Situation Description: Mission Foods, holds the venerable distinction of creating "the World's Best Selling Tortilla" and currently lists 13 varieties (with 3 more "Coming Soon") on their website. My family and I enjoy eating whole-wheat tortillas and we frequently use them as alternatives to bread and pitas. At our local grocery stores, there is usually only one brand of whole-wheat tortillas for sale, so we generally end up purchasing Mission tortillas.

Intended purpose: Originating in Mexico, tortillas are thin, flat and round and are made from cornmeal or wheat flour; they can hold almost any imaginable toppings and can be rolled, wrapped or folded to keep their filling inside.

Problems with design: Since tortillas are perishable products, packaged tortillas must be placed in the refrigerator to remain fresh and tasty after opening. Like many foods, the longer the tortillas are left in the refrigerator, the drier and less edible they become. As the tortillas age (especially whole-wheat tortillas that generally contain less fat then their white flour counterparts) they tend to stick together and can be very difficult to separate.

Difficulties to the user: Tortillas that are stuck together can become ripped and torn when a user attempts to peel them apart (however gently or carefully this is done). Ripped or torn tortillas cannot be easily topped or filled and are very difficult to roll, wrap or fold successfully, so these tortillas will most likely end up in the trash (or on the compost pile.) Users that have planned or prepared a meal that incorporates tortillas would be very frustrated if they were unable to separate and use them and would most likely not purchase that brand of tortillas in the future.

Solutions: Tortillas, especially those made without lard or animal fat (tortillas with higher fat contents tend to be less likely to stick together and easier to separate), should be packaged with waxed paper/deli-style inserts placed between each tortilla (like cheese slices commonly are.) This would allow tortillas to separate easily and ensure that users are able to enjoy every delicious tortilla in the package.