VeloCity Bag

Fall 2022

VeloCity Bag is a backpack made for bike commuters. This bag, which is equipped with a magnetic bottom insert, clips into a custom 3D printed bag holder that can attach to a standard bike back rack.

Preliminary sketching was done to develop the bag’s general size and profile. Additionally these sketches helped to create a sense of what elements in the bag would be “need-to-haves” versus what elements would be “nice-to-haves”. Once these elements had been determined, more detailed sketches were created to explore stylistic choices.

Ideation & Sketching

Design Goal: Create a functional, and professional commuter bag for bikers.

A detailed set of drawings was created for three final design concepts so that each feature was clearly called out. Critics were then asked to pick a final design with which to move forward into the prototyping stage.

High Fidelity Sketches

Design Goal: Present multiple viable options for the final bag design, as if the product were being produced for a real life client

A high fidelity drawing of the final design helped to inform the critic’s choice. Additionally, this drawing could be used to help communicate design intent with a manufacturer, if it were ever to be remade.

Final Design

Design Goal: Create a clear visual (and written) guide to remaking the bag in a factory setting.

After finalizing the design in drawing form, design details had to be created in 3D. The first step to creating the bag was to make a mockup in soft foam to determine proportions and size.

Foam Mockup

Mockup Goals: Determining the general aesthetics of the bag in 3 dimensional space for the first time.

Once general proportions were estimated in foam, the bag was made in brown paper to begin to nail down exact dimensions, folds, and cutting that would later be done in fabric. Once the pattern had been made, it was cut down the middle so that fabric pieces could be made by tracing the paper.

Brown Paper Mockup

Mockup Goals: Creating a pattern out of paper that could then be translated to fabric for final construction.

From the paper bag pattern, pieces of muslin were cut and sewn for the first iteration of construction of the bag. Three separate muslin models were created, each more sophisticated than the last.