After deciding to focus on how origami can enhance portability, my next step was to look at how people use and benefit from existing portable products.
What does portability actually mean?
To begin, I brainstormed words and ideas related to portability (light yellow notes) and then sorted those ideas into broader categories (orange notes).
After doing this brain dump, I asked Miro AI to define portability based on the notes I had written. This is the definition it gave me:
"...the ability of an object or system to be easily transported, moved, or carried from one place to another. It involves the convenience and ease with which something can be taken along or relocated, often without causing significant disruption or inconvenience. Portable objects are designed to be lightweight, compact, and easily handled, allowing for mobility and flexibility in various contexts such as travel, commuting, or on-the-go activities. Portability enables individuals to have access to their desired resources or functionalities wherever they go, enhancing convenience and adaptability in different environments.
The last part of this definition, highlighted above, got me thinking about how portability can be useful for people who need to play multiple roles within their days. For example, parents with young children who need items for both their children and themselves while out and about, or office workers who go from the gym to work or vice versa.
From there, I decided to focus on the latter group and began researching what products currently exist for them.
Analyzing existing products
At this stage, I started to research what products currently exist for the identified target audience; people who require items for both the gym and work in their day. The current product market consists mostly of bags with features tailored to the target demographic, as well as some portable fitness and office products.
As my goal was to focus on the user's overall journey between the gym and the office, rather than one or the other, I decided to focus on ways in which current bags in the market could be improved. I created a quick user journey map with some overarching stages and actions the user would take in each stage.
I then researched and identified some of the most popular gym/office bags on the market. Below I have listed a few that I believe are designed well and have highlighted some notable features on each.
Price: $179.00 USD
Capacity: 21.4 L
Weight: 2.9 lbs
Notable features:
Main compartment of backpack opens from the front, functioning similar to a duffle bag
Multiple easily accessible external pockets
Ventilated shoe pocket that can be accessed from the bottom of the bag
2 water bottle pockets on either side of the bag
Image reference: https://aersf.com/products/duffel-pack-3
Price: $197.00 USD
Capacity: 24 L
Weight: 2.4 lbs
Notable features:
Main compartment of backpack opens from the top, but is also able to fully open from the front
Buckle/strap closure allows for adjustability to accommodate different amounts of things day-to-day
Ventilated shoe pocket that can be accessed from the bottom of the bag
Water bottle pocket on the right side of the bag
Image reference: https://moderndayfarer.com/products/dayfarer-backpack-v2
Price: $299.00 USD
Capacity: 25 L
Weight: 3.8 lbs
Notable features:
Front pocket of the backpack features many internal organization options
Stowable bike helmet storage that deploys on the front of the bag
Ventilated shoe pocket that can be accessed from the bottom of the bag
2 water bottle pockets on either side of the bag
Multiple external storage pockets on the front of the bag
Image references:
General key features of gym/work backpacks
When examining existing gym/work backpacks, these 5 features were identified to be common among most if not all of them:
At least 1 water bottle pocket
A ventilated shoe pocket
A large storage pocket
A section with a laptop sleeve
Smaller storage pockets and organizational features
Although not mentioned above, it should also be noted that since the product could potentially be used in an office/professional setting, the aesthetic of the product is also important.
Problem areas identified
After examining common features of gym/work bags, I also gathered information about which product features people complained about. Below are two features that were commonly mentioned negatively.
Shoe pockets
Water bottle pockets
Brainstorming & ideation
Based on the problem areas identified, I began brainstorming ideas of ways in which they could be improved with the integration of origami principles.
Sketching solutions to identified problem areas
For the shoe compartment, my initial thought was to integrate a folding pattern into the fabric at the bottom of the bag to allow the shoe pocket to expand downward. Therefore, when in use, the shoes would take up less space in the main compartment of the bag. The sketches also led me to consider additional expansion on the side of the bag as well.
Upon further research into integrating origami patterns into fabric, it became clear that fabric does not hold creases as well as paper does. As a potential alternative material, I looked into the possibility of integrating 3D-printed fabrics and origami. This is one area that could be promising if explored more.
I explored the idea of incorporating a Miura-ori pattern into the fabric for the water bottle pocket which would allow for the accommodation of a large variety of sizes and shapes. Additionally, if the pattern could fold to one side of the bag, as shown in the sketch below, the pocket could adjust based on the height of the object allowing the user to easily access it. To provide additional security, I also explored the idea of having the water bottle pocket expand into the main area of the backpack allowing the water bottle to slightly tuck into the bag rather than just sit on the outside. As the Yoshimura pattern tends to curve, I explored the use of it in this feature.
As mentioned with the shoe pocket, an issue with this concept as well is that the behaviour of fabric with origami patterns is not known. This would be necessary to explore in the prototyping stage.
Using Krea as an ideation tool
After ideating on the two problem areas, I look at the shape of the backpack. I began to sketch general shapes accounting for the possibility that the shoe pocket would expand to one side at the bottom.
To generate other potential ideas of how origami could be integrated into backpacks, I used Krea a generative image AI tool, and asked it to create backpacks with origami-inspired features based on the sketch above. This was the prompt I gave it: “Product design sketches of backpacks with the functionality inspired by the geometry of the origami tessellations”
Based on the output images, I brainstormed how some elements could potentially become functional features. I then replicated some of those features using paper to understand how they would translate physically.
Revisiting the User Journey Map
I then returned to the inside of the backpack where I considered the 5 key elements more holistically and sketched some possible arrangements of them. However, I realized quickly that without a solid idea of what users typically carry, it would be difficult to make more granular design decisions such as what internal storage options to include and what size to make the pockets.
To better design around the needs of the user, I revisited the user journey map and added a row detailing what items a user may need in each stage of their routine. I then removed the duplicate items and sorted them by most to least bulky.
Testing Assumptions about the User Journey
I realized at this stage that my information about users was based on secondary research and assumptions about their needs. To test my assumptions about the user journey, I decided to conduct a survey. The questionnaire included questions about what the user typically brings with them to the gym and to either school/work, features they value in their gym bag and bag for school/work and some general questions about their routine. Stay tuned for my next blog post which will feature more details about this!
Next Steps
Once the results of the survey are finalized, I plan to analyze the results and repeat the design process that I did here to generate more ideas and solutions based on the data. I also hope to start the prototyping process to explore and test the proposed solutions.
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