Sugru... Material Science FTW!
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I was searching for a better alternative to the options I was familiar with for mouth guards (if you missed it, I’ve recently gotten into roller derby). Something that let me talk and drink— I was considering going to a dentist and getting something professional made. But I’m cheap, and I don’t really like dentists… Eventually I ran across something that I think is pretty cool.
Bakery Nouveau came to the table with a complaint. Their customers would leave with a cake in a standard cake box (you know, those plain square ones). But because the box was so awkward to carry, they’d inevitably tuck it under an arm to open doors and carry purses… Then when they’d get home, some of them were astounded to find their cake had slid, crashing into the side of the box and losing its beauty. Shock!
Though originally tasked to just throw a sticker on a standard box, after some consideration, I decided I could solve this problem. So I was inspired to design the prototype shown here. There are 2 primary design features that make it superior to existing box designs 1. The handle. You can carry it and still have one free hand. 2. It folds completely flat, so when you get the cake home, you don’t have any issue getting to the treats inside. (Added bonus, they stack flat!)
These boxes were designed in several aspect ratios, including one with the proportions of a lunch box that is capable of holding either a sandwich and chips, or 2 pastries. And yes, they are sturdy! I walked around downtown Seattle with a 12” cake and no problem at all.
The jury is still out on production, because the client is only looking at a small run, production costs are higher than they were looking to spend. One possibility I’ve been considering is creating a series with “generic” graphics and selling the boxes on their own. But it depends on whether or not there is interest.
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