Design Brief
This project required me to create a new and unique Happy Meal while maintaining iconic McDonald’s symbols: Golden Arches, Happy Meal smile, McDonald’s brand colors. The project must have a defined target audience and experience. To complete this project, I had to research, iterate, design, illustrate and construct. For my new Happy Meal concept, I chose to do a meal themed after graffiti/street art. To accomplish this I made a main meal container, a cheeseburger container, a fry container, a drink wrap, and a sticker box for the toy portion.
This project required me to create a new and unique Happy Meal while maintaining iconic McDonald’s symbols: Golden Arches, Happy Meal smile, McDonald’s brand colors. The project must have a defined target audience and experience. To complete this project, I had to research, iterate, design, illustrate and construct. For my new Happy Meal concept, I chose to do a meal themed after graffiti/street art. To accomplish this I made a main meal container, a cheeseburger container, a fry container, a drink wrap, and a sticker box for the toy portion.
Challenge
Inspired by common street art and graffiti, this meal is targeted toward children, but appeals to all age ranges. The intent is to teach the consumer of the meal about discovering your own unique creativity via urban street art. Included in the meal is a cheeseburger in a retro, boom-box inspired container, french fries in the normal sleeve, but with a funky twist, a soft drink in a spray paint can-inspired cup, and a box containing graffiti stickers, featuring McDonald’s branding, iconography, and characters, for the consumer to tag their own items. The box also includes a QR code to the McDonald’s website, where they can learn more about street art, and download the McDonald’s app.
Inspired by common street art and graffiti, this meal is targeted toward children, but appeals to all age ranges. The intent is to teach the consumer of the meal about discovering your own unique creativity via urban street art. Included in the meal is a cheeseburger in a retro, boom-box inspired container, french fries in the normal sleeve, but with a funky twist, a soft drink in a spray paint can-inspired cup, and a box containing graffiti stickers, featuring McDonald’s branding, iconography, and characters, for the consumer to tag their own items. The box also includes a QR code to the McDonald’s website, where they can learn more about street art, and download the McDonald’s app.
Role
Research, Graphics, Illustrations, Packaging Redesign
Applications Used
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Procreate
Purpose
Class Project
Happy Meal Container
The front of the box features the title of the experience “Tag & Taste”, and an array of classic McDonald’s characters in urban/street wear, including; Ronald, Birdie, Grimace, and the Hamburglar. The box also includes the included stickers as graffiti on the wall (sides of the box). For the iconic Happy Meal smile branding, I used the same style, but gave it a simple graffiti-style makeover, with accents and shadows.
The front of the box features the title of the experience “Tag & Taste”, and an array of classic McDonald’s characters in urban/street wear, including; Ronald, Birdie, Grimace, and the Hamburglar. The box also includes the included stickers as graffiti on the wall (sides of the box). For the iconic Happy Meal smile branding, I used the same style, but gave it a simple graffiti-style makeover, with accents and shadows.
Hamburger Container
For this box, I wanted to keep the design simple, compared to the outside of the main meal container, but still wanted to incorporate images that went with my theme. Therefore, I chose to design the box after a retro boom-box, and in a way that has a cartoonish, face-like quality, to keep the design playful. To the box, I also added the feature of cutting around the “handle” on the top of the container, so it could be used as a toy. It also features fake writing of the signature McDonald’s jingle.
For this box, I wanted to keep the design simple, compared to the outside of the main meal container, but still wanted to incorporate images that went with my theme. Therefore, I chose to design the box after a retro boom-box, and in a way that has a cartoonish, face-like quality, to keep the design playful. To the box, I also added the feature of cutting around the “handle” on the top of the container, so it could be used as a toy. It also features fake writing of the signature McDonald’s jingle.
French Fry Container
For this box, I wanted to keep the design rather simple, and did so by less subtly using the signature McDonald’s brand colors, and a design that felt fitting for both the french fries, and being about graffiti. In doing so, the box is red, with a rugged yellow crisscross pattern, and yellow and orange highlights and flecks of paint scattered across. The front of the container displays the classic golden arches in front of a dark-orange paint drip.
For this box, I wanted to keep the design rather simple, and did so by less subtly using the signature McDonald’s brand colors, and a design that felt fitting for both the french fries, and being about graffiti. In doing so, the box is red, with a rugged yellow crisscross pattern, and yellow and orange highlights and flecks of paint scattered across. The front of the container displays the classic golden arches in front of a dark-orange paint drip.
Drink Cup Wrap
From the start of my design process after deciding on the theme, mimicking the drink container after a spray paint can. Featured in the sticker sheet, and on the meal container, the cup (also rather simple), imitates a spray paint can, complete with a logo, color registration dots, and stripes running down the front.
From the start of my design process after deciding on the theme, mimicking the drink container after a spray paint can. Featured in the sticker sheet, and on the meal container, the cup (also rather simple), imitates a spray paint can, complete with a logo, color registration dots, and stripes running down the front.
