DETAILS
Skills: Soft-Goods Fabrication, Custom Patterning, Research, Project Mapping, Prototyping
Delivery: Products Studio III
Duration: 8 weeks (Fall 2024)
How does it work?
The strap loops through the handle loop of your backpack, pulled down to the front and threaded through the clasp at the front of the bag. This secures your hitch bag onto your backpack for easy and mess-free transportation.
The Hitch Bag was designed to improve the existing experience of transporting food and meals amongst college students.
Objectives:
- Hands-free transport, outside of bag
- Can wear on or off backpack
- Closeable, semi-insulated, waterproof interior
- Machine-washable
- Durable & texturally pleasant material
- Reliable construction for stress-free handling
- Stylish and visually appealing
- Stands up on its own
Given my prior experience and comfort with soft-goods fabrication, I was able to create my own sewing and construction pattern from scratch. My unrefined personal construction plan was incredibly lengthy.
Project Prompt:
design an on-the-go food experience
4 Main Deliverables:
Final Hitch Bag (shown above)
Custom Sewing Pattern
Bag Construction Guide
Green Prototype for Revisions
1. INITIAL APPROACH
I originally tackled this project with the intention to ‘mobilize the food preparation process’. However, while iterating I discovered a more promising opportunity within my existing solution.
2. FINAL APPROACH
So, I pivoted, shifting my goal to improving meal mobilization/transportation for college students.
This meant I had to let go of my previous idea in order to better execute the new one. In this case, making that choice was definitely worthwhile.
(Deliverable #2)
I made the sewing pattern for the bag entirely from scratch. The final pattern and design was achieved through manual drawing, physical prototyping, and Adobe Illustrator.
(Deliverable #3)
This guide is a refined version of my construction, a much cleaner version of what I was using while making the bag. I created this entirely from scratch. I designed the guide using inDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
(Deliverable #4)
This green iteration was actually made after the final blue bag.
While making the final model, I took note of any incorrect or unsuccessful methodology, challenges or unnecessarily difficult steps, and resulting oddities in the form. I used these notes to reform my construction guide and pattern before quickly fabricating another last prototype.
This step/stage was a new addition to my usual process and wound up being quite effective and fruitful for correcting the issues in my previous iteration.
* The Hitch Bag was a transformative project in terms of honing my time management and project planning skills.