Assignment 3: Re-designing a lunch box (the Indian dabba).
Group members:
Anchana
Aishwarya
Muttu, from DRISHYA
Shruti &
me, Sidharta
Target consumers: The middle-class office going man and his household.
The present dabba design has been the same for quite a while now.
Ease of transport and usage has significantly outwaved its flaws.
(Image courtesy - Vinodsteel.com)
A Dabbawala with the dabbas he is scheduled to deliver.
(Image courtesy - Wikimedia.org)
Shortcomings of the traditional dabba :
1. The cylindrical construction is not the best for transportation
2. The lock mechanism holding the dabbas together wear out with usage.
3. Considerable spillage occurs due to the shape of the dabba compartments and its arrangement while eating.
4. Space is wasted during storage of the dabba or when there is not as much food present.
What we came up with - Process and ideas.
We began our discussion and concept sketches during recess. Having dabbas from our respective mess really helped in visualizing
what we wanted to improve upon. Communication was not an issue as Anchana spoke fluent Tamil and so did Muttu.
Ideas :
1. The Stackable Plate Dabba.
To begin with, the stackable factor of the dabba is retained while we changed its form from a cylinder to a vertical cuboid.
This helps in transportation as the dabbas fit snugly.
The walls of each compartment has magnetic points which lets the different compartments come together as one.
The compartment separators too fit magnetically to form a plate to eat out of.
It comes with an insulated cover to keep the food hot.
The magnetic points may however attract unwanted objects, specially in an office environment.
2. Crushable lunch box
This was the idea we finally settled on. The crushable dabba can be easily stored when not in use.
A screw lock system allows you to attach as many compartments as you want.
An easy twist and lock feature greatly reduces torsional force.
Cleaning might be a minor issue due to the angular nature of the form.