Sticker Box/Toy Container
When it came to designing what my toy/activity would be, and what the container for it would be, the design on the box proved to be my most difficult task of the whole project. Since the designs of the food containers seemed to fall in place, I knew I wanted to keep the box for the stickers simple, but still on theme. After running through multiple designs for what the box and words on the box may be, I finally settled on a simple sprayed-paint background, and main text with a few added embellishments. I feel as though the end result is straight-forward, not over-powering, and fits the theme of the meal.
When it came to designing what my toy/activity would be, and what the container for it would be, the design on the box proved to be my most difficult task of the whole project. Since the designs of the food containers seemed to fall in place, I knew I wanted to keep the box for the stickers simple, but still on theme. After running through multiple designs for what the box and words on the box may be, I finally settled on a simple sprayed-paint background, and main text with a few added embellishments. I feel as though the end result is straight-forward, not over-powering, and fits the theme of the meal.
Research & Process
Making it easy on myself, from the start I gained any and all inspiration and reference material from the web, and McDonald’s own website(s), and organized them on my Milanote board. Once I had locked in on the concept that I went with, the ideas seemed to follow naturally. While the character drawings on the from of my meal container were traced from reference images, the final designs, colors, and poses for all of them were original by me. As all other graphics and typography on all of the containers were done by me, without references, the only inspiration would be from previous knowledge. As for the color palette, I chose the original McDonald’s red and yellow, along with added purples, greens, and blues that complimented the meal, but also the 80s/90s decades in which graffiti originates.
Making it easy on myself, from the start I gained any and all inspiration and reference material from the web, and McDonald’s own website(s), and organized them on my Milanote board. Once I had locked in on the concept that I went with, the ideas seemed to follow naturally. While the character drawings on the from of my meal container were traced from reference images, the final designs, colors, and poses for all of them were original by me. As all other graphics and typography on all of the containers were done by me, without references, the only inspiration would be from previous knowledge. As for the color palette, I chose the original McDonald’s red and yellow, along with added purples, greens, and blues that complimented the meal, but also the 80s/90s decades in which graffiti originates.
Sketches & Drafts
During the first day or two of the project, I made rough sketches of what I wanted the layout, and general graphics to be. After deciding on concepts for all of the individual designs, I moved into Procreate, where I did most of my illustrations and graphics. As the theme is all about street art, and making things with your hands, organically, I felt it fitting to keep that same style throughout my Happy Meal. Though this process proved to be time-consuming, I feel proud of the final designs for everything, and am happy with how the compliment each other. However, the road to where my graphics ended up was a long one, as I sketches out the designs for each multiple times, going through multiple versions of each, even after thinking I had finalized it on a few. As for the typography, I again chose to go with hand-drawn text, even after being advised not to, holding true to the theme. Keeping the text under-stated, and simple, but still informational and on-theme, I feel as though the end result is right on par with what I was hoping.
During the first day or two of the project, I made rough sketches of what I wanted the layout, and general graphics to be. After deciding on concepts for all of the individual designs, I moved into Procreate, where I did most of my illustrations and graphics. As the theme is all about street art, and making things with your hands, organically, I felt it fitting to keep that same style throughout my Happy Meal. Though this process proved to be time-consuming, I feel proud of the final designs for everything, and am happy with how the compliment each other. However, the road to where my graphics ended up was a long one, as I sketches out the designs for each multiple times, going through multiple versions of each, even after thinking I had finalized it on a few. As for the typography, I again chose to go with hand-drawn text, even after being advised not to, holding true to the theme. Keeping the text under-stated, and simple, but still informational and on-theme, I feel as though the end result is right on par with what I was hoping.
Illustrations
Prototyping & Construction
After initial sketches, the first thing I did was gathering blank templates for each of my containers. When digital templates provided online or on Canvas weren’t cutting, I had to resort to measuring, tracing, and scanning my own to trace and design in Illustrator and Procreate. I printed an initial blank version of each on printer paper, to ensure they were to scale, and could hold their shape, and once successful, I began putting in my own designs. I printed the final versions on cardstock, and then cut, folded, and glued each together.
After initial sketches, the first thing I did was gathering blank templates for each of my containers. When digital templates provided online or on Canvas weren’t cutting, I had to resort to measuring, tracing, and scanning my own to trace and design in Illustrator and Procreate. I printed an initial blank version of each on printer paper, to ensure they were to scale, and could hold their shape, and once successful, I began putting in my own designs. I printed the final versions on cardstock, and then cut, folded, and glued each together.
Overview
Overall I am very satisfied with how my Happy Meal design turned out. With more time and planning, there are fine details that I would make perfect, along with certain challenges that I ran into with the templates, but otherwise I feel as though the amount of time and effort I put into this shows! Finally, I am proud of how all of the artwork, text, and color palettes are original by me!
Overall I am very satisfied with how my Happy Meal design turned out. With more time and planning, there are fine details that I would make perfect, along with certain challenges that I ran into with the templates, but otherwise I feel as though the amount of time and effort I put into this shows! Finally, I am proud of how all of the artwork, text, and color palettes are original by me!
