Waterproof packing for urban outdoor
Development of two waterproof backpacks intended for daily bike commute,
urban strolls and travel
Anton Winnberg
Industrial Design Engineering, master's level 2019
Luleå University of Technology
- Development of two waterproof backpacks intended for daily bike commute, urban strolls and travel.
Anton Winnberg 2019
Supervisor: Håkan Nyström (Lundhags) & Åsa Wikberg Nilsson (LTU) Examiner: Åsa Wikberg Nilsson
Waterproof packing for
urban outdoor
MSc in INDUSTRIAL DESIGN ENGINEERING
CIVILINGENJÖR I TEKNISK DESIGN
Master of Science Thesis in Industrial Design Engineering Waterproof packing for urban outdoor
- Development of two waterproof backpacks intended for daily bike commute, urban strolls and travel.
© Anton Winnberg
Published and distributed by Luleå University of Technology SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden Telephone: + 46 (0) 920 49 00 00 Cover: Illustration by Anton Winnberg Printed in Luleå Sweden by
Acknowledgement
To begin with, I would like to show my gratitude to Brav and Lundhags for accepting my master thesis application and thereby making this project a reality. Furthermore I would like to acknowledge those whom have been of special importance for this project. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor Håkan Nyström for taking his time with me, for listening to my ideas and questions, and for you guidance throughout the project. I would also like to thank Marcus Jonsson for contributing with your experience and advices. Also for inspiring me to take on this project, by carrying out your own master thesis project within the same field. The result of this project would lose some of its value if the intention never was to go to production. Thereby I would also like to the thank my contact at the factory for feedback on construction. Last but not least, a special big thank you to my supervisor and examiner Åsa Wikberg Nilsson. I am deeply grateful for your support and for believing in me, not only in this project, but throughout my entire education.
Anton Winnberg
Abstract
Keywords: Product design, industrial design, waterproof, urban outdoor, backpack, commuting.
Everyday, lots of people use some sort of bag to carry their daily equipment around, whether it is between home and work or any typ of spare time activity. This report covers a Master Thesis project in Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. The thesis concerns the development of two waterproof bakpacks. These backpacks are developed in collaboration with the outdoor brand Lundhags, and intended for everyday bike commute, urban excursion and travel. Behind the initiative lies the desire of expanding the company’s product portfolio with a set of new waterproof daypacks within the category of urban outdoor. Also, to offer the customers the better protection of electronic devices such as laptops, surf tablets and smartphones, which are products that are prominent in our daily lives.
Sammanfattning
Nyckelord: Produkt design, industriell design, vattentät, urban outdoor, ryggsäck, pendling.
Varje dag så använder massor av människor någon form av väska för att bära med sig sin vardagliga utrustning. Det kan antingen vara mellan arbetet och hemmet, eller någon fritidsaktivitet. Denna rapport redogör för ett examensarbetet på utbildningen Civilingenjör Teknisk Design vid Luleå tekniska universitet. Examensarbetet i denna rapport omfattar utvecklingen av två vattentäta ryggsäckar. Utvecklingen av dessa ryggsäckar görs i samarbete med friluftsmärket Lundhags och är tänkta för vardagspendling, stadsutflykter och resor. Motivet till projektet är att man önskar expandera företagets produktsortiment med ett par nya vattentäta dagsryggsäckar inom kategorin urban outdoor. Dessutom vill man kunna erbjuda en säkrare förvaring av elektronisk utrustning så som bärbara datorer, surfplattor och smartphones, vilket är produkter som är har stor betydelse i många människors vardagliga liv.
Content
1. INTRODUCTION
1
1.1. Background 2
1.2. Stakeholder 2
1.3. Objectives & Aim 2
1.4. Project scope 3
1.5. Thesis Outline 4
2. CONTEXT
5
2.1 Urban outdoor 6
2.2 Commuting 6
2.3 Fashion & style 6
2.3 Today’s products 6
3. THEORY
8
3.1 Industrial design engineering 9
3.2 Design thinking 9 3.3 Textile design 10 3.4 Treatments 11 3.5 Certifications 12 3.6 Recycling 13 3.7 Anthropometry 13 3.8 Branding 14
4. METHOD
15
4.1 Process 16 4.2. Project planning 16 4.3. Context 17 4.4. Ideation 20 4.5 Implementation 215. RESULT
23
5.1 Inspiration 24 5.2 Exploration 30 5.3 Implementation 32 5.4 Final result 376. DISCUSSION
46
6.1 Result 476.2 Process and methods 48
6.3 Recommendations 49
7. CONCLUSION
51
7.1 Objective and aims 52
7.2 Research questions 52
List of appendix
List of figures
A - Initial project planning B - Full benchmark list C - Interview questionsD - Technical drawings 16L (version one) E - Technical drawings 22L (version one)
1 Page 1 Page 2 Pages 3 Pages 4 Pages
Figure 1: A sample of different types of bags. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 2: Fabric samples showing different types of ripstop. Photography: Anton Winnberg. Figure 3: Fabric samples showing different variations on TPU coatings. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 4: Fictive example of anthropometric data plotted by cases. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 5: Process model inspired by Brown (2008) and Nielsen Norman Group (2016). Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 6: Illustration of fictive users. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 7: Moodboard collage made during the inspiration phase. Photography: Free images retrieved from unsplash.com
Figure 8: Collage of 2019 marketing photos from Lundhags along with their values. Photography: Lundhags (2019)
Figure 9: Colour palette with nominated pantone colours.
Figure 10: Creation of thumbnail sketches. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 11: Ideation sketches overview at the Lundhags office. Photography: Anton Winnberg. Figure 12: A sample of thumbnail sketches. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 13: Sketches on opening constructions. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 14: Pictures displaying some of the fabric and paper mock-ups of bottom and opening. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 17: Folding pocket idea on the concept C2. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 18: Estimating the fit of a 15 inch laptop inside the backpack outer dimensions. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 19: Two of the bags examined and studied in order to define details and construction. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 20: The process of setting measures. Photography: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 21: Sample of drawings for shoulder strap and hip belt. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 22: Overview of the 16 liter backpack. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 23: Overview of the 22 liter backpack. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 24: Shoulder strap pair of the 22 liter backpack. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 25: Shoulder strap pair of the 16 liter backpack
Figure 26: Attachment of handle and shoulder straps to the back panel on the 16 liter bag. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 27: Waist strap and their attachment point on the back panel. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 28: Front and side view of both laptop sleeves with interior pockets. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 29: Illustration of the front pocket’s angled opening. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 30: Showing the entire 16 liter bag in side view. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 31: Zoomed in on the 16 liters front pockets. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 32: Detailed side view of front webbing. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 33: Showing the entire 22 liter bag in side view. Illustration: Anton Winnberg. Figure 34: Zoomed in on the front webbing of the larger backpack. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
Figure 35: Zoomed in on the back panel without shoulder straps. Illustration: Anton Winnberg.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
Everyday millions of people are traveling between any two places A and B. Sometime these places are near and sometimes they are further apart. The daily commute between home and school, job or meetings take on different forms. People travel by car, buss, train, plane or bike, and sometimes they simply walk. The daily commute between A and B often involves transportation of different items, whether it is books, documents, electronic devices, clothes or toiletries. The need for these items drive the use of bags and packs in our daily living.
