For my freshman year final project, I made a backpack out of wood. In terms of design I was experimenting with wood as a material and the unusual products that it is able to create. It is constructed with oak and walnut, lined with book-binding cloth on the inside; the hinges and buckles were bought; the nylon straps were secured on with bolts. The backpack has two compartments on the top and bottom, each accessible with two metal buckles.

Since I created this piece as a combination of two classes I was taking concurrently-- Design and Existentialism-- I also explored  the conceptual aspect of this piece. As a  backpack, it is heavier and cannot hold as many objects as a regular one. Because of its physical nature, the backpack compels the viewer to contemplate the implications of traveling with a heavy backpack while carrying little items.