Lucas Barnes

Circular Product Designer

About Me

ProfileDesign EthosDesign Process

Highlight Work

'UniPrep' Portable Meal SystemCactus-Skin Wallets'Treevas' Sustainable ClothingCrafting & Materials ExplorationVisual Storytelling Practice

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'UniPrep' Portable Meal System

M

ost portable food containers available fall into one of two categories: keeping solids like sandwiches cold, or keeping liquids like soups hot. What if one container—with the right accessories—could do it all? The 'UniPrep' set has insulated containers with lids, inserts to divide your meals, and  'cores' inserted into the container to control the temperature of your meal on-the-go. Designed for the busy student or worker. Download project presentation.

Contribution: All My Work
Timeline: 8 Weeks
Material: Digital
Date Completed: October 2024
Association: CMU School of Design

'Core'-Based Heating/Cooling

1 — Choose

Hot Core heats the container with the press of a button, freeing the user from their reliance on the nearest microwave, charged via USB-C. Cold Core keeps food cold all day.

2 — Insert

'Cores' insert into the bottom of the container, held there by magnets and friction.

3 — Turn It On

Heat/cold from cores reaches stored food first, traversing many twists and turns to reach the exterior, providing excellent insulation and temp. control.

Designed for Manufacturing (DFM) and Assembly (DFA)

1 — Materials

Each material and their thickness was researched and chosen for cost-effectiveness, longevity, and insulative properties.

2 — Production

Manufacturing methods were researched and chosen for cost-effectiveness and easy of assembly.

3 — Assembly

Each metallic layer is welded together along each adjoined edge. The circular rubber piece is manually inserted and held via friction. The divider insert and lid are not adhered, depicted for representation of use.

In-Depth User Research

Online Survey and Data Analysis

42 students across CMU responded to my survey, giving me insights into habits and opinions busy students hold with their meal prep experience.

‍See here a scan of my physical notation over the printed survey results next to some data analysis and inspiration photos.

Whiteboard system diagram of the user's daily experience

Hard-copy documentation of target audience, user persona, and "scenario"

Sustainability — Designed To Last A Lifetime

A

fter researching, I took to the whiteboard and began brainstorming concepts, recognizing an opportunity to apply circular design principles to this product space. Many respondents said they had to buy many kinds of containers, and they all hated using plastic and the microwave for the associated health risks. My goal was

to identity the highest-quality, non-plastic, food-grade materials and design an integrated temperature control apparatus. I ignored cost constraints, vowing that this product would be considered a 'buy it for life' product, wherein the quality and modularity allows the product to change as the customer's needs and culinary preferences change over time.