Robin Howie

FF Rucksack / Prototype 2

OK, here we go… Prototype No 2 of the Fieldwork Facility rucksack! (we’re making our own perfect rucksack for design fieldwork).

We’re still in lockdown so making with what I have around the flat… today's prototype is sponsored by a good-for-nothing cheap-ass yoga matt, some floor tape leftover from the Knee High project and another month torn from a gorgeous Vignelli Stendig Calendar.


Notes —
With this version, I wanted to address some of the learnings from Prototype 1 (see the post from a fortnight ago)… so now we have revised size and capacity, less crazy gusset depth and crucially more external pockets. I’m personally a fan of quite rectangular backpacks but with this version, I wanted to soften the silhouette a bit… the base panel wraps around onto the gussets, this was meant give it a little bit of the curve but to be honest the 5mm foam yoga mat is quite unforgiving… in fabric I think it would work well… to be tested.
New details in this prototype: I’ve had a rethink on the closing mechanism of the bag… there’s now a zip enclosure to the main compartment as well as a flap… OK, so I admit its a little overkill… but here’s my thinking. Often we’re carrying lots of electrical gear in the field… cameras, laptops, hard drives you get the drift… it would be pretty abysmal if we made our own rucksacks and then experienced water damage to all our gear! The other reason is security… with prototype one, it was pretty easy to reach into the bag from the sides… especially in a crowded environment (I once saw this happen on the metro in Moscow… keen on designing out any light fingers). The flip side of this approach is it means there’s quite a bit more fabric involved… I’m not so bothered about the weight but the environmental footprint has to be considered.
Overall I’ll be honest… this bag, I quite like it! I seem to have luckily stumbled into the measurements to make a comfy fit. The strap location at the top needs a bit of work (the left strap pulls to the side). I’m also not yet happy with how the pockets and enclosing strap are configured… I want the pockets to be able to fit an A6 notebook, pens etc… but A6 is relatively tall… in this version, I think how the pockets and strap sit together feels a little awkward… and it makes a weird face too!

What’s next… well, I feel like this version could be iterated until I land on something that feels great… But with only two prototypes under our belts that feels way way to early… so in a typical form I think its time to rip it up and start again. Over the next few prototypes, we’ll try some completely different things, learn from them… and then if appropriate loop back around and apply to this prototype. Let’s see what happens though.

Side note… When we get out of prototyping and into sampling it's going to be tough to leave behind these nuts colour combinations… Already I am growing a little attached to the weird contrasts of colours and graphic assemblages… sometimes in the field, we really have to blend into the environment inconspicuously… clearly there's a conflict here! It's not always the case though… Maybe there’s a case for an incognito colour-way and then something more fun… though I’m sure I am post-rationalising here!

Robin Howie

FF Rucksack / Prototype 1

Here we go… #FFRucksack Prototype No 1! For years I’ve been thinking about making our very own backpack which is perfectly tailored for design fieldwork… Today I made the very first *super rough* prototype.
Like everyone else we are working from home during #lockdown so I don’t have many supplies laying around… This prototype was made using a couple of leftover sheets from a Massimo Vignelli stendig calendar and masking tape.

Notes—
With this version I wanted to test a landscape orientation to hold a 15inch laptop… Overall its bloody massive though… I just wanted to get started so all the sizing was intuitive rather than making any measurements… essentially its bigger than it needs to be. It’s a good height but the width is crazy. The depth is a little nuts too… I have a tendency to use any and all rucksack capacity so I want to try and design out this habit and keep to the essentials. With the next prototype I want play with the form more… reduce the depth of the gussets and mix up the placement and size of the quick-access pockets… not very practical at the moment.

p.s Check out our blog post titled ‘Studio is an Attitude’ if you are curious about how we work in the field.

Robin Howie

Paper-Prototyping Places

Recently we ran a workshop with students from the UX and Architecture courses at Ravensbourne University.

Groups picked a place out of a hat and were challenged to reimagine that place within an hour using a crude paper prototype to show their thinking.

It was an absolutely high-octane bonkers hour that produced some really lovely thought starters… like a Telephone box repurposed for everyday emergencies. A Petrol Station that fuels electric cars (as well as drivers minds and body’s)… some interesting initial thoughts on how to rezone and keep a Public Library alive (yoga with audiobooks anyone?).

There was an interactive Park Bench with panpipes to help you appreciate a parks natural beauty (aided by the wind)… Another team reimagined the Newsagent’s shopfront as a digital community dashboard. A mental Pedestrian Bridge used gamification to keep users more active and finally a really lovely reinvention of the Bandstand that works as a sort of pop-up carnival-style sound system. Super fun, thanks for having us Ravensbourne.