Eager to delve into the brand’s design journey, we asked co-founder Chengxiang KANG to share his behind-the-scenes insights on creative inspiration, future plans, and more…

How would you describe your brand to people who are just discovering it?

H&K is a handmade leather goods brand based in Beijing.

Why did you want to start your own brand? What specifically attracted you to making bags and leather goods?

I studied art in school. As an art student, I always particularly favored handcrafts and handmade objects. I started to make handmade leather goods many years ago. After graduating from university, I worked in an advertisement company for a few years. Now when I look back, I think the idea of establishing my own brand began to sprout at that time.

Eventually, me and my wife, Yue HU, created our brand in 2012. The brand name, H&K, comes from the initials of my and my wife’s surname.

Photo of the couple, Kang and Hu

Your brand was founded in 2012 in a friend’s attic. How did you spread the word and help the brand grow from an attic operation to having your own retail space?

There was not much communication at the very beginning, only posts on my own social media account now and then, and word-of-mouth spreading among friends. The acceptance and affirmation from the market has encouraged H&K and brought us to today.

Can you share some images of your retail space? Do you have any particular influences for the layout and design of the space?

The design of the retail space shall stay in coherence with the brand profile and products. Currently, H&K has three brand shops in Beijing. The interior is designed by professional studios. But we have set master guidelines regarding the key material: it must be related to bags or bag making.  

Photos of H&K brand shops in Beijing.

Taking our latest shop that opened in 2021 for instance, Aluminum was employed as the key material and applied massively in the space. Aluminum has many interesting qualities: light weight, unique texture, and a touch of futuristic mood. It was frequently used on vintage bags during the ’70s. When its futuristic touch mixes with H&K retro-look bags, it creates an amazing retro-futurism. I like it very much.

Photos of H&K brand shop with aluminum interior decoration.

What key elements or qualities do you value in product design? What must your products have or offer (for instance practicality, a particular aesthetic, durability, etc.)?

The material is definitely the key element to me. Good material is the base of tangible and visual pleasures. Good material deserves top craftsmanship, and together they contribute amazing qualities to products: good-looking, practical, durable, and a well-aging life cycle.

How did you learn your crafting skills? For example, leatherwork, sewing, and patternmaking?

I started from the ground up and learned it on my own.

Where are your products made? Do you make products yourself or have a team crafting them?

In our workshop in Beijing.

Can you share an image of your workspace and the tools you use?

Photos of Kang working in the studio

Photos of Kang working with the brand’s “Salt & Pepper” fabrics.

Where do you source materials for your products?

Horween leather from the States, vegetable-tanned bovine leather from Italy.

Our iconic “Salt &Pepper” fabric is customized in China.

What are your favorite materials to work with and why? Conversely, have there been any materials you’ve struggled to work with?

I am obsessed with leather and canvas because they are natural and original. These two materials, one comes from animals, one from plants; together they make bags more practical and durable. You can find this particular combination on vintage bags from a century ago. It’s a combination that has withstood the test of time.

Out of all your brand offerings, what is your favorite piece and why?

All. (laughs)

We hope every single H&K bag will become a classic product. For this reason, we put in a lot of effort during every single bag development before we present it to our consumers.

Your brand incorporates a variety of inspirations, from military to retro styles and more. How do you bring these different inspirations together in a cohesive design language?

Lots of my inspirations often come from vintage army bags. At H&K, we apply our brand visual signatures on different prototypes dated back to diverse periods to present a visual consistency. Our visual signatures include the leather/canvas material, brass metalware, and the flap with our iconic curve.

Photos of H&K iconic flap curve.

Sometimes products are associated with inferior quality simply because they are made in China. Are you hoping to change those perceptions with H&K Leather Workshop? Is that an important consideration and goal for your brand?

Yes, it is true that the label “Made in China” has been associated with inferior quality for quite a while. But nowadays there have emerged growing Chinese brands who are engaged in the quality segment with an artisan attitude, just like H&K. I believe there will be more and more Chinese brands standing for good quality, presenting the new landscape of “Made in China” to the world. I also hope H&K will be discovered and favored by more and more retro lovers all over the world.

You’ve done a few collaborations. What do you value or look for in a collaborator?

Their value about products and understanding of brand will be my main concerns.

Do you have a favorite collaboration?

H&K x Brother Bridge Boxer Boots Collection

Photos of the Boxer Boots from H&K x Brother Bridge Collection

We’d love to see what you carry every day (or at least regularly). Can you share a picture of your EDC (everyday carry)? The items you carry in your pockets or bag daily?

Well, I am not typical in this case. I have a huge amount of bags because I love bags. BUT I barely carry one in daily scenarios during recent years. I only grab my cellphone and keys and put them in my pockets. (laughs)

Some work days may be harder than others. Some days creativity will flow easier than other days. How do you stay inspired and motivated each day to do what you do and keep designing and creating new offerings?

Old bags have been a constant inspiration in my design. I have collected more than 300 pieces of vintage bags. Most of my collection is presented in the H&K Vintage Bag Museum and is open to the public.

Photos of H&K Vintage Bag Museum

But inspirations don’t knock on my door every day. Sometimes when I found myself stuck, I would turn to my hobbies: outdoor sports, skateboarding, snowboarding, camping, and fishing. Staying outdoors and enjoying activities I like is a good path to refresh myself and come across new ideas. I like to observe. The approach would be something like: 1. Observe. 2. Find a new need. 3. Come up with a design solution to meet the need.

Creating and running your own brand can be challenging and time-consuming. How do you maintain a productive work/life balance? Are there any routines you follow each day or particular hobbies or activities you do when you need to take a break and recharge?

This is the ultimate question for all entrepreneurs. My answer is you cannot maintain a perfect balance. Work and life are woven together and it’s not easy to draw a clear borderline. Personally, the best balance for me is to develop hobbies related to my work, or you can say work in the field related to my hobbies.

Currently, I am enthusiastic about camping, fishing, and skateboarding. And you will see how my hobbies are woven into my upcoming collections, soon I hope.

Are there any particular brands or creators that you looked up to or who inspired your own work? Both from when you were just starting out and today as an established brand yourselves?

Nigel Cabourn.

You have a history in advertising, art, and design. If you weren’t involved in leathercraft and making bags, are there any other career paths you would be interested in pursuing?

I would say café. But it’s actually already done.

Lifestyle is the core that I want to deliver, and leather making is only one approach of the lifestyle I want to share with others. In October 2021, we opened our brand café H&K+ in Beijing. It is a cozy courtyard where you can taste a good coffee and creative fusion food. It is also our brand space that demonstrates my lifestyle and offers an immersive experience to our guests.

Photos of H&K+

What’s been the greatest challenge you’ve overcome in your brand journey?

As a former art student, the organizational management is a very important subject to learn. H&K was founded with a tiny team of two, me and my wife. And it has grown into a sound team with three brand stores during the past nine years. How to keep the entire team energetic and productive will be the vital impact factor for the brand’s development.

What are your top tips or advice for other makers and people who want to start a brand?

Find something you love and believe. Carry on.

What’s on the horizon for H&K Leather Workshop? Are there any intriguing brand developments planned that you can share with us? Perhaps a new collaboration in the works or a new product design?

Collection 2022 will be more lifestyle-oriented. It will embody some outdoor activities that I am enthusiastic about, like fishing for instance.

The post An Interview With H&K Leather Workshop appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Alasdair Leighton-Crawford is the energetic, creative designer behind the CIMORO brand. His brand first caught our attention in 2021, making the cut as one of ‘8 Experimental Makers That Should Be on Your Radar‘.

After the article, Alasdair reached out with intel on his plans to develop his own UL running vest, designed to compete with the best running vests around.

Now, his creative group has several product offerings, including a crazy-awesome running vest (CIMORO UL Running Vest V1) that will be moving into factory production soon.

We caught up with him to talk about his company, his design philosophy, and where gear comes from.

Tell us a little bit about your background. How did you learn to sew, create, etc.?

I learned to hand sew on Savile Row in London as well as learned to sew on a sewing machine at home, mainly making shirts and repairing gear, but tailoring is where I began. Afterward, I worked in an atelier in Zurich working for lots of brands making every type of sportswear, from simple to highly technical. This is where I had access to every type of making and sewing machine, which was totally awesome.

How did you get into making packs? Why an ultralight running pack?

Packs just seemed like the way to go. I love clothing, but that’s always been more of my day job. Backpacks are more utility and more moldable to our lives – we carry them everywhere and so I began experimenting. Vests really come from the collision of clothing with bags and that’s where I got interested in the ergonomics and materials being used. Having access to a lingerie atelier in my hometown helped me discover some other fabrics which could be incorporated into the designs.

What does CIMORO mean? What does it stand for?

It means the first two letters of City, Mountain, Road. All the designs are inspired to a greater or lesser extent by one of these.

Can you talk a little bit about your self-proclaimed tagline of “Future Master Craftsmen”?

I was a tailor and when you become a top tailor your title is Master Craftsman (an old-world word for a person of the guild in London, UK). I just thought Future Master Craftsmen was where I wanted to take the brand, mixing up hand-craft with technology such as 3D and AR and computers/tech, but using this all to make great products that still feel human.

What does your creative process look like?

This depends on the project. Sometimes I go straight to paper from notes and sketches. Sometimes it’s 3D CAD then mixing it up with paper and sketches, sometimes purely 3D on the computer. Depends on what tool is best for the job.

Where do you see CIMORO going from here?

We are slowly, slowly growing the range, by working with an awesome community of customers who are helping steer the designs and direction of the company. I think it’s important to incorporate feedback from the real people who are using your designs in the real world and I’m working on a few different formats so that we can change our designs in response to what our users want.

Can you talk a little bit about your decision to offer a small initial batch of packs followed by a larger-scale run?

As a small company with the skills to make in-house and loving doing it, it makes sense to do some production for the release of every product. To help get the vibe from the community as well as get a gauge on feedback and choices of what fabrics to use when it comes to a larger-scale run. I like this approach as it works well to iteratively develop things and reduce waste all the time. You only make what you need and you are always learning.

You seem to be very interested in the community of users and makers. Can you talk about how you see yourself and your company taking user feedback in the future?

