As a project for Design Principles, students were given one week to take apart a pre-existing soft good, re-design it for a specific end user, and construct a prototype of the design. By deconstructing a Samsonite backpack, I was able to get a sense of the how the bag was patterned and manufactured, and I used this knowledge, combined with research, to create a pack for a rock-cilmber on a day-long trip.
Final prototype of climbing day-pack.
20x30x60 cm (36 L)
PU cotton, neoprene
Spring 2013
My goal was to combine simplicity, style, and functionality into a product that addresses all of a climber's primary needs in a pack: comfort, accessibility, storage space, redundancy, organization, safety, and durability.
I began by researching climbers and their needs while on a climbing trip, considering the approach, the ascent, and down time.
Using my own experience, feedback from other climbers, and online research as a guide, I compiled a visual list of objects that would potentially need to fit in the pack.
I looked at packs already in production to get a sense of existing materials, sizes, features, and potential holes in the market.
Based on my research, I explored possible configurations of features and form for the prototype I would be constructing.
I brought in my own climbing gear to get a sense of the necessary volume of the pack that I would be constructing. I also used my own hiking pack as a guide for construction and anthropomorphic scale.
The final protoype was constructed using staples, thread, polyurethane coated cotton, neoprene, webbing, elastic, zippers, and mesh. Features that I wasn't able to get to within the week-long time frame are included in white.
