The pandemic underscored the importance of a healthy lifestyle, opening doors to experimenting with new foods, preparing our own meals, engaging in design thinking, and reconnecting with nature.

Hugo and I share a deep love for food, especially Thai cuisine in Los Angeles. In Asia, wrapping food in leaves is a common practice across many cultures. During a dine-out experience amid the lockdowns, I found inspiration in a dish called Larb Gai, also known as Thai lettuce wraps. The natural shell-like shape of the lettuce leaf fit perfectly into Hugo's palm, and he used another leaf as a spoon to scoop the fillings into the wrap.

At that moment, I wondered: why couldn’t Kado be as versatile as Larb Gai? It was a eureka moment that led to our final design—a perfect blend of nature and ergonomics, captured in the hand.

- Austin