Lundhags is a Swedish brand that for many years have offered their customers products within the outdoor segment. Backpacks and bags is one of their big product lines, which they also recently updated with some new models for more everyday living. Lundhags have noticed an increased demand for storage and protection of electronic devices in their bag and backpacks, something that comes with products used in everyday living. Accommodating this demand drives this thesis project of developing two waterproof backpacks that will hopefully take place among the current models of Lundhags portfolio.
The everyday users that was given extra attention and which could be regarded as the main target audience within everyday use was bike commuters and students. These would be two groups which Lundhags anticipated would set a high bar on performance requirements due to heavy use the these types of products in challenging conditions.
1.2. Stakeholder
The project has a handful of stakeholders that will be affected and influence the process to varying extents. The primary stakeholder is the company Brav Sweden AB who owns the brand Lundhags and which also are the employer of this project. Brav Sweden AB was earlier named Lundhags Skomakarna AB and started as a family business in Jämtland, Sweden. Brav Sweden AB is today owned by the Norwegian group Brav, but Lundhags still lives on as a brand and a developer of boots, trekking backpacks, outdoor wear, mid-layers and equipment for nordic skating. Another big stakeholder that will take part and influence the project is of course the end user. The end user in this case is not only the current customer of Lundhags products, with an interest in nature and outdoor activities. It is also those who starts to look for products with more function and quality but at the same time style. Lundhags believes both of these types of users to be found among daily commuter, the bike commuters and students.
Other parties involved would be the manufacturing facilities. The manufacturer will take part in the development by a close collaboration in order to create feasible design concepts with prototypes along the way.
line-up of daypacks in Lundhags portfolio. These would be the foundation in building a new product family of waterproof daypacks and thereby expanding the portfolio as well satisfying relevant contemporary needs. These new models were requested to be developed under the category urban outdoor, and therefore be directed towards a more everyday use and its challenges. The aim was therefor to deliver detailed concepts for two waterproof backpacks that would be in line with the Lundhags brand and meet the needs of everyday use. This mean that the products should offer functionality, quality, sustainability and in general reflect what the Lundhags brand encompasses, but in this case for the urban environment.
A couple of research questions were formulated in order to guide the work along the way, as they touch upon some major fields of the work. The questions are the following:
1. What does urban outdoor mean regarding style, product properties and context?
2. What elements of the design could help preserve a brand within new products?
3. In what ways could industrial design engineering shape development of products of the outdoor industry, in order to produce functional yet sustainable design?
1.4. Project scope
A major and natural delimitation of this project was the time. In this case the project was given a period of 20 weeks. Which would include a numerous amount of activities within the design process as well as the writing of this thesis report.
Even though the project concern sustainable textile design, the thesis is not aiming to dive deep into processing and development of more sustainable textiles. The focus was not to modify existing processing techniques or seek new methods. But rather review existing alternatives of materials for the products in focus of the project. As well the combination of different materials for a more sustainable use of resources. To some extent, the project still included gaining knowledge about processing, standards and certifications in order to evaluate different materials contribution to the final designs ecological impact.
Since the aim of the project is to develop two backback models within a specific category, this calls for a study of the term urban outdoor. This is to get a better feel for the style, the users, needs and the
qualities of products found within this category. But this immersion was not carried out with the intension of finding a strict definition of the term. Only to build a foundation for the design of the new backpacks.
1.5. Thesis Outline
This thesis report is divided into seven chapters where each is further divided into subchapters as a way of organising the content. The following section is intended to give a brief introduction to the content of the different chapters.
Chapter 1: Introduction
The first chapter intends to present the driving force for this project to be carried out. Also present the projects stakeholders, boundaries, as well the objectives and aims.
Chapter 2: Context
The second chapters presents topics in connection to the current state of the project context. This includes a brief reviewing of the textile industry, views on the terms urban outdoor, the culture of commuting and some of existing solutions available on the market.
Chapter 3: Theory
The third chapter presents the theoretical framework of this thesis, which have laid the foundation for the development and decision making throughout this project. This chapter includes topics such as fibers, fabrics, textile treatments, sustainability, recycling, as well as design theory.
Chapter 4: Method
Fourth chapter presents and explains the selection of methods used throughout the project. It also explains the project approach and the process which work have followed.
Chapter 5: Result
Fifth chapter holds the final result, as well the results of the different stages of the project.
Chapter 6: Discussion
Sixth chapter contains both the discussion and the conclusion. This is where the result and the methodology is further analysed and discussed in relation to theory, objectives and aim of the thesis.
Chapter 7: References
2. CONTEXT
2.1 Urban outdoor
Recently the Swedish bag brand Sandqvist launched their Urban Outdoor series under the salesment ”Urban style meets functionality”. In a web article at Forbs, Nicole Leinbach Reyhle (2014, 12 Sep) report on the growing interest in products within the category of urban lifestyle at the Outdoor Retailer show. The focus of her article is on the exhibition section Venture Out. At the website of Outdoor Retailer, they explain their section Venture Out as a platform where the visitors are able to explore new trends within the outdoor industry. A place where fashion and outdoor combines. A the ISPO website Claudia Klingelhöfer (2017, 14 June) mentions the trend of companies trying to attract new customer groups by the strategy of launching collections within urban outdoor and outdoor fitness. Another article at ISPO by Regina Henkel (2017, 27 May) also report on the outdoor industry’s strategies for reaching customers from the fashion segment. Henkel describes the emerge of new terms that more or less stands for the same as urban outdoor does. Where urban outdoor would mean functional and technical clothes developed for urban living but design with a fashion accent.
2.2 Commuting
Some people might strongly associate bike commuting with places like Copenhagen and Amsterdam. But the Swedish organisation Svensk Cykling is an example of the engagement that work towards strengthening the biking
community within the Swedish society. For instance in their political manifest of 2018 they raise issues regarding financial resources, area priorities within the infrastructure and traffic safety (SvenskCykling, 2018).
2.3 Fashion & style
Today you can find fashion blogs associated to bike commuting and the everyday biking culture within urban environments. An examples of this is the blog Copenhagen Cycle Chic which was started in 2007 in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to Svensk Cykling (2011) and the blog itself, the term Cycle Chic was first used by the blog founder Mikael Colville-Andersen. It was then used as a term referring to fashionably or casually dressed people riding their bikes.
