimize the use of paper, print, and glue, and save space for stacking to store and ship.
Togo burger
Togo burger, made out of 100% recycled paper, is packaging design for take-out burger meal. This is designed to provide a more convenient way for fast food industry as well as its customers with compact carrier for a take-out burger meal consisted of a burger, french-fries, and soda. Its fundamental role is carrying fast food, but it also works as a individual tray when you have it. The design of Togo burger is simplified to minimize the use of paper, print, and glue, and save space for stacking to store and ship.
2. The Brief: Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the context for the project, and what was the challenge posed to you?People nowadays tend to more rely on having take-out food because their eating habit has changed due to their busy life. However, despite the fact that a number of take-out containers have been designed, packages for take-out burger meal are not really developed so far. When we buy a take-out burger meal at any of fast food restaurants, we are all given one paper bag for a burger and french-fries, and a soda cup, which make our hands full. We can even get a plastic bag to try to put all of these in a single bag, but it does not still satisfy people's needs as soda drink is not available to put inside of the bag. Therefore, I thought that there was an opportunity to change this current unpractical way of packaging into more efficient and convenient way
3. The Intent: What point of view did you bring to the project, and were there additional criteria that you added to the brief?When I observed customers ordering take-out food at fast food restaurants, most of them seemed not to recognize any inconvenience in terms of take-out packages. However, I could see that some of them were suffered with their hands full due to lots of things in hand including a burger meal bag, a soda cup, and other belongings they already had. This phenomenon can cause not only inconvenience of hands full but also wasting materials since there are unnecessarily lots of papers and plastic bags are used for take out packages, which generate enormous waste and environmental pollutions. As a result, I tried to think about packages which can minimize materials used, maximize efficiency, and provide convenience for customers as well as for the fast food industry.
4. The Process: Describe the rigor that informed your project. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) What stakeholder interests did you consider? (Audience, business, organization, labor, manufacturing, distribution, etc., as applicable)After I got an insight from fast food packaging area through observation and some interviews, I visited a packaging firm, Mono die cutting co.inc in Providence RI, in order to experience and understand the process of packaging manufacturing in the real industrial field. This experience helped me to understand whole process of manufacturing from paper cutting and scoring to paper folding. Based on this knowledge from the real field, I tried to design packages which can be mass produced. Togo burger packaging can provide space and time saving to the fast food industry with its simpler and shortened packing way compared to that today, and its flat shape. Also, customers who take out a burger meal can enjoy its convenience.
5. The Value: How does your project earn its keep in the world? What is its value? What is its impact? (Social, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, environmental, cultural, gladdening, etc.)Togo burger carrier reduces the volume by about 50% compared to that today because its simplified design to minimize the amount of paper used with a small hook for french-fries, a sleeve for a burger, and a hole for soda drink. It makes people carry it easier, and materials more saved. It is convenient, practical, and compact, so your hands can be more free by holding all in one.
This is really “thinking outside the box”!
It addresses a number of constraints like multiple packages contained in one and is useful for both liquid and solid foods.
As this solution does not hide the products (like a paper bag), it reinforces the product image, still allowing for strong branding. We appreciate the simplicity, functionality, minimum use of material and comprehensive design for an object that will be thrown away.