I guess it started in tailoring. All bespoke suits, shirts, and accessories start with a tailor sitting down with his/her customer and deciding together what they would like. From this point, it becomes a partnership of both trust and expertise. The same can be said of making packs and later clothing; these things can be brought to more people without becoming disproportionately expensive, if you keep an eye on what technology can do for you!

What is your most indispensable or favorite piece of gear? It can be something you made, or something else. It can be a piece of clothing, a bag, a pocket knife, etc.

Am I allowed two items?! My needle feed sewing machine which I bought second-hand after working in an atelier in Switzerland. It just works and is like an old Mercedes. Else, for sport, my 4FRNT Renegades (skis) made in the White Room in Salt Lake City, Utah in the early 2010s. Full wall to wall wood core. Developed by Eric Hjorleifson (Hoji) and Endre Hals at his epic ski barn in Norway. These guys are geniuses.

They are both true craftsmen and athletes.

If you’re picking up what Alasdair is putting down, you can find more of his work on his website and drool over some gear on his Instagram.

This article was written by Jeff Wayland, trail runner, backpacker, cyclocross racer, fledgling paragliding pilot, and wannabe DIY pack maker.

The post Maker Spotlight | An Interview With CIMORO appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Founder Phil Schade was working in IT building databases when he realized he wanted to get back to working with his hands and creating physical products. What started out as dabbling with upholstery eventually evolved into a passion for soft goods and carry products. “I definitely didn’t consider myself a bag person. If it didn’t fit in my pockets, I didn’t want to carry it. When I did start experimenting with bags, I didn’t think it would end there but I settled into a nice spot where I felt like there was some interesting problem-solving going on, some interesting sculptural things you could do.”

This spirit of experimentation runs through every aspect of 1733, and the business itself is an ever-evolving concept. Schade’s mentality has been to let the studio grow organically in whatever direction feels right. “I don’t try to force it. I’m not bashing my head on the wall. I’m just trying to make a living doing this thing I’m doing.” That attitude seems to be working. Over time improvements to functionality and experimentation with new materials have honed the brand’s unique aesthetic by following Schade’s instincts for what he finds most interesting.

New, high-tech materials and material manipulations keep signature products like the Daily Tote and Side Pack feeling fresh but true to the brand. Each release brings something new to the table, but the underlying design sense demonstrates a consistent combination of traditional and technical, familiar and hi-tech. Sometimes updates can come very quickly, other times he’ll test prototypes for years before a new release.

Schade has managed to set up a small production center in the studio with the help of a team of sewers. This gives them an incredible level of agility, since they make runs of 20-200 bags at a time. Product updates can be handled much quicker and more efficiently than if they were using a factory to produce thousands. In-house production is not without its challenges, however; in the beginning, there was a bit of a learning curve. Schade remembers, “I figured out that the cutting was the real bottleneck for production so I started researching stack cutters and assembly line sewing.”

Today production runs like a well-oiled machine and they drop new inventory the second Friday of every month. Demand is so high that this week, for the first time, they’ve opened pre-orders for some of their best-selling bags. 

I stopped by the new studio space to chat with Phil earlier this year. Housed in a renovated factory in western Chicago with large steel windows and lots of natural light, it feels like a blank canvas set up for all sorts of soft good hijinks. Stacks of fabrics, webbing, prototypes, and bins of new gear ready to go out all surround the maker space with a row of industrial machines and large cutting tables.

We looked through some of his old bags and prototypes and I got a glimpse into his development process. Phil’s problem-solving approach is very practical, but he is always exploring, searching for something new. This, mixed with his high level of craft and attention to detail all combine to create a refreshing aesthetic. One of the most exciting things I got to take a look at while I was there was some recent work bleaching and dyeing X-Pac for the Meridian brand collaboration. The tie-dye effect on a highly technical fabric like X-Pac was pretty awesome and made some of the coolest bags I’ve ever seen. 

Other things I really loved were some packs and Side Packs being built with 500D Gridstop, which combines 500D Cordura nylon yarns with UHMWPE ripstop grid. These are live on his site now with a restock coming soon.  

Chatting with Phil about bags, business, our obsessions with sneakers and technical jackets was a cool experience and I’m glad I was able to stop by. Expect a lot of 1733’s stuff to continue to sell out, and keep your eyes peeled for pre-order opportunities on 1733’s website. It’s a brand to watch for ’21 and beyond.

This article was written by new contributor, Aaron Puglisi, professional designer and maker behind Denier Lab, an experimental carry design space on Instagram.

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The brand showcases the value of reclaimed materials through a range of collections such as the Tote Bag Project, the Offcuts Bottle Bag collection, and the Side Bag collection. Each collection features pieces that immediately catch the eye but complement their urban/techwear aesthetics with functional design. Keen to learn more about this intriguing brand, we asked Jaimus to share his design insights…

Can you tell us a bit about your design background?

I’ve always been into drawing and have been consistently expanding my creative skillset since a young age. I went on to study Graphic Design at university but once I graduated I began focusing on woodwork with a primary interest in using discarded materials. In 2019 I set myself a New Year’s resolution to learn how to sew but still had a strong interest in second-hand materials, which translated to me using second-hand garments.

How would you describe Greater Goods as a brand and what inspired you to create it?

I describe Greater Goods as a design project that was created purely from my interests in multiple design fields. I wanted a platform that would reflect all my creative interests, from graphic design to sewing and product design.

How did you learn to sew? Did you teach yourself or get advice from anyone?

I set myself the New Year’s resolution in 2019 to learn how to sew. I bought a broken sewing machine from eBay in December 2018, fixed it, and then learnt the basics from my sister over the weekend. I watched a few YouTube tutorials but learn mostly through practicing basic sewing projects. The more I practiced, the better I got. I feel I’m still improving, as it’s a relatively new skill to me.

How many people are in the team? What are your respective roles?

One person and I wear many hats. However, I often get help from friends when more hands are needed. I often work with my close friend Haydn West who’s an amazing photographer.

Can you walk us through a typical day at Greater Goods HQ?

No such thing as a typical day, every day is totally different. It could be an email day, sewing day, or a designing day.

Where are the bags made? Could you share a photo of your workspace and tools you usually use?

What do you consider crucial in good design? What key features or qualities should it have (function, a certain aesthetic, versatility, durability etc.)?

I’ve always looked at function to be the key factor, something that functions well and is simple in design will draw its own aesthetic. It all depends on the use of the object.

There’s a juxtaposition of outdoor-oriented materials and urban designs in Greater Goods pieces. How does the outdoors inspire your designs and fit within an urban carry context?

I’ve lived in the city my whole life, but have always liked outdoor gear and hiking. The products are almost a direct representation of the way I think being raised and living in the city but craving open outdoor spaces.

Where and how do you source the upcycled materials you work with?

Primarily online; I don’t really thrift much as all the resellers in London usually clean out stores. I make sure each damaged garment goes a very long way. I use every single part of each product; this means I don’t need to have a large stock of jackets to work with.

To what extent do the materials you are working with affect, limit or otherwise guide your designs?

The materials and garments really dictate the final design. It links back to when I focused on woodwork and how each salvaged piece of wood will come with its limitations. However, these limitations were limiting in the best way possible. It created these barriers that I had to work within, an unwritten design brief. Each product I make is totally unique; it’s impossible for me to make the same product twice purely because every garment is totally different.

What’s the most interesting upcycled material/item you’ve worked with?

It would have to be the natural hand-dyed fabrics from the recent STORY mfg. collaboration. My sewing machine had a slight black tint afterwards but working with the natural hand-dyed cottons was a joy.

What’s your favorite piece you’ve created and why?

Probably the Arc’teryx Kimono-style jacket, which was inspired by the Japanese Noragi.

I think it was the sense of achievement when it all came together that sticks with me. I didn’t know if it would be possible to create but I had the idea in my head for months and knew there was only one way to find out if it was possible.

What’s the most challenging piece you’ve created and why?

Easily the Gore-Tex Futura Tactical vest. It was a total reconstruction project with lots of techniques that were completely new to me. I really enjoyed the challenge and would love to do it again sometime soon.

You offer a bespoke service for custom pieces. How do you balance customer expectations with design, construction and material limits? And how do bespoke pieces push you forward, creatively or perhaps by learning new techniques?

I very rarely take on bespoke piece orders, as they are very hard to manage and often too complex to achieve. When I do it’s often a request from someone I know personally.

What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced so far, from a design perspective and business startup perspective? How did you overcome them?

Too many challenges to mention! The largest for me has been the steep learning curve on multiple projects. I throw myself into new design areas and learn best while being in the process. I think the best way to overcome a challenge is to really think clearly and pace yourself. It’s very easy to freeze up due to the to-do list being too large. Breaking tasks down into digestible chunks helps so much and gives that small dopamine kick.

How do you stand out from the competition and differentiate Greater Goods from other brands in a similar niche?

Often sustainability is presented by brands as very serious, with lots of diagrams and text. However, I feel that if it’s presented in a much more colorful way it has more potential of becoming the common norm. Greater Goods is a collage of a brand with constant varying art direction; I take pride in the graphic design aspect and am constantly looking to develop and experiment. Strangely enough I don’t think too much about competition, I focus on the things I create.

You’ve teamed up with other brands such as Paynter and STORY mfg. on collaborations. How do you choose which collaborators to work with? Are there particular creative traits you look for or shared values?

I really enjoy working in small teams and both Paynter and STORY mfg. were a joy to work with. 

How do you see the carry industry developing over the next few years?

I like to think that there will be a push towards using recycled materials. I feel that many areas of fashion and textiles have begun focusing on new recycled methods but the bag industry seems to be slightly behind. There will constantly be developments in usability and functionality so I expect product to keep evolving in that aspect.

Are there any particular brands, creators or designers you look up to or that inspire your own work?

I respect and admire many brands; my insta feed is just a moodboard of constant amazing work from brands and creators all over the world. However, I often find myself repeatedly watching talks and lectures by Tom Sachs; for years he has been my favourite artist/designer. It’s not the direct influence to my physical work but more the mindset of creating and the purpose or reasons of doing so.

