REAL PROJECT · PACKAGING DESIGN AND EXPERIENCE

A box that invites you to discover La Plata

Alfajor packaging design inspired by La Plata

The challenge went beyond holding twelve alfajores. We designed a journey through La Plata: a box with twelve individual cartons, iconic locations and aerial videos accessed through QR codes.

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DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY · ALFAJOR PACKAGING

An alfajor box that becomes a city experience

The brief began with a box for giving twelve alfajores to visitors to La Plata. A1Pack proposed going beyond the container: twelve individual cartons linked to city locations, with pop-up figures created through cutting and folding, each connected by a QR code to an aerial video of the location it represented.

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01 · The challenge: more than holding alfajores

The initial requirement was a presentation for twelve alfajores intended for visitors to La Plata. A correctly sized box alone did not address the project’s opportunity: how could the gift convey the city’s character and remain in the recipient’s memory?

  • Initial requirement: contain, protect and present twelve alfajores as a gift.
  • Design problem: turn a food product into a meaningful souvenir of La Plata.
  • Opportunity: connect each alfajor with a recognisable location and offer an experience of discovery.

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02 · Concept, system and user experience

We took La Plata’s urban layout and iconic locations as our starting point. We designed an outer box containing twelve individual cartons. Each carton represents a location through a figure that unfolds using cuts and folds, and includes a QR code to view an aerial video of that same location. The design therefore covers the object, its arrangement, graphics and what happens when someone interacts with it.

  • System: an outer box and twelve individual units conceived as a set.
  • Urban identity: representations of La Plata locations through die-cut, pop-up figures.
  • Digital experience: a QR code on each carton opens an aerial video of the location represented.

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03 · Testing, cutting dies and prototypes

The idea had to work beyond the drawing. Development required studying outer-box assembly, the arrangement of the twelve units, and the cuts and creases that allowed the figures to unfold without compromising the carton’s function. We also considered how users would discover the QR code while opening and exploring each piece.

  • Mock-ups: evaluating proportions, internal arrangement and opening sequence.
  • Cutting dies: studying cuts, creases, folds and pop-up figures.
  • Interaction: the relationship between each location, its QR code and the corresponding aerial video.

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04 · Production development and outcome

The work integrated decisions often considered separately: dimensions, materials, structure, graphics, die-cut pieces, assembly sequence and digital content. We developed a system in which each unit offered an encounter with the city, addressing more than the box and alfajor arrangement. The solution was conceived with manufacturing in mind; the development presented here should not be confused with commercial production, which is not documented here.

  • Physical object: an outer box with twelve individual cartons and pop-up figures.
  • Technical solution: structure, arrangement, materials and cutting dies designed for manufacturing.
  • Complete experience: each piece connects a represented location with its own aerial video.

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More product development case studies

Explore other products developed by A1Pack, from initial prototypes through manufacturing.

Designing for the problem, beyond the box

The starting point was an alfajor box. The response incorporated structural design, La Plata’s identity, pop-up figures and visual journeys accessed through QR codes. Understanding a product’s purpose and what it can offer people enables design to create an experience as well as a form.