Trays that enabled premium Canadian shopping centres to connect with their patrons in an innovative way.
Services provided:
- Industrial design
- Product life cycle analysis
- Photoreal rendering
- Prototyping
- Manufacturing collaboration
Problem Client Encountered
Our client was looking for a new design that was both user-friendly and fit the current workflow of the existing tray. The original serving tray was hard to clean and made of a material that was not recyclable which meant thousands of trays were destined for the landfill once they reached the end of their useful life.
Project Explanation
Although they may go unnoticed, food service trays are an important part of any fast-food establishment or food court area. We welcomed the challenge when asked to redesign a tray for a major Canadian shopping center developer.
The food-service tray was completely redesigned from the ground up to keep up with end-user expectations and new food safety and recycling guidelines. We worked with the client to develop a tray that was easy to clean, ergonomically friendly, more durable, and completely recyclable once it reached the end of its life cycle. The design also had to meet the size and shape constraints already present in the current workflow.
Multiple designs for the tray were developed in 3D CAD and rendered, as photoreal images to assist with the decision-making process.
One design feature displayed in the rendering gives marketing teams the ability to have messages or graphics embedded in the tray; the new design utilized a form of graphic placement integrated into the manufacturing process otherwise known as in-mold labeling.
Typically printed graphics, where the ink sits on top of the plastic, would not work; the ink could potentially wear off with use or the cleaning of the trays. This innovative embedded graphic is food-safe, hygienic, and durable in the face of hard use and industrial dishwashers. This innovative feature gave the mall’s marketing team a way to communicate with the customer in a new innovative way.
Conetiq collaborated with our customer and the manufacturer to ensure that the design met all the needs of the mass production. This particular product can be seen in some of Canadas most premium shopping centers.
Result
Many premium shopping centers across Canada can be proud to provide their guests with an easy-to-use durable tray that can communicate with guests and is made of 100% recyclable plastic.