PieHvb (Student Project)

Designers: Sean O’Connor & Olivia Cody
Photography: Alex Norton
Project Type: Student Project
School: Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Packaging Contents: Hand-pies & seasoning mix spice packets

PieHvb is a fictional restaurant & food truck started by two former astronauts who had a mirage while on the moon that they saw a pie off in the distance. PieHvb’s main point of sale is their hand-pies made “for the wonderers and wanderers” as well as a variety of their seasoning mixes which can be used for baking by those who are adventurous enough to make their own pies.

PieHvb is stark, sleek, refined, and unique. It’s branding is heavily inspired by geometry, space, crystals, and a sense of curiosity. PieHvb offers an exquisite experience to eat gourmet food with a twist, based on its own interpretation of select dishes. It is higher-end than most fast food establishments but not unaffordable, which can be seen throughout the packaging design.

Almost every aspect of the packaging is centered around the unique shape/form of the pies. Through extensive user testing and revisions, we found that it made sense to design a custom dieline for the take-out bags that would be a hybrid of a McDonalds paper bag, a slim burrito bag, and a more high-end fashion clothing store bag. The scored edges on the final dieline make it easy to hold, easy to pop open, and easy to shut closed. The seasoning mix packaging is also heavily influenced by the form of the hand-pies. It implements a perforated tear opening on the top to help further echo the form’s shape, as well as a flattened base if it is going to be sold on a shelf rather than on hung on a rack. Both packaging solutions have a sense of weightlessness through their verticality and tapered edges that compliment the imagery that is paired with them throughout the branding system.

What’s Unique?
PieHvb’s custom dielines for their take-out bags not only echo the unique form of the hand-pies within, but also utilize scored edges to make it easy to shut closed when on the go.