2.3 Today’s products
SLING BAG MESSENGER
BAG TOTE BAG DRYBAG
SMALL TREKKING
LARGE TREKKING
for carrying it at the center of your back at all time. Search for daypacks on the internet and you will for example find messenger bags, tote bags and smaller fashion backpacks. Trekking and hiking backpacks generally offer better ergonomics and comfort with more advanced paddings and back suport. When it comes to performance in wet conditions, the more durable alternative for packing is by using drybags. Drybags varies from simple pouches in different sizes that are sealed with a roll-top closure, to extremely durable backpacks design to keep belongings dry even when submerged during extrem conditions such as rafting. Smaller drybags are use to secure belongings when packed in non-waterproof bags of some sort.
Figure 1: A sample of different types of bags.
3. THEORY
3.1 Industrial design
engineering
Since this thesis is part of an education within industrial design engineering, it is essential to shed some light on the field and different perspectives of its meaning. Also in order to later connect the project to the field and reflect upon results and insights. According to Smets and Overbeeke (1994) is industrial design engineering a term which regards two different aspects, since it include both the technical knowledge of design engineering and knowledge on design aesthetics and human-product interaction. Kwan Myung and Kun-pyo (2016) agrees and further adds that knowledge from both industrial design and engineering design play vital roles in the development of successful products. Where the industrial design side contributes with user-centered solutions for solving one side of the problem and the engineering with the other, with the technical knowledge for realising the design concepts. According to Gesmer and Leenders (2001) does industrial design on one hand regard aspects directly connected to the finished product such as aesthetics, ergonomics and performance. On the other hand it also regards aspects of manufacturing and use of material. Product development engineering (PDE) is another term for the discipline which aim to combine the benefits of engineering and industrial design (de Veres, Melles & Kapoor, 2010). PDE is explained by de Vere, Melles & Kapoor (2010) to be one way of bridging the gap between these two disciplines, where another is seen in the emerge of
industrial design engineering programs in countries of Europe.
3.2 Design thinking
This section of the chapter presents the theory behind the process which project is following. In order to backup the choice of process it is essential to present the theories explaining it. According to the design consultancy firm Nielsen Norman Group (2016) design thinking is both an ideology and a flow of working that are coloured by a user-centered mindset. The design thinking process therefore constitutes of activities which aims to build an understanding of context and problems, explore ideas and solutions, test and implement. The Nielsen Norman Group (2016) explains the design thinking process by dividing it into six phases. The phases are defined as empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test and implement. These phases are encouraged to be iterated during the process, but in the end they all combine into a flow of working which passes through the stages of understand, explore and materialise (Nielsen Norman Group, 2016). Brown (2008) share the view of the design thinking process as a composition on no-linearly ordered activities. Just as the Nielsen Norman Group he divides the workflow into tre stages, but instead he names them inspiration, ideation and implementation. Brown (2008) presents human-centered design methodology as a key factor for design thinking. The three stages presented by brown is further explained by IDEO. The design consultancy firm IDEO (2015) describe inspiration as the search for knowledge
on peoples lives, needs and desires in order to gain a better understanding of the design challenge. Ideation is the phase where findings and insight are interpreted. And opportunities and ideas are explored, tested and refined. Lastly, implementation is the work and planning for realisation of solutions.
3.3 Textile design
3.3.1 Fibers
The type of fibers is a major aspect to consider when searching for textile materials, which is why this section presents a short intro on this subject. Fibers are the raw material of which fabrics are produced, and the type of fibers can be divided into natural and man-made chemical fibers (Gries,Veit & Wulfhorst, 2014). The category of natural fibers can be further divided into mineral fibers, animal fibers and vegetable fibers. The category of man-made can as well be divided into subgroups, regenerated and synthetic fiber (Jabbar & Shakar, 2016). According to Shishoo (2005) has the development within spinning techniques and fiber production made a significant impact on the production of fabrics for sportswear, as well contributed to the development of high-tech sportswear.
3.3.2 Fabrics
After touching upon the theory of fibers, the following sections will treat some common types of fabrics of interest for this thesis. This section therefore also touch upon the methods of weaving fabrics, by presenting theory on the fabric type ripstop. Conducting
knowledge on fabrics is a necessity since the project pretty much revolves around it.
3.3.3 Cotton
Cottons within the textile industry has for long been an important raw material. Cotton is a fiber that easily blends with other fibers, where blending is the act of combine types of fibers in order to increase strength and other desired properties (Jabbar & Shakar, 2016). These blends can for instance consist of man-made chemical fibers, where polyester is an example that could be used (Gries,Veit & Wulfhorst, 2014). When shopping for clothes, you often come across cotton items labeled organic. In order for the production of cotton to be considered organic it needs to be certified to agricultural standards. For instance, this means that the production does not use GMOs, and that it is managed with methods for sustaining the health of soils and ecosystems (Cherrett, Barrett, Clemett, Chadwick & Chadwick, 2005 ; Textile Exchange, n.d). According to Hansen & Schaltegger (2013) could a replacement of conventional production of cotton be significantly beneficial regarding aspects of ecological and social sustainability.
3.3.4 Polyester
3.4 Treatments
Treatments of fabrics are another major aspect which will have impact one of the more essential qualities of the product, more specifically the waterproofness. The following section is therefore dedicated to present theory treatments of fabrics.
3.4.1 Water repellency and waterproofness
For this project it is important to clarify the difference between water repellent and waterproof when discussing fabrics. Hussain (2016) gives the definition that textiles are considered waterproof if they are impermeable under conditions where they are exposed to high hydrostatic pressure. Even though this seems reasonable, Troynikov, Nawaz and Watson (2018) argue on the non-existence of a standard approach for waterproof classification of fabrics. A commonly seen referens on garments waterproofness is the method of static water column testing. Troynikov et al. (2018) asserts that fabrics exceeding 20,000 mm can be regarded as waterproof. Hussain (2016) further mentions the use of water contact angle as a measurement for water repellency, as he states that contact angles above 130 degrees indicate super-repellency.
3.4.2 Coating
An interesting treatment of a fabrics for this project is coating. Coating is a treatment where a film of some polymer is applied to a fabric, which Figure 2: Fabric samples showing different types of ripstop.
that since the 1970s polyester has the dominant synthetic fiber due to its low production costs and properties, used in a vast variety of applications. According to Shishoo (2005) is polyester along with polyamid, polypropylene, acrylics and elastane examples of fibers with properties suitable in fabrics for sportswear and active wear. Blending polyester with natural fibers is on way of using polyester in different fabrics, which is a way to enhance durability and strength to the material (Hallett & Johnston, 2014).