Could you share other brands you’re a fan of or who you think are doing great work in their space, either with or without a sustainability or upcycling focus?

STORY mfg., Loutre, Nike Space Hippie team, Sealand, Nicole McLaughlin and many more!

Do you have any tips or personal practices for finding that important work/life balance?

I’m definitely not the guy to give work/life balance advice. However, for personal practices you need to make time for it. I’m not a super social person so I just used my evenings to learn how to sew and would keep going until the early morning hours. If it’s something you truly enjoy it shouldn’t feel like a chore.

Any advice for other designers or creators looking to do what you do or start a brand?

Start by learning Photoshop and refine the vision you have for the brand.

If you weren’t working on Greater Goods, what would you be doing professionally? Is there an ideal dream job or an alternative career path you’d be interested in pursuing?

Probably graphic design of some kind, I get restless behind a computer screen but the design I’m into involves lots of physical mediums such as collaging and scanning. Sadly I don’t think my dream job exists outside of Greater Goods.

Tell us something fun or unusual about yourself people might not know?

I’m fascinated by Concorde.

Can you share a photo of what you carry on a daily or regular basis and detail what each piece is?

I don’t really carry much nowadays as I don’t leave the studio but my essentials are as follows:

Phone (I used my Google Pixel to take this pic, I’m defo an Android kinda guy), Sandqvist leather wallet. Usual bits on my keys and a 2M Stanley tape measure (a true essential), Moleskine notebook, Leatherman multi-tool, Nalgene 1L bottle, black biro, drawstring pouch (for coins and other random bits) and an N95 mask.

How do you stay inspired or motivated each day, even if the creative juices aren’t flowing or a particular project is proving tricky? Do you have particular routines or activities that help you stay productive?

I tend not to fight through the creative blocks, I often just go for a walk and take it easy and ease back into the creating and making. Before lockdown I was running and playing badminton weekly but sadly during lockdown I lost a lot of drive to exercise and found myself creating and designing loads, which meant being sat for the majority of the day.

What new projects or designs do you have on the horizon? Any interesting future developments or plans you’d like to share?

I plan to experiment with new design and I plan on developing some clothing pieces.

Pro tip: we recommend joining the Greater Goods newsletter, to be the first informed of their new gear, as they only make very small batches and sell out quickly!

The post Greater Goods Might Be Our New Favorite Upcycling Brand appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

This is how Hamburg-based Heimplanet began in 2010. For the last ten years, they’ve developed a brand that has seen their gear used in the most rugged and exotic places on the planet. Heimplanet’s aim has been to create pieces that spark joy, make travel easier, and facilitate connections to the places around us. From their first product, The Cave, to their Motion Series of active wilderness-ready bags, and Transit Line of travel gear. There’s a desire to “erase the room for improvement” and work until nothing can be improved upon. A lofty goal.

The folks at Heimplanet have recently revamped both their iconic Motion Series and Transit Line while adding a slew of well-thought-out Carry Essentials (Packing Cubes, Dopp Kits, Simple Pouch). There’s also an EDC-friendly Commuter Pack as well!

Given the excitement of their tenth anniversary and their new releases, I had a virtual sit-down with Heimplanet co-founder, Stefan Clauss.

Grab your favorite stein of beer and let’s make a connection with Heimplanet.

Being in Germany, what is your favorite beer?

Okay, I admit, I do like beer a lot. I do not really have a favorite one, but if I had to choose one, I would pick Tegernseer Hell.

How long has Heimplanet as a company been in existence?

The idea for our first product was born in 2003 while traveling along the Portuguese coastline. Then to transform the idea into a real product and brand was in 2008. The company was finally founded in 2010, and our first product, an inflatable tent – The Cave – was presented in 2011.

What was the catalyst in creating the company?

The initial idea was born out of our first-hand experience and some frustration. We wanted to build the tent of the future. In 2008, my founding partner and I decided that it was the right time to give it a try. We always wanted to create something on our own and do something that meant more than just a job.

You started out with a tent, what made you branch out into other gear?

Right from the beginning, it was clear that we wanted to be a modern outdoor brand and represent the excitement that is connected with it. I remember watching the surf movie Castles in the Sky by Taylor Steele and thinking, “That’s it, that’s the Heimplanet feeling.” Scenes that really express how I connect with the beauty of traveling. While traveling, products should make things easier and, ideally, help along the way, although they are not the reason why you leave the house.

Over the years you’ve seen some great success, what has been your proudest moment?

There have been many great moments like receiving awards or being featured in a magazine or by a person I really respect. Personally, I am proudest when I spot a random person on the street wearing one of our products. Or I read a customer comment that points out a feature that we discussed for endless hours in development.

What do you attribute your success to?

I believe our customers appreciate our attention to detail and the clarity of our product design. It’s easy to overload a product with features and complexity. The difficult part is choosing the right functions and integrating them in a way where they almost disappear so that the final product becomes simple, clean and nothing is redundant. We are trying to create products that create joy while in use because they make sense and surprise you. It’s like finishing someone’s sentences. If we create that kind of experience, we have succeeded.     

What’s the most unique place you’ve seen your gear go?

Our tents have been to some of the most amazing and remote places around the planet. It would be tough to pick only one. Still, there’s one story that’s extraordinary. We received a phone call one day from a huge production company that was working on one of the biggest movies of 2019. They told us how the production team fell in love with one of our backpacks. At first, I thought it was some kind of scam, but the person explained that they decided to make our bag a present for everyone on set and that they would like to place an order. I would have loved to be there for the moment when they received it!

What are some influences behind your designs?

Function is always our first concern. The Cave was born from a technical solution, the structure of a geodesic dome or buckyball perfectly represents the principles that we were searching for in a tent. It’s the most stable and economical way to construct a room.

Afterward, we realized that with this construction, it is impossible to separate function from design; they are one. This defined our product design principles. It was a long and challenging process to find our voice. Still, with the Motion Line, we were able to translate this concept into our backpacks, and it defined our direction from then on.

We are also inspired by patterns and forms that you find in nature. Nothing in nature is random, everything follows a principle and makes sense; we are trying to infuse some of that into our products.

 To quote Buckminster Fuller:

 “When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty, but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.”

Can you talk a little bit about the geometric design that is featured on a lot of your gear?

A couple of years ago, we were contacted by multiple customers, they wanted one of our tents, but in a colorway that would disappear in nature. We looked at the different possible solutions and were not happy with the options. A green tent would be a bit boring, and a classical camouflage was not really what we wanted either. Out of the thought process, we decided to develop our very own pattern with camouflage functionality.

Once finished, we started realizing how much this pattern actually represents our design approach and aesthetics. From then on, this pattern appeared more often in our products, like on the three-dimensional back panel of our Motion Series. We then decided to make it part of our design DNA and our signature pattern. Nowadays, you can find it in most of our products in one form or another. 

How much does customer feedback affect future designs?

A lot. The development of our signature pattern was inspired by customer feedback. The new Dopp Kit Better Half was inspired by customers, as were a lot of modifications to existing products. We really appreciate customer feedback. None of our products are untouchable. We continuously work on improving them.

You have a few new pieces being released, that’s exciting; can you tell us about them?

We invested a lot of time and resources over the last two years developing our own, more durable and eco-friendly materials and hardware. Last year was hectic for us, we were really focused on bags. We started by launching our Neck Pouches a couple of weeks ago, followed by the launch of our redesigned Motion Series. Both the Carry Essentials and Motion Series are made from the same mix of materials and feature our new DYECOSHELL II fabric. This is now an essential part of the redesign, especially in the Motion Series since it focuses on the outdoor context and is designed with active usage in mind.

After that, we launched our redesigned Transit Line, including an all-new Travel Pack with 28L next to the 34L version. This line also features new materials and custom hardware that you’ll find across our products from now on.

At the same time, we introduced a collection we call Carry Essentials. This collection features packing cubes, a new version of our Dopp Kit, plus a smaller version of the Dopp Kit Better Half and a new Simple Pouch.   

In September, we are going to launch a brand-new pack that we are very excited about. We call this the Commuter Pack. We shared some details about the development during the Carryology Meetup in Hamburg at the beginning of this year. The pack is made from our new DYECOSHELL II fabric, and it’s an excellent pack for everyone who is looking for a compact everyday solution.

What would you like to see your customers do with Heimplanet gear?

When we started with the development of our first bags, I shared my experience with the team about a bag I owned for 10 years. It was my go-to pack for every trip and every day. In the end, this bag had a wealth of memories and experiences. That’s what I want for our products. I want them to be catalysts for the experiences and memories you make while traveling.

What’s next for you and Heimplanet?

We are already working on products for next year, but for now, we believe we have an exciting line-up. We want to put these products into more hands and in front of more eyes. We are working on expanding our distribution so that more people can touch, try, and experience Heimplanet.

A special thank-you to Stefan Clauss and Moritz Grebe for spending some time with me and discussing Heimplanet.

This article was written by Jovanni Bello. Renaissance man, adventurer and cell phone photographer.

The post A Decade of Heimplanet: Interview appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Eager to learn more about Dan’s design influences, projects and tips, we asked him to share his insights…

You were a product designer at Triple Aught Design and now a freelance softgoods designer. We’d love to know why you got into design and how you got started with TAD?

I was a designer at TAD from 2006-2018, and have since moved on to pursue life as a freelance designer. 12 years is a long time to stay in a creative position like that, so despite the vast collection of design challenges it was time to move on.

My background is in graphic design. I had a lifelong interest in illustration, so it seemed like a good idea even though I had no grasp on what it meant. What really caught my attention about the design department was how process focused it was. I believe my transition into apparel and softgoods design was possible because there was a lot of crossover in the design process. It was very overwhelming at first, and I failed A LOT but that learning experience was super valuable. 

I got started at TAD as a freelance designer. When I was still living in Oregon a friend called to tell me about a new shop he found in San Francisco (this was around 2004-2005 maybe?). Over time he landed a job there and I eventually had the opportunity to meet everyone at a knife show in Portland. That was my first experience with that community and it totally floored me. Custom knives and industries like it have a really well educated customer base. It felt like everyone was an expert, and being a part of it meant doing your homework and having a knowledge base (which I didn’t have). In either case we got along and I eventually started doing some freelance design work for print design and technical sketches. It was an exciting time for me as a Jr designer to flirt with a fantasy job while grinding through a 9-5. Eventually there was an offer to go full-time with the exception that I’d move to SF, which I accepted immediately.

