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VAULT

Vault is a family of Latch Tote Storage Boxes designed to align with Target Room Essentials' storage collection. The products replaced existing Sterilite storage items as Target's primary promotional offerings while establishing a cohesive, modern design language across the product family.

Launch Year; 2022

Project Duration; 6 months

My Role: Researching, ideation, generating concepts and sketches, visualization, creating production-ready CAD and 3D printing models, communicating with the engineers and marketing people to make design decisions.

Background

The objective was to redesign and expand the existing 20 gallon and 66 quart storage products into a new family of multiple sizes, balancing Target's retail expectations, manufacturing constraints (below), and a contemporary design language.

20 Gallon

66 Quart

A few constraints before starting;

Shared lid across 66 Qt and 20 Gal products
Improved stack indexing of the existing items above
Integrated comfort-carry handle/latch
Match Room Essentials design language
Common footprint (23" × 17")
Manufacturing wall thickness requirements; base; 0.065 (tote) and 0.070 (clear), lid; 0.060
Nesting optimization for shipping and storage
Capacity targets (66 Qt & 20 Gal)

Target Totes Design Language

The analysis established the core design principles of the Target's tote storage collection that includes soft geometry, clean surface transitions, integrated functional details, consistent proportions, and a minimal visual language. These insights became the foundation for designing a cohesive new family of storage products that aligned with Target's brand identity.

Existing Latch Analysis

Existing tote latches were carefully analyzed to identify the key design elements that contribute to functionality, manufacturability, and user experience. The study focused on details such as latch-grabbing curves and scoops, side ribs for integration, bead features, structural step-down surfaces, and raised snapping areas on the lid. Additional attention was given to bottom radii that enable self-closing behavior during nesting for shipping. These insights established a clear design framework and informed the development of a new latch system that balances usability, structural performance, and production requirements.

Moodboard

Ideation

Production Ready CAD Details

Vault is a family of latching storage boxes designed exclusively for Target's storage collection. The product line replaced existing Sterilite storage items as Target's main promotional assortment, introducing a cohesive and contemporary design language across the entire family.