3.3.5 Ripstop
A common term seen in textile products such as tents, functional apparel and climbing gear is ripstop. According to Hallett and Johnston (2014) is ripstop a term for a special type of weaving that could be used for multiple types of fibers. Characteristic for the ripstop is the checked pattern seen in various forms, for example squares or diamonds. Hallett and Johnston (2014) explains that the crossed-pattern displays the woven structure used in order to prevent the spreading of rips in the fabric.
can be done both single-sided or double-sided (Gries et al., 2014). This method creates a solid union between fabric and plymer, with a polymeric layer which is either microporous or hydrophilic (Troynikov et al., 2018). Fabrics of this kind are useful for numerous applications due to the new set of characteristics, for instance increased durability and reduced water permeability. Coated textiles are for instance use in sportswear, outdoor wear and tent fabrics. Polyurethane (PU) is according to Troynikov et al. (2018) the most commonly used material for these types of application, but they add polytetrafluoroethylenes, polyamino acids and acrylics to the list of other common materials used for coating.
3.4.3 Fluorocarbon
A common treatment of fabrics for outdoor application is called durable water repellent (DWR) treatments. One way of increasing a fabrics water repellency by such treatments could be done using fluorocarbons
(Hussain, 2016). The downside of using fluorocarbons is that they have a negative environmental impact (Ma, Zhu, Si & Sun, 2018).
3.5 Certifications
The ability to label the final product with a certificate, or be able to say that the product is made out of sustainable resources is one of the requests expressed in this project. Therefore, the knowledge of possible certificates is necessary and why the following short section presents information on the one called bluesign
®
.3.5.1 bluesign
®
The Swiss company Bluesign Technologies AG was founded in the year of 2000 and is the company behind the bluesign® system. The bluesign® system is a management approach for sustainability within the textile industry (Bluesign Technologies AG, 2019). It regards the whole process from raw material, the different processing steps, to the finished product by uniting all parts of the supply chain in the work towards sustainability. The textile process is governed by the bluesign® system, which focuses on resources, people and the environment (Bluesign Technologies AG, 2019).
3.6 Recycling
Sustainability is one of the objectives of this project, and many would surly agree that recycling is one of the strategies towards it. This is why the subject is of interest to touch upon. One way of waste treatment is incineration, which according to Zamani, Svanström, Peters and Rydberg (2015) aslo is de most common fate of textile wast in Sweden. Still, efforts for recycling of textiles is present in the Swedish society. According to the Swedish Waste Management (2017) recycling of textiles is possible at about half of the Swedish recycling centres. The demand for recycling is high but the possibilities are limited, and collection of textiles for reuse is the dominant solution (Swedish Wast Management, 2018).
According to Palm (2011) is recycling of textile waste hindered by the complexity of fabrics, since they are compositions of various types of fibers. However, polyester is a fiber which is possible to recycle, by a process transforming the polyester into dimethyl terephthalate also abbreviated as DMT (Hallett & Johnston, 2014). In the process, polyester is chemically treated with methanol in the transformation to DMT. The DMT is further chemically processed, polymerised and spun into new polyester fibers (Zamani et al., 2015). Recycling plastic bottles, which is also PET, and turning them into fabrics can also be a source for recycled fibers (Hallett & Johnston, 2014).
Figure 4: Fictive example of anthropometric data plotted by cases.
3.7 Anthropometry
A meaningful subject for this project is anthropometry, since the product is highly connected to the human body and its proportions. The anthropometric data which regards measurements and proportions of the human body can be divided into two different categories, static and dynamic (Hägg, Ericson & Odenrick, 2011). According to Hägg et al. (2011) the difference between these two categories is that static data regards measurements of the body in standardised position, whereas dynamic data is more focused on space and range of movement. Hägg et al. (2011) further adds that the 5th and 95th percentile could be suitable measurements to refer to in design. Rabinette (2012) on the other hand express a concern for the problematics of completely relying on percentiles and the possible interference between measurements.
Another method that could be used for multi-dimensional problems is the selection of cases from a population. Where each case is a representation of an individual and its combination of
metrics for the measurements of interest (Rabinette, 2012). By plotting the cases with respect to two measurements the plotted data can be encircled with a boundary containing a specified percentage of the cases (Hanson, Sperling, Gard, Ipsen & Vergare, 2009; Rabinette, 2012). This method is according to Rabinette (2012) an approach that better identifies and take into account cases of extreme metrics rather than relying on the percentile intervals, but adds that the method becomes more complex for body-worn products. Figure 4 illustrates a fictive example of how the confidence ellipse is used along with plotted cases. An example of conducted data is the anthropometric studies by Hanson et al. (2009), which presents anthropometrics data from Swedish male and female participants.
3.8 Branding
It is of course ideal if the final design is in line with the rest of the products aesthetics, the design philosophy and the brand in general. Also in order to answer the second research question in relation to the projects outcome. That is why this section is dedicated to briefly present theory on branding in product design.
Slade (2016) asserts that a brand encompasses so much more than just the brands name, logo, straplines, brand values etc. But these are all tools in the act of branding, to make the company, the products or services offered to stand out among the competition. But Slade (2016) also mentions that
4. METHOD
4.1 Process
In this project the work follows a process which is a mixture of the design thinking model described by Brown (2008) and the model described by Nielsen Norman Group (2016). The process therefor consists of three fields, which during the project overlapped with various activities that toke place at several occasions. In other words, the project followed an iterative process where several stages of the product development process toke place simultaneously. The reason for following an interpretation on design thinking, with multiple iterations, was due to its allowance for flexibility. The one-man-crew situation was presumed to need progress on multiple issues simultaneously, which would be supported by constantly skipping between areas of the development. The process would also support continues learning throughout the project.
The process that the project followed consisted of the three main fields inspiration, ideation and implementation in accordance with both descriptions on design thinking (Brown, 2008; Nielsen Norman Group, 2016). In the process model, the inspiration field accounts for activities in order to empathise with users, analyse and understand the context, and in general immerse in the design issue. The second field, ideation, encompass the activities of exploration. These activities were for instance brainstorming, paper prototyping, mock-up building. The last field, implement, represents those activities that are carried out as actions for bringing ideas to life. This
includes evaluations and selection of concepts and materials, feedback, as well development of technical drawings of final concepts. A visualisation of the process can be sen in figure 5.
4.2. Project planning
A planning was created as a first step in the launch of the project, which would serve as a guidance in the somewhat chaotic flow of work that laid ahead. The planning was constructed as a Gantt chart, mapping out activities at their predicted time of execution within the project’s time frame. The planning also marked major deadlines and checkpoints based on both personal goals and stakeholders’ directives. The full Gantt chart can be seen in Appendix A. Ideation Insp iration Impl emen tation Test Define Empathise Implement Ideate Prototype
4.3. Context
4.3.1 Literature review
According to Milton and Rogers (2013) is literature review an approach for designers to build an understanding for the design issue at hand, by reviewing various sources relevant for the topic. The literature review of this project initially focused on looking into different fabrics, treatments of fabrics, manufacturing techniques and sustainability certifications. The main platform for accessing the information of interest was mainly the library search engine of Luleå University of Technology and databases like Scopus and Web of Science. These databases were accessed through the university library. The type of literature varied from books of educational purpose within the field of design to peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.