You have a series of embroidered patches reflecting your personal creative influences. Could you tell us more about what those influences are and how they shape your design process?

I’ve always wanted to create embroidered artwork that was truly my own and free from any outside brand direction. I’ve observed the culture of patch collecting over the years and it’s been incredible to see how enthusiastic people can be about supporting artists. Selling your art is challenging, but there’s something about the tangible nature of these patches that really makes them feel personal and fun to look at.

At the moment I’ve only released two embroidered patches on my own. They’re intended as a three-part series, to which the third is currently in production. There could have easily been more than three, but the list of influences was getting out of hand so I had to audit my choices. The first release ‘Oni’ is a reference to culture and heritage. I’m Japanese American but my family (immediate and extended) are from Hawaii. Culturally my sister and I were raised in a Japanese-Hawaii household, which may sound strange but for anyone who knows what that means it’s definitely a specific culture. I struggled with this growing up. On the mainland I felt like a minority, but on Hawaii I wasn’t accepted as a local (in Japan I’m unquestionably an American). It’s hard to process as a young person but it’s also made me who I am today.

The second release ‘Astronaut’ was my love letter to sci-fi films. I struggled with this one as it felt like a generic reference, but it’s absolutely true. I think a lot of us in EDC or Carry culture have this in common, which is why I think we see a lot of similar references in the community. For me, science fiction is great at making us reflect on our own realities by forcing us to seek relatable aspects in characters, environments or props even if they’re completely foreign. I think about that approach a lot when creating something from scratch.

The third and final patch is about music, but also listening and being a good listener. This last design will also finish the red, white, and blue color sequence of skulls which is my nod to being American.

What do you prioritize and/or value in a design? What key features or qualities should it have (function, a certain aesthetic, versatility, durability etc.)?

I suppose it depends on if you’re serving the needs of a client and design brief or creating something for yourself. Many of those requirements are often dictated by the client, so for the sake of making this interesting I’ll answer for myself!

When approaching product creation (for non-life-saving or mission critical equipment), I tend to focus on the balance of functional aesthetics. Personally I find the functional components to be the most attractive, so I always try to keep some of that included with the visual language. I also find that durability is high on my list of priorities as I like to think that these products are reliable and will last longer than you’ll need them. How you accomplish this will vary, but as long as you have a good idea of its use case you’re on the right track. The last feature worth mentioning is a little unusual but I do find it important to acknowledge. How does wearing and using the bag make you feel? What’s interacting with it like? Again, if we cast aside the critical use gear aspect and assume this is an “everyday” thing, then I do appreciate looking at the user experience. It does include the literal interactions like pockets and suspension, but there’s also a bit of matchmaking that occurs when someone inspects a bag for the first time. I love the idea that donning a bag sparks a feeling of capability and confidence, even if it’s only walking a few blocks or going for a day hike.

We’re digging your personal sample series of pouches! What inspired you to start this series and what do you think the future of the series might be?

I originally made the pouch for some fishing buddies. The request was actually for a dedicated sling bag, but since I was interested in using it myself I wanted to offer multiple carry options. This is why there are multiple strap configurations including total removal if you choose to use it as a basic storage pouch. I’ve never been into these carry options before, but after using it in the proper context it’s been in my EDC pack every day. The pouch is actually part of a larger system of bags that I’ve been working on as a side project. I’d love to release the entire kit, but it’s very labor intensive and I want to ensure that the quality and features are possible for my production capabilities.

You craft your sample series by hand. Have you made gear in the past or is this your first time getting hands-on? Do you craft the pouches at home or elsewhere?

I’ve been building softgoods for around 10 years at this point. Professionally it was proof of concept, prototypes and samples but never on a production level. I never thought I’d have the patience for this type of sewing, but I’ve found it strangely satisfying as working on the same project for months has taught me a lot of new things. I have a small workshop set up at home for sample sewing which can handle just about everything. We’re very limited on space in SF, so depending on the client work or larger projects I often outsource for laser cutting. My buddy Joe at Scout Leather and Jason at Prometheus Lights have been very supportive and generous with their time and resources with this. Thanks, guys!

How does making something yourself by hand influence the design and perhaps alter it along the way from digital image or a sketch to a physical object?

Being involved in all stages of the product creation process is a major advantage. When I first started with product design, I wasn’t sewing or creating patterns which prevented me from observing functional design flaws and production issues. Although it’s possible to hand off sketches to a factory, I found that innovation was more accessible when you’re personally involved with the build. This isn’t to say that craft alone can ensure a successful product, as the design process is still an essential and unavoidable part of the workflow. It’s easy to sell someone on your ideas with beautifully rendered images, but taking the steps to build and produce it should be considered.

A big take-away for me recently has been the difference between making single pieces vs batches of 10 or 20. Things like basic pattern and construction components were adding up to 20 minutes of extra labor that I was able to eliminate by having done them repeatedly. It’s a painful but super useful lesson to learn!

Where do you source materials for your sample pouches?

For most of my materials I go direct to suppliers. There’s also an incredible Fabric Warehouse here in San Francisco that has some great finds. It reminds me of digging for records, as you can go in there with no expectations and leave with something amazing.

Upcycled materials seem to be a common feature across the series, for instance the pouches may be made from a rain jacket, repurposed Pendleton Saddle Blanket, or rice bag exterior. Is sustainability important in your design process?

Initially the repurposed material was intended as satire, but after making the first rice-bag backpack, I was impressed with how durable the material was and started to appreciate the look of the bag. I started experimenting with other durable waterproof materials and that’s how the intersection of the two occurred. I’ve come to appreciate the search for new materials to use, and since I’m working in small batches the options are more forgiving regarding MOQs.

Have any materials been particularly hard to work with or required creative solutions to implement in your designs (either in your sample series or TAD pieces)?

I made a few 50L+ external frame bags at TAD for a special event which used a heavy-weight Cuben Fiber. I had no idea how to cut this material, and it was definitely a frustrating learning experience. Most of the material restrictions I face now are due to equipment limitations. I sold my second single needle machine to make room for a cylinder arm, but this has made sewing lighter fabrics very difficult. I.e. the walking foot does 90% of the sewing these days!

Do you have a personal favorite in your sample series and if so, why that particular piece?

If I had to pick one, Article_017 stands out to me the most. This was the point where I really figured out how to work efficiently, and had all of my binding solutions really figured out. It’s so satisfying putting each piece together, and I absolutely love a seamless workflow. 017 is a personal milestone and feels like a small victory.

What’s your favorite TAD piece you’ve worked on and why?

That’s a tough question! There’s been so many products over the years it’s really hard to say. I have a lot of memories around every product I’ve worked on, but some are more interesting than others (that place could have been a reality show). The two big ones for me are the Litespeed V2 and the Parallax Messenger Bag. The original Litespeed was the first bag I’ve ever designed, so it has a lot of sentimental value but it was very outdated by the time we got around to redesigning it. This was right around the time I was learning digital pattern making and sewing, so I had the opportunity to build multiple sample bags and really engineer the important areas and address the aesthetics after. The Parallax Messenger had a long cycle of development, as this was a new product line and TAD’s first true messenger-style bag (the Dispatch bag was never really considered a messenger). It’s a very crowded market space for bags, and it was challenging to establish what our take would look like. It was a tough one but I’m really proud of that project and the experiences gained from it.

Can we get a sneaky peek at your work station setup?

Can we see what you carry in your EDC setup?

Rudy Project Ultimatum Sunglasses

Homemade sketchbook 4.75″ x 8″

Panerai 112 (*Rob Montana Pilot style strap)

Bic Ballpoint Pen *Scout Leather brass edition

iPhone X

Fenix E12

Emerson Mini CQC-8 (in Noveske Green!)

TAD Transport Card Sleeve

Some days the inspiration might flow easier than others. What motivates you each day to do what you do and stay on track?

Eat That Frog! This book has been immensely helpful handling my workload. Tackling the big items on your to-do list FIRST makes the other tasks feel so much easier. I might be able to finish 10 mockups in Fusion 360 quick, but prolonging the heavy pattern work will still be there when the easy stuff is done. Inspiration is a tricky one. I used to think it was a matter of taking time off or shifting focus. For the creatively uninspired, I heard a piece of advice from Ash Thorp that I try to keep in practice. In essence the idea is to stop and go back and follow your design process. Sometimes too much creative freedom can be paralyzing, so it’s helpful to pause and look to your references, design brief and walk through the process to make sure you’re addressing the proper requirements.

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.” – Chuck Close

Do you have any design mentors you look up to or people who really influenced your own design career and path?

David Carson – As a young graphic designer, David Carson showed me how I could find my own voice in an industry that I felt was somewhat safe and boring. Having a little bit of edge made design interesting and expressive in a way that I hadn’t realized was possible.

Mel Terkla – Mel’s work was some of the first that I really paid attention to when I started designing softgoods. My early years involved a lot of studying and observing, but I admired his work from a distance and have a great deal of respect for him.

Dana Gleason – Although I’ve never met him, I’ve always admired MR’s approach to bags and carry. I strive to have unique solutions with every project that’s forward-thinking, useful and aesthetically pleasing, something I believe Mr Gleason has accomplished.

Ash Thorp – Much later in my career as I was less involved with graphic design, a friend had shown me Ash’s work and podcast. His creative approach was super inspiring and revitalized my interest in the art form.

Maciej Kuciara – Maciej is a phenomenal concept artist who I discovered from Ash Thorp. The aspect I always come back to with him is the idea that we can always learn new skills. In less than a year I learned five new software programs and completely changed the way I use Photoshop. 

What’s the greatest design challenge you’ve overcome, either with TAD, your own pieces or elsewhere?

