Bento

Bento was a collaborative project between MassArt, Babson College Of Business, while using resources from Olin Engineering.

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What is Bento?

Inspired by the Japanese lunch boxes called bento boxes, we decided to create an all in one product that was easy to use ant to carry from place to place, allowing campers to enjoying outdoor cooking with little to no complications. Bento comes with its own unique fuel source, and temperature controlled storage compartments. To learn more scroll down.

Bento is a unique product that falls between avid outdoors cooking and picnicking.
While conducting interviews with avid campers and non-experienced campers we asked them for their ideal experience. They described is as romantic, authentic, rustic, with unique flavors in the food from wood fuel. Or the various seasonings that would bring out the "outdoor flavors" that they imagined and desired.

Expectation Reality

Expectation

Users described the idea and experience of camping to be ideally authentic, minimal, romantic, and relaxing.

Reality

Users described the actual experience of camping to be stressful, dangerous, disappointing, and often times complicated.

1 Authentic

2 Romantic

3 Stressful

4 Dangerous

Process

The process included primary and secondary research of the experience of cooking outside, hiking, materials, and manufacturing. Along with making many quick prototypes to understand ergonomics and usage. Finally making a prototype that would work and ideally look like our finished product.

Research

Prototyping

Testing

Development

Common Problems: While camping food storage turned out to be one of the most common problems. Not enough storage, too many bags to carry, never can find anything because of all the bags.

Solution: To create an all in one product divided into sections so everything has a place, with the grill stacked on top.