4.3.2 Benchmarking
Lundhags regard themselves as more of a premium brand within the outdoor market, and a backpack within the waterproof category is more or less a new segment for the brand. An understanding of a competitive environment is according to Wikberg et al. (2013) preferable when developing towards a target market. Slade (2016) asserts that when a brand is entering a new market it needs to position itself among competitors. Where this for example would mean identifying the competitive brands and study their products. Due to these aspects and, a minor analysis was carried out, where different models along with theirs specifications were listed. Internet
shops and brand websites were the main sources of information. The products reviewed in this analysis ranged from completely waterproof backpacks design for extrem conditions to more fashion daypacks ment for everyday usage. The information was of course restricted to what competing brand’s websites and webbshops could offer on products with waterproofness or water resistance as an attribute. Information on prices, materials, fabric treatments, features as well as sizes and volume were conducted. The information was organised in order to get a better view over different aspects of the models.
4.3.3 Target costing
The benchmark and market analysis in this project also contributed to defining economical boundaries for the development. For this design project, target costing would play a bigger roll later in the process. Even so, an economical target was requested early into the project by Lundhags. Target costing is describe by Ellram (2000) as a cost management approach used in development of products, where production costs are dependent on target pricing and profit goals. Zengin and Ada (2010) adds that target costing is an approach which also extends to regarding customer needs and requirements besides from market prices. Researching the market and analysing the competition is one of the approaches in order to gain knowledge on customer and market needs. It is also a way of gathering inspiration on how various product or service attributes satisfy existing needs (Ellram, 2000).
The activity of target costing was built on the information gathered from the benchmarking, as a next step in defining boundaries and mapping the context.
4.3.4 Interviews
Interviews are a good way to collect firsthand data from potential users, and it can be carried out in either a structured or less structured manner depending on the purpose (Bella & Hanington, 2012). For this project the interviews was carried out with three types of groups with a total of ten participants. More specifically, these groups were potential users, retailers and semi-experts. All of the interviews was semi-structured with prepared questions as conversation starters and for guidance to make sure that the relevant topics were covered. Semi-structured interviews have the benefit of giving space for exploration of topics and follow up questions during the sessions (Bella & Hanington, 2012). Potential user
The spectra of potential users for the current project is extremely broad. Therefore interviews were held with four participants of various experience of how an everyday backpack could be used. This included both university students and people with different experiences of urban commuting. An example of the questions asked to this group were; what type of bags they use today, why that type of bag, what they normally carry around each day and if there is anything they would like to change about their current bag.
Retailers
The interview also involved retailers at stores of fashion, sport and outdoor.
These interviews were held with five participants, each from different stores. This gave insights on opinions from people that could be regarded as more involved with products. Their work involves guidning customers in their purchase, sometimes with more focus on style and sometimes functions. The aim of holding interviews with retailers was to investigate three things; their personal preferences for bags and backpacks in everyday life, if they could discern any trends in customer requests, and their perception and interpretation on the term urban outdoor. This was a strategy aiming to collect both inspiration and knowledge of the context. The stores visited during this activity were Stadium, Accent, Peak Performance, Sportringen and XXL. Experts
4.3.5 Internet search
Milton and Rogers (2013) agrees to the fact that internet have given people tremendous opportunities when it comes to finding data and information. Without internet, this project would have been so much more time consuming. Databases gave access to valuable research, scientific journals and other literature on topics essential for this issue. The web gave access to multiple sources of inspiration, allowed insight into trends and lifestyles that would otherwise be harder to reach. Some of the web shops and company homepages visited for inspiration were Naturkompaniet, Ucon Acrobatics, Sandqvist, Silva, Haglöfs, Timbukt2, QWSTION, Vaude, Ortlieb and Brooks to name a few.
4.3.6 Moodboard
This activity was strongly connected to the internet search as a part of the fashion research. The construction of a moodboards started off by searching for inspiration and seeking better understanding of the term urban outdoor. The aim of constructing a moodboard was partly to communicate an emotional vision to stakeholders in the project (Wikberg-Nilsson et al., 2013), but also for guiding the development of style boards and the design concepts. In order to construct the board, inspiration was gathered by reviewing travel photographies, fashion blogs, internet forums on packs and bags, forums for bike commuting, fashion brands, other outdoor brand and Lundhags own design guidelines for 2020. The focus was on completing a vision by images that could carrying
the same message as current material for marketing, but with a slightly new direction.
4.3.7 Target specifications
Target specifications are a set of preliminary specifications that the final product is wished to meet (Ulrich & Eppinger, 2012). These specifications are in the beginning based on the conducted information on user needs and benchmarking data. These specifications are along the development process refined as the designer gain more knowledge of technical and economical constraints. Still, the target specifications serve as a guidance throughout the process and a reminder of what the goal is. The benchmarking data along with knowledge from literature review was used as guidance when setting the target specifications.
4.1.9 Personas
Creating personas is a way of embodying data and knowledge about potential users or a desired taget audience in the form of a fictive character (Wikberg-Nilsson et al., 2013). This fictive person is presented with information such as gender, age, lifestyle, values, preferences and needs. Two or three personas could be a way to describe a wider spectra of whom the user might be, where the different personas would exhibit different needs and preferences in other perspectives of the design issue. Using personas can be a tool to help illustrate contextual problems and design targets for a design team, as well a tool for empathising with the potential end user (Bella & Hanington, 2012). In this project the personas was constructed
out of interview data, observation, articles and review of bloggs. In order to present some of the different perspective identified during the research, two personas were constructed.
4.4. Ideation
4.4.1 Brainstorming
Generating ideas and exploring different solutions is of course a major part of the project. It has mainly been done through sketching and trying to visualise ideas on paper. The creative session that didn’t involve mock-ups could be explained as a mixture of brainstorming and attribute listing. Initial idea exploration started by searching new ways of how a backpack could look to serve its purpose. For instance questioning how to make a bag opening water tight in other ways. Brainstorming is an ideation method where a team aims to explore as many solutions as possible, from different perspectives and angles, preferably visual and with positive mindsets (Rodgers & Milton, 2011). In this case the sessions was performed alone but built on the same basics as if carried out in a team. Further on, the brainstorming session shifted towards finding solutions on how attributes on the target specification could be implemented by modification and combination. Rodgers and Milton (2011) describes attribute listing to be more narrowed or focused in its search for solutions, and not as general as brainstorming. Where attribute listing is more focused on identifying characteristics of the current state and achieve new solutions
by change and modification.