It’s hard to say if you’ve truly overcome something creatively since it always feels like a learning experience. One instance that really comes to mind was the pursuit to learn 3D modeling programs and implement it into my workflow. I’m still learning, but the small steps I’ve made so far have been a major game changer for me. It’s a tool box that’s constantly expanding and offers amazing potential.

Could you share other brands you’re a fan of or who you think are doing great work in their space?

Wayfinder – I really appreciate the cleanliness and sleek build qualities of the products. I would love to see what their bag systems would look like!

Joe Caswell – I’m sure I won’t be the first to mention the name, but the design and engineering work on his knives are insanely cool and inspiring.

Ban Tang Knives – Super simple and purpose-driven tools that are equally functional and good-looking.

Skinth – It’s not a new brand to Carryology, but I still find their construction solutions to be super brilliant.

Do you have any tips or personal practices for finding that important work/life balance?

I’d love to know this answer myself! Working on my own has taught me a lot about what I value from a workplace. Without clear scheduling I used to grind out projects 12-14 hours a day, every day. That lasted for about eight months until I was totally burnt out and ran out of steam. Since then I’ve made an effort to start enjoying some hobbies that require real time away from the apartment. I recently started fishing in the bay area which has been great for this. We also got a dog which has been an awesome addition to the home and fun excuse to go for walks three times a day. I’ve also started playing video games again which has been a nice reward for an end of day hangout as well.

What’s one fun or unusual thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

I got back into playing video games a few years ago, specifically Street Fighter 4 (USF4). It was much harder to keep up with but I enjoyed the challenge. Fighting games are a lot of fun to play and give you something totally different to practice, focus and work on. From a distance it looks silly but the fundamentals and execution required to play the game require a lot of patience and can be very rewarding. But now there’s Street Fighter 5 which totally ruined it for me. Booooo!!!!!

If you weren’t a designer by profession, what would you be?

If I was starting over and couldn’t go into design, it would definitely be something in concept art for the film or game industry (which is somewhat like a design role). Is an ice-cream maker a profession? That’s what I’d do.

What’s your top advice or tips for other designers starting out in the industry?

Be productive even when you don’t have anything going on. When I got out of college I spun my wheels for months trying to get into agencies or Jr design positions. Companies wanted a minimum experience level which I didn’t have, and networking was hard when I had nothing to share but failures. What changed things for me was tasking myself with making projects that I enjoyed working on. It made me hyper focused and I found myself excited to produce content even if it wasn’t on a commercial level. That collection landed me my first design job at a newspaper.

Times are different now, but I think the practice can be the same.

The post Dan Matsuda: a New World of EDC appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

You were nominated for the Carryology VII awards. First off, congratulations on that. It says a lot to get that sort of recognition.

Carryology is undeniably a milestone in the carry world and I was honored to be nominated. We hadn’t run any marketing campaign about that, so it spontaneously came by users who voted for the ATD1, making it even more important. 

Are you a trained industrial or soft goods designer?

Not at all. I actually studied Geography at university. On the other hand, I’ve always been intrigued by how things are built and designed and I had always sketched things since when I was a kid. Speaking about sewing, my grandmother was a superlative professional tailor (she also designed and made wedding dresses) and my mother sews as well as a hobby, so I’ve grown up surrounded by sewing gear. As soon as I was able to design my own patterns, it was natural to just sit there and try by myself.

Why the name Attitude Supply?

When I started I had no design background, no links to the manufacturing world and not a big amount of capital. I only had curiosity, determination and my will to learn. In other words, I only had my attitude, so I chose it as a name. This helped a lot at the beginning. My project was to develop travel gear but while growing my skills and finding the money to do that, I started printing t-shirts and sweatshirts and selling them to streetwear and outdoors stores around Milan. The name led to small but constant success, and this helped me grow to the point I could focus on travel gear and quit merchandise. At the point where the brand is now that name, it could be seen as “too much”, but attitude is still my fuel to learn and to create, so I’ll keep using it, together with the less flashy ATD Supply.

With the ATD1 backpack, you made it with a few features focused on security. How important do you think a backpack’s security should be? 

It depends on its primary use; for a travel and EDC backpack, a lot. I wanted users to feel comfortable knowing that no one could easily access their pack while it’s worn in crowded places or when it has to be left unattended. The ATD1 was designed thinking about one-bag travel, including unconventional destinations, and was tested in such situations. 

I wanted it to be equally at home in a Tokyo subway, in a Middle Eastern medina, at a huge international airport, on a truck’s roof driving a dusty desert trail or strapped to the side of a motorbike on a Kashmir mountain road. Plus, a travel backpack could be occasionally checked in or stowed in a bus trunk, out of sight and I wanted users to feel reasonably comfortable about their belongings’ security in those situations.

Is security more important than look or feel in an urban environment?

It partially drives them. Since a one-bag approach requires a bag that fits different settings, including the ones described before, having a clean and minimalist aesthetic, being “stealthy” and low profile, is a security feature together with being an aesthetic one.

What are your most important design features? You seem to like balance in your designs, but what else is important?

That’s true, balance is important to me, also aesthetically. A clean aesthetic, security and comfort are the main features of my design, but the first and most important one is versatility. I strongly believe we should gain more from less and being able to widen the spectrum of situations a product can be proficiently used in is my priority.

My design process is also influenced by this approach. I start writing down a simple description of 2-4 situations the object will be mainly used in, then I make a list of all features that fit and I sketch all of them in. At that point, I start trimming until I feel I reached that balance between features and the lack of them. That lack, that empty area, is where the user will write his story using the product, adapting it to his needs. 

When I think “Italian-made”, I definitely get a sense of luxury goods and handmade attention to detail. I mean, you’re in Milan, what a place to reach for the stars! What is the Italian soft goods production world like these days? 

Milan is inspiring for sure and Italy in general has the benefit of having a huge manufacturing background and a lot of options in a relatively small country. On the other hand, soft goods production here is mainly oriented toward luxury and leather. Most military, outdoors and sports goods are manufactured in the Far East nowadays and most of the companies once making them locally are now just design teams, while all the knowledge and tools to properly manufacture locally are getting lost. When I had sewn and tested the ATD1 final prototype, I searched for a partner willing to manufacture it and it was really, really hard to find one. I knocked on the door of almost all companies manufacturing military and outdoor soft goods for third parties and most of them were not interested in diving into such a complex product, or no longer had the machines required to manufacture it within the borders. 

The manufacturing partner I had been worrking with, and still work with for pouches and more simple products, had a ’70s bartacking machine they hadn’t been using for 20 years when I first asked them to put some bartacks on my bags! 

For the ATD1, I finally found a one man-operated small company located a few hours driving far from Milan. He makes super-specialized custom gear for military professionals, mixing modern elements like laser cut fabrics with great craftsmanship and attention to details, and he was actually the only one interested in bringing this project to production. We immediately felt connected and discovered our approach to design is similar; his production experience did the magic when combined to my ideas about carry.

You are obviously working hard to produce a quality product, but is there heavy competition in Italy and Europe for you?

Italy represents a little more than 5% of our total sales and many of them are friends of mine or foreign people living here and working in the design, military or university fields. The few people who want to invest more instead of just grabbing cheap, off the shelves options, stick to outdoor oriented gear—due to our background in alpine sports—or luxury (more often “luxur-ish”) carry goods. Plus, even if this is slowly changing, English is not so diffused amongst Italians in their 30s, so international trends in this field are taking more time to develop here. Italy can be a market for quality carry goods in the future and there already are some small brands operating in-house production here, but it will take time.

Europe is different, we had plenty of orders from the UK, Germany and France and there are both small and mid-sized companies making killer goods around the continent (Trakke, Bedouin, Heimplanet, to name a few). Plus, eastern countries like Poland or the Czech Republic are entering the game, mainly with more tactical oriented gear, making the overall European scene quite interesting.

You use 500 denier Cordura and mil-spec hardware for the ATD1, which is what I’d call a meat and potatoes type of bag; rugged and clean. Why did you expand to new fabrics for the third production run?

We’ll always stick to Cordura® 500D and mil-spec hardware since they are field tested, reliable and, to be honest, they never go out of style if properly used. At the same time, we wanted to explore different materials and VX21 seemed a good starting point. Future experiments will include other X-Pac fabrics and Dyneema, especially on smaller goods and accessories to be used inside the bags (pouches, packing cubes, etc).

How was the Kickstarter experience? KS gets people’s emotions pretty hot sometimes on the bag forums. 

That’s true, there were non-virtuous examples of carry-related Kickstarter campaigns but at the same time many of the last big things in our field were launched through it, like it or not. Personally, as a backer, crowdfunding is mainly linked to the feeling that the creator is able to infuse in me. If I like the project and I can feel there is an ethic in the campaign management and a commitment by the creator himself, I’m in.

As a creator, crowdfunding to me was painful, challenging and exciting at the very same time. I put myself in the game, pitching YouTube reviewers and the media, learning how to set up Facebook ads or run email marketing campaigns. Due to different time zones, I often answered enquiries late at night, in a language that is not my mother tongue, but I think that people appreciated the feeling of interacting with the creator and not some Customer Relations Management service.

At the end, the very best part of this whole experience were backers themselves. They supported the whole project and pushed me through it. I’m proud to read their feedback about how the campaign was handled even more than reading those about the backpack. I still have backers from the first launch keeping in touch with me, even just to say hello, or to send me pictures and stories about their travels with the ATD1. This is truly precious.

Your English is certainly way better than my Italian and I wonder where you learned it. Was it at university, through your wide travels, or do you just have a natural ear for foreign languages?

All of them actually. I’ve always been intrigued by languages and had a natural ear for them. In my early teenage years I liked to read and try to understand song lyrics. I was also lucky enough to have good English teachers at school so my grammar and vocabulary were already relatively good when I started traveling; practice then made it better. 

What lessons did you learn from your first production run of the ATD1?

ATD1 is an incredibly versatile backpack, and this makes it incredibly specialized for those who need or just appreciate that capability to be used in almost any environment and for almost any carry task. Kickstarter taught me to understand who our products should address and how I should interact with potential users. Success came when I decided to be personally involved in the campaign, with name and surname, answering enquiries and creating a relationship, a bond with those who were investing their hard-earned cash on my idea.

