Product Design case study · 03 / 10

Rays: Food Crate

A bodega-inspired food delivery crate, built from cardboard during my summer program at Parsons in New York City. RAY · 201-NYC · 2nd Ave #1.

Discipline

Product Design

Year

2026

Role

Lead Designer

Studio

Suri Design Co.

The challenge

If Ray's bodega had its own food delivery crate, what would it look like?

The approach

Turn the look and fonts of a New York corner shop into a sturdy cardboard carrier, inspired by Joe Coffee's thermal dispensing box.

Design process & development.

Phase 01

Inspiration

As an international student at The New School (Parsons), I relied on bodegas for drinks, snacks and supplies. At Ray's, I noticed a staircase leading to a small basement with tools like hammers and screwdrivers on the ground. The shape of Joe Coffee's thermal dispensing crate guided the form.

Phase 02

Sketching

My first drawing was a rough design for a toolbox. The second kept the same idea but turned it into a portable food delivery crate.

Phase 03

Graphic poster

I made a poster mapping the elements of a bodega. It taught me how much fonts matter, so I collected the ones I saw on my visits and worked them into the product.

Phase 04

Final sketch

The poster shaped the final sketch, bringing the storefront, signage and lettering into one crate.

Phase 05

Construction

I built the crate out of cardboard using techniques from my Parsons Product Design course. Interlocking cardboard joints make the whole structure sturdy.