4.4.2 Mock-ups & prototypes
In order to gain a better understanding of the construction and feasibility of some ideas simple models were needed. These models were to begin with made out of paper and later also textiles. Using models during the development is a multifunctional tool since it allows designers to visualise and explore their ideas in the three-dimensional space (Rodgers & Milton, 2011). Visualising an idea with a live three-dimensional representation is a method which opens up the possibility for evaluation regarding functionality, usability, ergonomics among many other things (Rodgers & Milton, 2011). Internal and external communication of design is another aspect which can be afforded by the use of simple or more detailed models. Where the level of detail also decide the spectra of design issues adressed in the communication between different parties (Brandt, 2007).
4.5 Implementation
4.5.1 Convergence & selection
The convergence of ideas in the project was performed with the help of three different inputs. These three channels were feedback from Lundhags, the use of an evaluation matrix and the perspective of the personas.
Lundhags
During the process of ideation and the ideas were constantly evaluated and measured against the moodboard, target specifications and the list of needs constructed earlier. The initial step of an actual convergence of ideas included receiving feedback from Lundhags. This was carried out as a check whether or not the ideas pointed in the right direction. The feedback aimed to assist in the search for a more narrowed set of ideas that would all reflect Lundhags and be more ready for further evaluation. Later, input in the form of verbal feedback and notes from Lundhags on the narrowed set of concepts were also received and taken into consideration in the choices. Evaluation Matrix
To make the evaluation easier, the focus fell on the main body and excluded the ideas on back panel and carrying system of the backpack concepts. An evaluation matrix where used for the evaluation of the main body of the backpack. Here, a more suitable list of criteria where composed out of the target specifications and needs for the backpacks body to be evaluated against. The concept where evaluated in a matrix similar to the one described by Wikberg
Nilsson et al. (2013), where the concepts were given a score of 1 to 5 depending on their fulfilment of each criteria. This gave an indication of which concept would be the strongest and why.
Personas
Even though the personas had been used as a source of inspiration and continuous evaluation during the ideation, the personas were also used in the selection of concept. Depending on their presumed fulfilment of the persons needs and preferences, each concept was given a score between 0 and 3. The idea of scoring the concept by their fulfilment of needs for the personas was also inspired by Wikberg Nilsson et al. (2013) descriptions of evaluation matrices. The reason of using the personas was to once again bring the presumed potential users and their perspectives into the evaluation.
4.5.2 Technical drawings
As a part of the collaboration with the planned manufacturer technical drawings needed to be developed. These would serve as a medium for communicating the design for the production of more finished prototypes, sales samples and the finished design for manufacturing. They would also allow the manufacturer to reply with estimated production costs and material costs, which would drive design changes and trade offs.
The technical drawings were constructed in Adobe Illustrator as two-dimensional sketches. These displayed the models from different angles,
5. RESULT
5.1 Inspiration
5.1.1 Benchmarking
From the benchmarking it was possible to see patterns regarding use of materials, construction solutions and manufacturing techniques that were commonly used in order to create highly water resistant or completely waterproof backpacks. The benchmarking revealed that the use of roll-top closings where most common for bags design to be completely waterproof even when submerged.
Prices for these types of backpacks were another significant insight gained from the benchmarking. This helped to set suitable target prices for manufacturing and sales, which was a way to set boundaries for the design and position the brand with respect to competitors. Table 1 summarise some of the more significant findings from the benchmark.
5.1.2 Internet search
The internet search could perhaps be regarded as a form of observation in this case. Searching the web for information on competitive products and inspiration also gave ideas about characteristics of different types of products. For instance, there are backpacks for everyday use which are very minimalistic and there are those with lots of exterior features. Some look sporty, and some tend to be more retro looking, using leather details or earth coloured canvas fabrics. The boundaries are blurry and it’s not an easy task defining different styles. A common theme seen on the market is the use of roll-top closings, lids with single- or double-straps closing and of course zippers. The internt forum Carryology.com gives an interesting view on the relation between shape and function, where the category Fashion-Heritage is the mixture between urban and outdoor. These are backpacks reflecting outdoor aspects found in bigger trekking backpacks.
Price €105 - €270 18L - 35L
Polyester, Nylon, Polyamid
Roll-top, YKK zippers, TIZIP zippers Contoured shoulder straps, top handle Laptop sleeves, zipper pockets, key collectors Volume Material TPU, PU PVC Coatings Closing Carrying Organisation
MOLLE webbing, sternum strap, waist strap Features
5.1.3 Interviews
The context immersion included interviews with people that could be placed within the desired target group for this type of product according Lundhags. These people were stated to be bike commuters, students and anyone else that desires the benefits of waterproof storage of belongings. Therefor the interviews were held with both university students and people that already are consumers of outdoor wear and products that could be categorised as urban outdoor. These interviews regarded the current situation of these peoples´ daily travels, their hobbies, style and clothing preferences, current use of bags along with their reflections upon them. This mostly gave insights about people’s use of their bags, their struggles with them and wishes on improvements. In on of the interviews the participant expressed the wish for more options of organising the packing. And that one or two smaller pockets for small items would be good for keeping track of important belongings. Another aspect that surfaced in the interviews was that a moderate amount of exterior webbings or handles were appreciated, as it could be used to temporary attach clothing and thereby allowing the user to easily adjust to the environment without reorganising the rest of the packing.
5.1.4 Personas
Two personas were constructed as a result of interviews with both retailers and users, as well reeding articles and bloggs gave tips and insights given on the issue. The interview questions can be found in appendix C. The personas
are presented in the following sections (also figure 6).
Hannah
She is 26 years old living in Östersund, Sweden. Hannah is currently studying at the Mid Sweden University and she mostly bikes to school which takes about 15-20 minutes. Each day requires that Hannah brings various items for the different activities and lectures. These are notebooks, course literature, laptop, lunch, water bottle etc. The days could vary from high paced with lectures spread around the campus to less stressful days spent in the university library. Hannah would describe her style as minimalistic and clean, perhaps casual but still a bit fashionably dressed. She is all about quality in whatever she buys, with an eye for details. She Figure 6: Illustration of fictive users.
would say that details have a significant impact on the perception of products, which makes her a strategic shopper as she looks for the right product for her. Hannah’s spare time involves being with friends, exercising and taking part in activities at campus. Being flexible and prepared is key in Hannah’s way of living.
(flexibility, style, comfort )
Oscar
Oscar is 38 years old living in Stockholm, Sweden. He fills his spare time with climbing and music, and he is currently working with PR at a Nordic company. Oscar is conscious when it comes to shopping for cloths, as he is looking for both comfort, function and style. He would describe his style as casual since he prefers a pair of denims and a shirt. If the weather is a bit chilly or moody it is nice with a beanie and functional jacket to keep the weather out. Oscar mixes his travel to work by sometimes taking the car and biking some of the days during spring to autumn when the weather isn’t too harsh and the mood is right. Work is spent at the office with the exception of a few business meetings each week which are mostly located around the city centre. These require him to bring documents, laptop, perhaps an extra shirt just in case and a few other minor items. Organising and keeping track of things is for Oskar a key factor for success and professional appearance in his occupation.