As we were talking about this interview, you told me that you not only operate Attitude Supply, but you also work as a team leader at a customer care center. First off, that’s amazing to me that you do both, but it also speaks to your passion for design. 

I started many years ago working part-time in a call center in order to pay my bills while working on my project and I kept doing that for years, sometimes quitting to focus on new work, sometimes starting again. Then there was an opportunity to upgrade and I caught it, even if this would have meant working for more hours on that job. Naturally, I had to create the time to focus and develop new products and I had to cut ATD Supply consultancies to those I find pleasant working on, or that teach me new things. I’m not considering quitting my day job yet, but the future will tell!

Does your work in customer care influence your attitude about your personal customers?

Actually, a lot. I personally answer any message or email received through the ATD Supply website or social network pages, and I like to do that since it’s the beginning of a relationship. The ability to listen to users’ feedback, to develop empathy and to understand customers’ needs from their enquiries are vital in any business where people from another continent buy a product they’ve never seen before, from a maker they just heard of. They need to trust the whole project, and I like to show them they can trust it.

How many Attitude Supply customers come back to you, or refer ATD Supply to their friends? Is this something you have the time to measure and record?

I still don’t have a big inventory to choose from for a second order, but it happens that customers come back. I record every order to have all the information I need for billing and shipping in the same place, so I see when names repeat. I’m happy when it happens since it means that I did a good job. 

Fortunately, customers often suggest ATD Supply to friends and communities online and I keep track being in the FB groups and through Google Alerts. I’ve seen people referring to the ATD1 on Reddit many times and this is particularly rewarding.

Finally, if a young 30-something person wanted to get into the soft goods design world, what five pieces of advice could you offer?

* Do you want to design travel bags? Travel. Are you into outdoor packs? Hike. Nothing gives more insight and inspiration about an object than its actual use.

* Be curious and study other designers’ solutions. There’s nothing wrong with it, but when you sit at the design board or open your design software, avoid external influences and just let your ideas flow.

* Learn how to sew, even at a basic level: the way you design will change immediately and your patterns will be better and more usable.

* Searching for raw materials suppliers or manufacturing partners is exhausting and it’s actually a job. It may take years to find the right ones and still you’ll have to update. Don’t give up.

* Trends are important but function is more so, it can be felt in a product and it creates a deep sense of beauty. Keep it robust and simple. Dieter Rams’ 10 rules for good design should be printed and kept on the design board, but the 10th is especially true: Good design is as little design as possible.

Editor’s Note:

Michele announces the wait time for each project when he opens pre-orders, which are usually around 3-4 months. Due to the current situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, things are a bit more unpredictable but he is eager to resume where ATD Supply left off.

Complex products like the ATD1 are always launched through a pre-order process, but he is considering going this route for smaller accessories as well, to allow for larger quantities, lower manufacturing costs and therefore lower prices, therefore creating greater sustainability.

Many thanks to Jon Custis for this interview. Jon is a retired infantryman, currently serving diplomat, and professional nomad. His thoughts on carry are influenced by years of suffering under packs stitched up by the lowest bidder; he joined Carryology to shed those scars.

The post An Interview With Attitude Supply appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

The KIN Carry-on features an innovative, biodegradable shell that’s set to revolutionize the luggage industry and raise the bar for sustainable design. And with our interest understandably piqued, we reached out to PROJECTKIN CEO and co-founder Rasmus Vang Andersen to tell us more…

Who is PROJECTKIN? Can you tell us more about the founders?

We create travel products with purpose by using our philosophy of Nordic design to address the urgent need to reduce the environmental impact of traveling. We are a group of founders that experienced a disconnect between design/quality and sustainability. We all love to explore the world, but could see the negative impact that traveling had on the environment. Thus, we felt the need for creating a better alternative for the mindful traveler and we partnered up with a couple of great designers sharing our vision.

The KIN Carry-on was designed by award-winning designer Boris Berlin. How was the relationship established between Boris and your brand? Is he part of PROJECTKIN or a collaborator?

We met Boris Berlin more than two years ago and immediately connected on the idea of bringing design and sustainability into the travel luggage industry. Together we visited numerous innovative material producers to find the perfect natural material for our suitcase. Once the material was developed, Boris Berlin perfected the design by taking the best components, like the wheels we use from Japan and combined it in a clean design, where the material speaks for itself. Boris is a collaborator and a great supporter to PROJECTKIN

Your suitcase shell features a combination of flax and bioplastics, specifically PLA. Could you explain what bioplastics are, how they’re made and why you chose PLA?  

Bioplastics are plastic materials made from renewable biomass, in our case fermented corn starch. This means that it is all natural plant-based material, grown on a field compared to traditional plastics that are derived from crude oil. We specifically use PLA (bioplastic), which has a considerably lower carbon footprint than other alternatives. Furthermore, it is biodegradable under the right circumstances (don’t worry it will not fall apart, if it starts to rain). Finally, PLA is highly efficient to make, using only 1.6 kg of raw material to make 1 kg of finished material. With this combination we save up to 2kg of plastic compared to a traditional suitcase.

The shell is a unique material for luggage. Why did you choose to combine these two materials? What are the benefits of doing so?

We wanted to create a new composite that had as many sustainable attributes as possible, while keeping the same physical properties as traditional plastics. In cooperation with designer Boris Berlin, we found a material expert in Cambridge, UK, who helped us develop and perfect the composite for the suitcase.

The composite is a unique blend of flax plant fibers and PLA fibers. The flax fibers make the composite strong and extremely durable, and combining it with PLA you get a material with many of the same properties as traditional plastics, while being much more sustainable. We feel we have developed an industry-changing new look and feel, while minimizing the carbon footprint of the materials.

Were there any challenges in combining the flax and bioplastics? Where does the shell manufacturing take place?

There were many challenges both in combining and manufacturing the shells. One of the main challenges was getting the grammage right (g / m^2). We tested this for a long time to ensure that strength and durability was optimized. Furthermore the ratio between flax fibers and PLA fibers has been tested and adjusted many times to find this optimum. The two raw materials are combined into the unique composite through needle-punching technology. After this the material is heated and compressed into the final shells through a process called thermo-compression. Finding the optimal balance between heat, pressure, and time took a lot of iterations. The shells are manufactured with our specialized production partners in China.

You use flax linen for your suitcase lining. Could you provide insights on what flax linen is and why it’s more sustainable than cotton and nylon?

Linen is one of the most biodegradable fabrics around. It is strong, naturally moth resistant, and made from flax plant fibers, so when untreated (i.e. not dyed) it is fully biodegradable. The method of producing linen fabric from the flax plant uses far less water than it does to produce the same amount of cotton. Actually, 60% less water is required to grow flax compared to growing cotton. This makes it a much more sustainable choice. Cotton also requires huge acreage, whereas flax will happily grow on poor soil which is not used for food production. Up to 2.1 tons of CO2 are absorbed per ton of flax cellulose produced. Furthermore our linen fabrics are treated with a renewable sourced, non-fluorinated, durable water repellent finish. We are proud to partner with Teflon EcoElite, the world’s first plant-based textile repellent. Nylon is a polymer most often made from crude oil, it is non-biodegradable and will in-use create micro-plastics that will pollute the environment.  

You source leather from cattle that have been bred for other purposes than creating leather, such as dairy cows. Why did you go with this option? Is it to maximize the use of potentially wasted resources?  

To offer strong durability and quality, we have chosen to use full-grain cow leather, vegetable-tanned. Our detailed research and development showed that this leather material provides the best balance between durability, lifetime and quality as of now. We have tested many types of leather alternatives like recycled leather and leather from pineapples, but found that for now real leather is the best alternative. We create our leather through vegetable tanning using organic material and natural tannins derived from barks, leaves, and branches of trees and plants. This is a much more sustainable alternative to standard chrome tanning. The moment a true leather substitute that provides the same strength and durability as real leather emerges, we shall start using it. All of the hides that go into our leather come from cattle that have been bred for other purposes than creating leather, e.g. dairy cattle. Yes – this way we maximize the use of otherwise potentially wasted resources.

The shell is water-resistant, though not waterproof. Does getting it wet negatively impact the structural integrity in any way? You’ve mentioned on your site that it’s undergone independent heavy rain testing for 15 minutes. How long could it feasibly withstand a heavy downpour before you need to worry about water penetration?

When our shell is submerged into water, over time, it will absorb some water. However, afterwards, when it dries out again, it keeps exactly the same properties, including look and feel. We have tested for 15 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours in a laboratory simulating heavy rain test. For 15 minutes it easily passes the test. This is the standard for testing water resistancy within the industry. After 1 hour we do see some slight water entry, but this is mainly through the zipper and leakage at the trolley opening. Similar to what you would find in other zipper versions. We continue to work on perfecting our products, including water resistance

You’re always on the lookout for new sustainable materials to lower the environmental impact of production. Are you experimenting with or have you discovered any viable alternatives for non-sustainable parts yet, such as the wheels? Would you consider creating your own alternatives?

We have partnered up with Hinomoto from Japan. They are today the leading trolley wheel supplier in the industry. We are also in cooperation with other suppliers to develop our own wheels, using better plastics than used today. This is however a development which will take some time. As soon as we feel we have the viable alternative, we will move for this. This goes not only for the wheels, but also for all the other components in the trolley. We will constantly challenge the industry to bring forward better solutions.

PROJECTKIN is based in Copenhagen. Do your surroundings influence your designs and brand in any way?

Yes very much! We are inspired by the Nordic design movement that especially has been seen within furniture and home accessories. Our products are for sale at key design shops here in Copenhagen, like The Audo, which we share the same design values and focus with. We will gradually expand our footprint to a few selected design-focused shops in Europe during the coming year.

What else inspires or influences your brand and designs?

We are inspired by people and brands that are purpose driven when it comes to design and sustainability. We know that we can change the world with a sustainable suitcase, but we want to offer a better alternative than what is offered today. Similar to what Patagonia is doing in the outdoor apparel industry.

We hear there’s a check-in suitcase in the works. When will it be available? How will it differ from the carry-on?

