Wrapped Up

Individual - MIT Undergraduate Student - February to May 2019

I designed and built a full-scale prototype of an insert for a suitcase as a collaboration project with Tumi on the future of travel. The insert could be taken out and transformed into a bag that the user can adapt to any travel situation, making it a customizable statement piece.

The design is created from 3D-printed rubber and fabric.

My goal was to create a travel accessory that adapts to different contexts, from being stored neatly inside a suitcase to functioning as a versatile, customizable carry bag.

I began the project with sketches and quick concept drawings, using them to explore multiple folding and connection ideas before moving into physical prototypes.

I started with low-fidelity mockups to test folding methods and ergonomics. My initial prototype explored a bag design with multiple internal straps, allowing objects to be secured by weaving them through.

Although the woven-strap concept was creative, the result functioned more like multiple internal pockets. I shifted focus to a more versatile and elegant connection system to secure folds without predefined attachment points.

I was inspired by interchangeable watch face design from Pop Swatches as a connection mechanism for customizable design.

As such, I proposed a bag that can be easily transformed using my design of a connection mechanism. The bag would be able to lie flat or be folded in a desired orientation. The connection mechanism would then secure any fold desired, unbound by predetermined connection locations.

Initial Prototype

Final Prototype

WORK

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