(Organisation, functionality, style, lightness,)
Protect belongings from water. (waterproof) 1
Durable material for harsh weather conditions. 2
Good resistance for abrasion in everyday use. (placement on the ground, in lockers, against other bags or equipment) 3
Fairly resistant to dirt and stains. 4
Fairly light weight. 5
Protect laptop and surfe pads from moderate shocks. 6
Allow good visual overview when searching the bag for stuff. 7
Allow flexible options for carrying. 8
Solutions to long straps that are in the way or flapping around. 9
Comfortable to wear while walking as well biking. 10
Comfortable to wear when fully loaded. 11
Offer organisational support for the stuff inside. 12
Offer different access options. 13
Offer placement of larger stuff that otherwise take too much space inside backpack.
14
Don´t feel too bulky. 15
5.1.5 Needs & target specification
Besides the personas, the identified needs were gathered in table 2. The interviews were a major source of information regarding needs connected to the actual use of packs and bags. The internet search were another major input source since it revealed existing features of competing brands. Features which exists in orther to adress needs already detected and defined by the cepetitor. After some time a
somewhat realistic list of all the target specifications was compiled, which is
Equipped with a laptop sleeve. Volume between 16-25 liter. 1
2 3 4 5
Equipped with shoulder straps and handles.
6 Offer possibillities to organise packed gear. 7 Lining fabric in light colour for increased visibility.
8 Some type of access pocket for smaller items. (on the outside) 9 Afford attachment of equippment on the exterior.
10 Total weight X < 0,850
11 Material weight as low as possible while preserving durability. 12 Use of recycled materials as far as possible.
14 Reparable with changeable parts to a high extent. 15 Efficient use of materials ( efficient cutting of patterns etc.). 16 PVC free materials.
17 PFC free materials.
18 Materials and production shall be certified as sustainable. 13 Use of pure materials or acceptable combinations for easier
separation, reuse and recycling. Sternum strap for stability.
A construction that gives the bags some sturdiness and preventing it from collapsing.
shown in table 3. It was constructed after analysing the data from the benchmark, interviews, user needs and combining it with knowledge gained from literature review and discussion with the supervisor at Lundhags. The list included common features of backpacks to include in the design, issues to solve, metrics for technical performance and an upper limit for
production cost. Initially only one list was constructed but it was later on split and modified in two separate, one for each of the models.
Table 3: Target specifications for the products to strive towards.
5.1.6 Moodboard & colour palette
In figure 7, the moodboard for the two backpacks is shown. The goal when assembling it was to find a vision of the style, mood, colours, and context the two new models would be more drawn towards. At the same time as it would be a vision, challenging the current state, it should display similarities with the brands current style and values.
In connection to assembling the moodboard, a propositional colour palette was assembled by picking
colours both from the moodboard and the predetermined palette for 2020. Figure 8 shows a sample of pictures used for 2019 marketing and advertisement along with Lundhags values. The colure palette is displayed in figure 9.
Authentic
Functional
Sustainable
Nordic
RGB 70 78 77 Pantone 19-5004 TCX 656 Dark Agave RGB 115 54 42 Pantone 18-1541 TCX Rust RGB 131 107 79 Pantone 18-1022 TCX OAK RGB 170 159 150 Pantone 16-1305 TCX String RGB 22 26 28 Pantone 19-4305 890 Charcoal RGB 130 88 76 Pantone 18-1229 TCX Carob Brown RGB 98 91 92 Pantone 19-3803 TCX Plum Kitten RGB 41 50 51 Pantone 19-4012 TCX Carbon RGB 100 99 86 Pantone 18-0515 TCX Dusty Olive RGB 72 65 57 Pantone 19-0614 TCX 680 Tea Green Figure 8: Collage of 2019 marketing photos from Lundhags along with their values.Figure 9: Colour palette with nominated pantone colours.
5.2 Exploration
5.2.1 Brainstorming
The brainstorming was something that took place from time to time throughout the entire project. The first period dedicated for initial exploration resulted in about eighty different ideas spanning from constructional matters, features to aesthetic expressions. Thumbnail sketches was the main typ of illustration used in the beginning since it was a quick way of just playing with fuzzy ideas, in the search for an interesting balance of outdoorsy and urban aesthetics (see figure 10, 11 & 12). From the beginning, I also tried to explore ideas on how the opening and closing could be made instead of using regular zippers. Also experimenting with other placements of the entry to the main compartment, for instance having it placed on the side or at the front instead of the top. The ideation later came to concern how fabrics would be cut and joined in order to serve different purposes as they contributed to the products outer shaper.
Figure 12: A sample of thumbnail sketches.
Figure 11: Ideation sketches overview at the Lundhags office. Figure 10: Crreation of thumbnail sketches.
5.2.2 Prototyping
In combination with sketching thumbnails, the exploration also included prototyping in paper and textile (see figure 13). These models where simple mock-ups of specific parts. This was a specifically helpful in exploring the different constructions, as working with textiles and with welded seams is personally a new area. Paper was a fairly good medium, since joining paper with glue of tape would simulate the same strategy for joining two pieces of fabric with a welded seam (see figure 14). The method allowed simple experimentation three-dimensionally visualise ideas to complex to sketch directly from the mind. Areas of special interest and where prototypes where helpful was the construction of the widening of the roll-top opening, the looks of the bottom of the back pack and the layering of fabric for maintaining
Figure 14: Pictures displaying some of the fabric and paper mock-ups of bottom and opening.
Figure 13: Sketches on opening constructions.
waterproofness when adding padding, lining and webbings. Another level of prototyping was done with fabrics, webbing and buckle. Older samples of buckles from previous models at Lundhags were at disposal for testing possible combinations with webbing sizes and placement of straps.
Figure 15: The five concepts before narrowing down to two.
5.3 Implementation
5.3.1 Evaluation
Towards the middle of the project a more formal evaluation was carried out on more developed concepts. These concepts were the result of different conceptual solutions put together. Since the carrying system should be fairly similar to the other backpacks from Lundhags, due to similarities in fit and comfort, the shoulder straps would be easier to develop and evaluate separately. This led to the idea of dividing the backpacks into the three components body, carry system and interior. This would simplify the evaluation since each component not necessarily would be dependent on the other. The five bodies
of the backpacks were evaluated with the help of Lundhags, the evaluation matrix and the personas. The concepts is presented in figure 15.
Lundhags
The evaluation together with Lundhags was carried out as a discussion on all three of the components. Where feedback was given on the bodies as well the ideas and solutions on the carrying system, opening, bottom construction and exterior pocket placement. The five concepts where presented with pre-constructed pros and cons to facilitate the discussions. One aspects that were mention was the importance of a handle of some sort. As it would not only give an alternative way of carrying the bag,
C1
C4
C2
C5
Hannah Oscar 2 3 1 0 2 3 2 2 2 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 2
but also allow hanging the product at the stores and therefore be a tool in sales and displaying the product.