Yes the check-in version is currently in the pipeline. It will be very similar to the carry-on from a design perspective, however obviously larger. The key changes will mainly be even more reinforcement, to secure the longevity of the check-in luggage that is handled very differently than carry-on. All of our products go through rigorous testing before we introduce them to the market. For PROJECTKIN design, sustainability and product quality/strength go hand in hand.

How is 2020 shaping up for PROJECTKIN? Are there new products or projects planned? Any intriguing developments on the horizon?

Besides new colors and potential collabs, our luggage collection will be further strengthened with an aluminum-frame version. This is currently in the development phase with Boris Berlin. We are also partnering up with other designers and will be developing new categories, still keeping our three cornerstones – design, sustainability and quality – high on the agenda.

The post This Biodegradable Luggage Might Be the Future of Hardcases appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

So why the shift? Eager to find out, we asked founder Chris Elfering for the low-down on LOCHBY…

First and foremost, the question on everyone’s minds. What prompted the rebrand?

Honestly, my interests changed a bit. When I started, travel was always on my mind. The reason I started BOND Travel Gear was because I wanted to make gear for myself that I couldn’t find in the marketplace. Over time, that evolved into daily carry items. Those were the products that I wanted (and still want) to focus on. This shift also created two customer groups: travelers and folks that care about what they carry on a daily basis. While there’s some overlap, communicating to two different groups would’ve led to confusing branding.

How has the transition been? Any hurdles along the way? Have you stayed with the same manufacturing partner that you used for BOND Travel Gear?

It’s been going well. Fortunately, lots of folks who liked BOND Travel Gear stayed on for LOCHBY. There was probably some confusion along the way, but we’ve tried as best we can to communicate as much as possible. We stayed with the same manufacturing partner to maintain the same high production standards. We just upgraded from nylon to waxed canvas.

Your time spent in the US military and traveling afterwards helped inspire and shape BOND and its low-key, functional products for organizing EDC and travel gear. What personal experiences or values have shaped LOCHBY and its offerings?

I fell deep down the fountain pen rabbit hole as a reaction to my expanding digital life. I was constantly distracted by pings and notifications, so I sought out analog experiences. Pen and paper forces me to slow down, which has a meditative effect. It also helps my memory.

Writing with a fountain pen is a completely different tactile experience compared to ball points or pencils. The pen glides and tends to be more expressive. There are more choices for ink colors. It turns an ordinary activity like journaling into a satisfying ritual.

Is there any particular significance or meaning behind the name “LOCHBY”?

LOCHBY roughly translates to “lake town”, which is a nod to my hometown of Minneapolis, MN, the City of Lakes.

What would you say makes LOCHBY special and sets it apart from other brands with an EDC/stationery carry focus?

Quality and functionality. For quality, it’s everything from the paper in our notebooks to the fabric and stitching. Fountain pen users know that writing on cheap paper can be troublesome. We use Tomoe River paper in our notebooks, which is famous for how well it behaves with all writing instruments, especially fountain pens. Waxed canvas is rugged, weatherproof, and ages well. Everything is sewn to last a lifetime, with double stitching and bar-tacking throughout.

In terms of functionality, it’s the same philosophy we had with BOND Travel Gear. I design the products around the items I carry. I love to have everything in its place, so organization is key.

The rebrand from BOND Travel Gear to LOCHBY carries over similar design elements of EDC that BOND was known for. However, there’s quite a shift in aesthetic, from a more tactical nylon style to a heritage feel with waxed canvas. Was this a deliberate distancing from BOND’s aesthetic? How does it shape the LOCHBY brand and what you want it to convey?

This was also a case of personal preference. I’m still a fan of tactical nylon, but I also like items that have a classic look and age well, which is why we upgraded to waxed canvas. As a material, it’s quite a bit more expensive, but it has advantages over nylon, like hand-feel and individuality. Because of the scratches and scars it shows, no two pieces made of waxed canvas are exactly alike. I initially thought about leather, because of those same advantages. In the end, I went with waxed canvas because of its benefits over leather (lighter, thinner, better in rain, etc.).

We’d love to learn a little more about LOCHBY’s customers. Are you welcoming a lot of new customers? Are BOND customers seeing the EDC appeal and purchasing LOCHBY products?

Yes, lots of fountain pen folks are coming over. I don’t have to explain our paper choices to them or why we set up the notebooks the way we did. They just get it.

BOND customers still support us, fortunately. Some folks who missed out on the BOND products are getting a second chance with LOCHBY.

Which LOCHBY product is your personal favorite and why?

For me, it’s the Field Journal. I use it every day as a planner, sketchbook, journal, design vault, brain dump. I’d be lost without it. I know there are digital apps to help stay organized, but I prefer pen and paper.

Looking across the stationery niche, do you have any particular favorite notebook or stationery pieces? If so, what do you love about them?

My favorite notebooks are light and thin. Thicker, larger notebooks are heavy to carry and I get anxious when starting one as a journal or sketchbook. I don’t want to mess up a nice, hardcover notebook with mistakes. I also prefer modular notebooks that don’t lock me into a particular format. Sometimes I like the freedom of a blank sheet of paper. Other times I need more structure to write in straight lines.

That’s why we went with the cahier-style refills for our Field Journal in dot grid, ruled, and plain. You can have up to six refills in the Field Journal to create a modular notebook that can do anything you need it for.

Could we get a peek at your current EDC setup (a photo would be great!)? What do you carry daily or regularly?

Absolutely! I always carry the Field Journal with a fountain pen in my bag. The Visconti Homo Sapiens and Lamy 2000 are my current personal favorites. I carry some type of art kit, usually pencils and/or a travel watercolor set in the Tool Roll. I’ll also have a pocket knife and flashlight in there. I use the Pocket Journal as a wallet and to have pen/paper on me at all times in case I need to jot something down quickly.

Do you have any tips or tricks for staying motivated or getting inspired, either in your work or downtime?

For work, I find that our customers motivate me. When we mess up, they’re usually understanding. Also, a lot of folks give suggestions on how we can improve our products and we’ve implemented a lot of them. It’s great to have that open dialogue. It helps push me to make better products.

A cliche (but good) tip is to do what you like. I know that’s not always easy or possible. I’ve had terrible jobs in the past but since I started doing something I like, I’ve never dreaded going to work. There are frustrating days for sure and it’s hard work, but motivation hasn’t been a problem.

For downtime, finding fountain pens inspired me, actually. I’m drawing and sketching again, which is something I haven’t done since middle school. It’s a great hobby that has inspired changes in the business.

What can we expect for LOCHBY for 2020 and beyond? Do you have new products or projects on the horizon?

We’re always working on new products. Testing usually takes a long time, but we’ll definitely have some new stuff this year. We’re also hoping to bring over some of the old BOND Travel Gear products. There’s still some great demand out there, so we’ll revamp them in the new aesthetic.

This article is sponsored by the kind folks at Lochby. Thanks for the support!

The post LOCHBY: Bringing Heritage Vibes to EDC appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

So on the cusp of their second Kickstarter for his Action X collection, we caught up with Ian to talk inspiration, motivation, and what makes his gear stand out in a crowded marketplace.

For those who aren’t familiar, what is your professional background?

By title I manage Shimoda Designs but the core of my professional activity in the last 13 years has been as a camera bag designer. In my current situation, this includes brand direction, developer, content creator, product manager, coffee maker, etc. I pretty much do it all with the help of a support team. 

You grew up in Canada – how did living there lay the foundation for your career?

Over my time in Whistler I began dabbling in different aspects of design. I started with graphics and websites, and grew from there. Fortunately my first Web work was for a snowboard company and was at a time when Flash websites paid a handsome wage. This allowed me to afford a lot of toys for mountain biking, snowboarding and photography. I accumulated a lot of images over those days and only a small portion were ever published. So I started a mountain bike magazine as a way to share them but also express my design style.

Modest Bike magazine ended up being a crash course in media and would lay down the foundation for many relationships I have made over the years, but also was the roots to many of my skills and eventual career path. 

What ultimately brought you out to Japan?

I am half Japanese and was raised entirely by the Japanese side of my family (in Toronto, Canada). I came to Japan on a snowboarding trip about 13 years ago. It was a 10-day trip that turned into 30 days of knee to waist powder every day, with only a few people around. I made return trips almost every year after, until I finally moved here and started my own little family. What ultimately kept me here was something my aunt said – she asked, ‘Doesn’t it just feel like home?’ She was right and since then it’s been home.

Where does your passion for the outdoors and adventure stem from? 

That’s a good question; I grew up far away from the hills. When I was young the closest thing to ‘adventure’ was watching World Cup skiing and skateboarding. I guess it makes sense that evolved into snowboarding and moving out west. I have always liked being outside, maybe playing hockey on frozen creeks prepared me for enjoying the cold. While I primarily exist in the mountains, I have the same love for exploring urban environments.

You grew up mountain biking and snowboarding. How was that instrumental in shaping the direction of starting your own brand?

With camera bags, the idea of compromising a day out in the mountains because I have to carry the weight of camera gear isn’t acceptable to me. Whether on foot, bike or board, I am out there to have a high level of fun and I am not going to let carrying a camera spoil that. Minimizing that compromise through design is a big drive in my work and the direction of Shimoda. I don’t like to hear people say they can’t do something because they ‘have to’ carry a camera. I aim to eliminate those types of excuses.

What was your inspiration in starting this brand? Why did you choose the name Shimoda?

Shimoda is a little surf town in Japan. It’s part of the Izu Peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean. I was there taking a time-out after leaving my previous job. By coincidence, I began talking with the folks who would help develop and fund my vision for Shimoda during that trip. There is so much of my past invested in Shimoda (the brand) that is inadvertently a reflection of the past 25 years of my life. It’s a natural evolution for me to be doing this. 

What general steps are involved in your creative process?

Generally product development stems from the creatives I communicate with and my own needs. Since I am out there, taking images, video or whatever else I may be up to, I have a good understanding of what is needed and that becomes the base of most projects. From there I will create artwork and get a prototype made. If the prototype is usable, I test it and eventually go to the factory and revise it until I think it’s usable on a bigger scale. I spend a lot of time working with pattern makers trying to get things right. I put more attention on testing and evolving physical prototypes than on creating good-looking designs on paper. Very rarely does the original artwork reflect the final product. I prefer to sculpt the physical item with pattern makers based on my time using it in the field. You end up with a much better understanding of how things are made and what is sensible with respect to mass producing a product.

