Role:
Project Designer — collaborated with teachers to ideate the project, created a prototype, developed a lesson plan and instructional materials.

Project Description:
Students applied concepts of area, volume, ratio, and scale to design 2D floor plans for food trucks, which they then folded into 3D scale-model trucks. The project iterated on an earlier design around food truck menus and pricing, adding a hands-on math and design component.

Design Approach:
To extend the class’s menu-and-pricing project into a full hands-on build, I created a cardboard floor-plan system that could fold into a 3D food truck. Students expressed their cultural identities and personal interests through the visual design of their trucks and the foods they served, while applying math concepts to design kitchens, equipment layouts, and decorations. I prototyped the foldable truck body, a laser-cut cab, and a wheeled base so that the students’ finished models would feel more complete and visually engaging.

Project Sequence:

• Students explored NYC food trucks and discussed design choices.

• In groups, they drafted floor plans to scale, then cut, scored, and folded them into 3D models.

• They researched food truck equipment and layout, and added scale-model appliances, menus, and truck decorations.

• The project culminated in a role-play market, where students sold food to classmates, made change, and tracked sales.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Applied math concepts including area, volume, ratio, and scale.

• Practiced design thinking and cardboard construction to translate 2D plans into 3D models.

• Conducted research into food truck equipment, menus, and pricing.

• Strengthened addition and subtraction skills through role-play sales (making change, tracking totals).

• Expressed cultural identity and creativity through menu design, decoration, and truck motifs.