Another aspect was the strategy of not develop two models with too much similar features, but with clear differences in features and what is offered to the customer. This would be a way to reduce the competition between the bags, by offering different strengths. The score from the evolution matrices is shown in table 4 and 5. After considering the result from all three inputs the two concepts chosen to proceed with for technical drawings and detail design was C2 and C5. Both of these concepts scored high in the matrices and was also among the preferred by Lundhags.
5.3.2 Detail design
During the part of the project that could be mentioned as detail design, a series of decision were taken. The detail design and the construction of technical drawings occurred simultaneously and the two activities strongly influenced one another. The detail design included redesign of the C2 concept as much of its construction had uncertainties. The redesign started by building on the fundamental ideas of C2 and its type of exterior pockets, with the goal of finding
Protection of belongings from water Afford attachment of equipment Afford safe biking
Shape afford ergonomic carrying
Packability
Stability on the back while biking Flexibility and customisation Efficient use of materials Afford repairing
Afford easy access of smaller items on the go.
Afford easy access to main compartment Sum C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 3 3 1 4 2 2 3 4 3 4 2 4 4 1 4 2 3 3 4 3 4 2 4 2 1 3 3 2 3 4 1 4 2 3 4 1 2 1 2 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 1 4 3 4 3 4 4 3 2 31 34 29 27 36
Table 5: Evaluation matrics based on needs and target specifications.
Table 4: Evaluation based on personas perspective.
a more unified relationship between the body and the additional exterior components. The idea of preserving the no-zipper closing was strong, since it would positively differentiate the two models both aesthetically and functionally. The initial design of these are further illustrated in figure 17. The result of redesigning C2 was a bag with larger exterior pockets, that stretches across the front and to the sides. The idea that motivated these changes was that an increased volume perhaps would increase the flexibility as it would allow larger items to be stored in them. And that the previous pocket size perhaps would be less useful, as the set of items possible to fit might be too narrow. Figure 16 gives some examples of the work during the detail design.
5.3.4 Dimensions
The other part of the detail design regarded dimensioning features with respect to anthropometry and already existing components. Since both of the backpacks should be able to hold a laptop and for instance a u-lock, measurements for these items needed to be checked. A factor which shaped the process of setting dimension was that these two new models preferably would inherit the ergonomic fit of the current portfolio. So dimensions for the shoulder straps was based on the current daypacks, but tweaked due to other features and visions of the ergonomic experience. The result was a slightly thinner padding and a smaller angle in the curvature. At this stage, the outer dimensions were also experimented with, in order to estimate the volume and fit of internal components.
A great help during the process of setting the dimensions as well during the ideation was to test existing bags from both Lundhags and other brands. Two of these are displayed in figure 19. This gave a feel for different sizes and fits. For the larger backpack the dimension were sett to 640x300x150mm completely
Figure 16: Some other ideas regarding carrying system and
open, and with an estimated packing volume of 490x300x150mm in fully with about 150 mm of the length lost in closing the roll-top. This would roughly make the larger pack a 22 liter pack. The smaller backpack landed in a 16 liter backpack, measuring 530x290x140mm in total, and 410x290x140mm as the estimated measurements while packet. Figure 18 illustrates the act of testing the outer dimensions and the fit of a laptop.
Measurements on the back pannel was also based on current backpack models from the brand. But they were also compared with anthropometric data from Hanson et al. (2009), retrieved through the webpage tool antromoetri. se. The webpage tool allowed plotting illiac spine height against shoulder height with a confidence ellipse of 90 percent. The cases were found located at the edge of the ellipse’s thickest part, representing the cases within the
Figure 18: Estimating the fit of a 15 inch laptop inside the
backpack outer dimensions. Figure 19: Two of the bags examined and studied in order to define details and construction. Table 6: Antropometric data by Hanson et al. (2009). Data on extreme cases located on the 90% confidence ellipse.
Case 1
Shoulder Height [cm]
Male Female
Illiac Spine Height [cm] Difference [cm] Middle [cm] Case 3 Case 3 139,13 90,68 48,45 45,212 149,13 97,19 141,68 103,2 51,94 38,48 Case 2 132,63 96 36,63 42,539 ellipse with the shortest and the longest distance between the anthropometric measurement points. Table 6 gives the measurements of interest along with the difference between them. The difference measurement could for this project give a fair indication on suitable lengths for the backpacks padding and shoulder strap attachment points. Table 6 also gives the difference between the middle values for measurements of interest. The aimed length between the shoulder straps lower and the higher attachment points were after discussion with my supervisor set to 45cm for the 22 liter backpack. This measure will impact the placement of the waist strap on the user.
5.3.3 Technical drawings
As part of the final result, technical drawings were made to communicate the design to the manufacturer and its sample team. Two separate documents were made, one for each of the models. These documents contained two-dimensional drawings of the models in different views along with measurements, illustrations on details, explanations on constructional matters and material specification. Producing the drawings was in a way just as much an extension of the ideation as an activity of the implementation phase. Figure 20 illustrates the proces of setting dimensions, by estimating measures and proportions.
The drawings were made in Adobe Illustrator which allowed them to be drawn with scaled measurements of real components and raw material (see figure 21). This was a major advantage as the drawings would adress size and proportion. In a way, Adobe Illustrator
Figure 21: Sample of drawings for shoulder strap and hip belt.
Figure 20: The process of setting measures.
LUNDHAG S LUN DH AG S
project was to let the design mature and hopefully build strong and feasible concepts. Also to be able to have as much control of the design regarding construction and detail execution, and leave less uncertainties for the sample team to solve on their own without the knowledge of my vision. In the case that some ideas would not work, the manufacturer would be more aware of my vision, offer an alternative solution and thereby hopefully better perserve the design intent.
5.4 Final result
This section presents the final result by samples of the technical drawings that were sent for the first prototyp production at the manufacturer. Figure 22 and 23 displayes both of the backpacks in a two-dimensional overview. This is how far the development of these bags have reached, but they are not entirely ready and cleared for production yet. Even thought this section presents the final result of this project, this design is
LUNDHAGS LU NDH AG S BELEN II LUNDHAGS LUN DH AG S
16 L WP Daypack
Figure 22: Overview of the 16 liter backpack.
LUNDHAGS LU NDH AG S BELEN LUNDHAGS LUN DH AG S
22 L WP Daypack
Figure 23: Overview of the 22 liter backpack.
likely to change even more before the product is ready to meet the market. This is due to economical and constructional aspects that need to be further investigated outside the timeframe of the project. What lies ahead is further detail design, presumable trade offs and changes after receiving production cost proposal. The bags are to be presented