Are there any key insights that guide your vision?

It’s mostly through adventure sports. When I’m out wandering in the mountains, I come across all types of people. Many have their own ways of doing things and I often cross-reference that with the habits I see from our pro team. I see a lot of different situations that could be accomplished with much more finesse. It’s strange when you watch people do things purely out of repetition, while completely neglecting efficiency. I guess you could say a lot of my vision comes from observing.

How would you describe your design aesthetic and what influences the style of Shimoda?

I don’t know how aware the Carryology audience is with regards to what goes on domestically in Japan, but it has its own aesthetics – that I love. It’s clearly cliché these days, but in many cases, society blends seamlessly with nature. I am not 100% sure Shimoda is a pure expression of my influences but it’s definitely present. I love the way many people in this country use textiles, colors, and textures to make you feel something. That kind of communication is very welcome by me.

At the end of the day we need to make functional camera bags that can be relied on in complex weather and terrain. It can be a challenge to merge function and durability with hip design. I can’t say for certain if we have been successful with this but from the interactions with our community, I feel like people are getting more than just a camera bag when they buy into Shimoda. Maybe some people are picking up on a feeling. 

I’ve had the chance to test out the Explore Carry-On Roller and must say I’m quite impressed. It’s definitely something that I have wanted to add to my collection. What inspired the doctor bag style opening?

All credit goes to Peter Waisnor, he is the one who made Shimoda happen from a financial sense and is also president of Tenba camera bags. He created a similar design and from the minute I saw it, I knew it was the way forward.

What are the details in your designs that separate your bags from others?

I think one of the key design traits is our harness. We have an adjustable torso height and you can swap out the shoulder straps. This way women can choose from three different women-specific models to fit their body. The straps and belt also have pockets for food, drinks, bear spray, or a mobile phone. These are key features for active people. The more energy you spend removing your pack to access the basics, the less you will remove it to get your camera gear. We only have so much energy and patience; the longer we’re out being active, the quicker the fuel evaporates. So, being able to fuel up without breaking your stride is a key element to our design theory. Our design leads to more energy to focus on creating images.

With that said, I think one key aspect that makes us different than others is the fact that I am extremely hands-on with every aspect of the brand. I’m testing the bags regularly, but I am also in the factory tweaking them. I am familiar with every detail of the design but also the production side and what it takes to bring a backpack to market. It’s important that a developer understands what it’s like to be running out of daylight, five hours away from warmth, while standing on a mountain in a whiteout. If you don’t understand this type of existence, you risk the livelihood of your customer when it comes to making the pack marketable. It’s inevitable that a quality backpack will cost more than the market is willing to endure and costs will need to be compromised. You better hope that person fighting to keep certain features or cost-cutting decisions knows what it’s like to depend on the gear you use.

How do you test your product? What do you look for when testing? How many prototypes do you go through before release?

I mostly do long-term field testing; the factory does all the usual repetitive mechanical tests, but I have never put too much thought into those – most material and construction techniques of a certain level will pass those mechanical tests. The only time I depend on them is for load capacity and when the seam will break. But even then, it does not reflect real-life use. We put the bags to use in the field, starting with me, and after I’ll tweak the prototype as necessary, then with a smaller group, tweak again if necessary, and then take it to a larger amount of people before we launch it. Sometimes there are a lot of prototypes, sometimes only a few. It depends on the product and how complex it is.

Some products like the X70 were developed primarily with Levi Allen and Gabe Langois. I relied on those two for concepts because they use the gear that the bag is targeted for (RED cameras). Same with the Top Loader- Scott Serfas was the lead in that development because he shoots from a chest-mounted bag in the winter months. For our women’s straps we had over 35 women participating in the development of those. With that said, I do test everything, I put in days with all the products – even the women’s straps (I used the Petite ones for about three months). I need to be confident in my communication and knowledge of our products.

What inspired the new Action X collection?

A few things. I wanted a bag that was an extension of my own actions. Action X is very suited to the sports and activities I get up to. But it’s also a collaborative response to what our customer base and team wanted. You could say it was inevitable that this line would exist. A lot of people asked for a black bag, a Core Unit with integrated side access, others wanted more confidence in the base material, Paris (Gore) wanted the shoulder strap water bottle pocket to have a zipper (so it could not collect snow), (Scott) Serfas wanted a chest-mounted camera bag, Levi (Allen) needed a bigger pack for all of his video kit, skiers wanted ski straps and a helmet holder. I didn’t disagree with many of the ideas that came my way and started working towards satisfying those requests. It’s easy when the designer also wants the same things. Whether we use the word ‘inspiration’ or just ‘listening’ to what the community wanted – that is why Action X is what it is.

How long did it take to all come together?

It actually started with a 70-liter version that was originally going to be an extension of the Explore Series. I started using the first prototype in spring 2018. Over time, and with more input from customers on the Explore Series (it was still new then), I saw room for a more action-focused line. One that could step up to more demanding adventures. So I shifted the direction of the 70 and made the Action X line. So, roughly a year and a half now.

Did you experience any setbacks?

Nothing too exciting, but innovating your own product comes with a lot of challenges (I presume) many people are unaware of. In some cases when you upgrade a product to a Version 2… you need to balance global distribution and supply chains. Somehow you have to find a magical way for the transition to go seamlessly. Unfortunately that is impossible as we will never sell out worldwide at the same time (both customer-direct and retail). That’s just a couple of the complications, there are many others that share the same spirit. It can be motivationally deflating at times and I think we spend more time trying to find answers to backend limitations, than we do making cool products. When you’re responsible with resources, wasted materials and sustainability, it’s inevitable that your product will be compromised from its original glory. So that’s always an emotional setback.

How is the Action X collection a natural progression for the brand?

Before Action X existed, we had the Explore Series. We could not launch the brand with multiple product lines in 2017 and made a single collection that fulfilled a large range of adventure photography needs. As I spoke with more customers and team members, it became evident that there was room for something more robust and action intensive. At the same time, I did not forecast that as many landscape photographers would be drawn to Shimoda. There is a demographic between 40-55 that I was pleasantly surprised took to the brand. Which in retrospect is a bit naive since I’m in that group.

What are you most proud of from this collection?

I think I have alluded to it a few times during this chat, but it’s being able to bring together so many ideas from real-world users – the people who get out there and do what they love to do. I never buy other camera bags (rarely do I even look at them), I don’t design around USP’s (Unique Selling Points) or market trends and never want to be influenced by them. I live a quiet life in a village of 9800 people. Of course I have the Internet and I’m tuned into what’s going on globally, but when it comes to Shimoda’s product development – not just Action X – it’s driven by our growing community and our collective real-world experiences.

How does this design help when out in the field?

Action X is very focused on the user experience. So much of it is about access to your essentials like food, water, sunscreen and a mobile phone… the little things that steal energy while trying to access them. When combined with quick side access, and rear access for when you have more time to set up an image… the whole experience is very simple and efficient. 

We have also constructed the bag with more Action Sport-minded materials with respect to abrasion and durability. Subtle features like ski straps and a helmet holder help simplify your packing and carry process. Small details like glove-friendly buckles make a pain-free difference during a long and cold day out. Being able to remove your belt when you’re commuting through airports or transitioning through the city adds an extra touch of freedom and flexibility. Two padded handles lessen the burden of lifting a heavy load, etc. There are a lot of features on this bag that add up to an ironically simplified user experience.

You chose to take the crowdfunding route when launching Shimoda, how was the launch on Kickstarter? What did you learn from the initial launch that you would do the same and what will you do differently with the introduction of Action X?

Crowdfunding is a great way to expose our brand to a large audience. I don’t think there is a better way to introduce a new product than Kickstarter. We raised just over 180k for our brand launch. We do not hide the fact that Kickstarter is a means to brand exposure. But what I think is more important is that it lets us offer the gear at an introductory discounted price. Backers are getting 30% off product that will likely not be on sale for a long time to come. In my opinion it’s a win-win for everyone. Customers can have 100% confidence we will deliver the product we are offering.

Regarding what might be different… This time around our community has grown so I would expect to see more Action X content or features when we launch. We have worked with a lot of good people over the last two years and from my personal conversations with them, there is a genuine positive energy around the new line. I think because so many of the people we work with are directly involved in the development process, it will lend to a better atmosphere around the campaign. 

Also while our campaign is a lot more polished than before, the actual product is much more refined and a strong reflection of the feedback we received from our initial campaign and product line. I have tried my best to process all feedback and make product everyone wants.

What are your goals and expectations for Shimoda?

That is a tough question. I want Shimoda to be a brand that is known for making products that are reliable in challenging terrain and poor weather conditions. If we can become the go-to brand for serious adventure photographers – based on our actual product and who we are as a company – I will be happy and satisfied. 

What other products do you plan on releasing in the future?

We plan on rounding out the line-up. We are still in our early stages as a brand and need to be mindful of resources and what the market will actually buy under the Shimoda name. But I definitely want to make some less “intense” camera bags with our Shimoda design flavor.

What are you working on at the moment?

Producing the new Action X line has taken up most of my time. It’s a serious endeavor doing a Kickstarter with a full collection of gear. We are wrapping up everything related to the actual launch and will now transition into doing the ongoing support for the campaign. I am always working on new designs in the background, but those are a long way away still. I really like to let ideas breathe and mature into better ones before talking about them.

For any aspiring designers, do you have any words of wisdom?

For any job, task or adventure, you need to be ready and in a position to be able to perform. My advice is keep stacking life experience and stay active. I can best relate it to snowboarding. There is nothing worse than the perfect blue-bird day presenting itself and you’re not mentally, physically or emotionally ready to go ride the line of your dreams. You have to keep yourself constantly in the zone and learning or you will miss out on those character-building moments. 

Design is just a small part of the process.

Check out Ian’s latest Action X collection Kickstarter!

The post Building Elite Camera Bags: An Interview with Ian Millar appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.