Project Overview

Project Overview

Flora is an eight-piece picnic-inspired dinnerware collection designed to bring a more elevated and intentional experience to outdoor dining. The project explores how thoughtful form, pattern, color, and material choices can transform traditional picnic dinnerware while still maintaining the functionality needed for outdoor use. I wanted to create a collection that felt playful and approachable without sacrificing a sense of sophistication.

The collection features a cohesive set of plates, bowls, cups, and serving pieces that were designed to work individually while creating a unified visual language when used together. Organic forms, soft colors, and coordinating patterns give the collection its distinct character, while lightweight, shatter-resistant polycarbonate makes the pieces practical for transporting and using outdoors. The pieces are also designed to nest together, allowing the full collection to be stored and carried compactly.

Problem Statement:

“How might we design a lightweight, nesting, and compact dinnerware collection that elevates the visual and functional experience of outdoor picnicking and
excites users?”

Current Market

Outdoor dinnerware often prioritizes practicality, resulting in products that can feel utilitarian or visually generic. Flora explores an opportunity to bring a more elevated and cohesive aesthetic to outdoor dining while maintaining the portability and durability needed for use on the go.

Design Opportunity: Design an outdoor dinnerware collection that balances portability and durability with a more elevated, intentional aesthetic.

Visual Aesthetic

I developed a visual direction inspired by organic forms, playful pattern, and soft color, creating a balance between functionality and a more elevated outdoor dining experience.

Organic shapes

Floral/natural references

Soft pinks and pastels

Outdoor dining

Transparency

Repeating pattern

Stacking

Concept Ideation

I explored a range of organic and geometric forms, experimenting with proportions, silhouettes, and pattern combinations to develop a cohesive visual language across the collection.

Concept Refinement

The strongest concepts were refined to create a cohesive collection while balancing form, proportion, pattern, and functionality. I refined the individual pieces together to ensure they felt connected as a complete dinnerware set.

Final Collection

Flora Dinnerware is an eight-piece collection designed for stylish outdoor dining. The pieces are made from light pink polycarbonate, creating a lightweight and shatter-resistant solution that is easy to transport and suited to outdoor use.