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| Alex Lee, creator of Action DB Pro |
The backpack has become an essential item that everybody
uses to transport belongings with them as they move about their daily lives.
However, there has always been problems with various designs. Some may be too
bulky, uneven, or just not big enough to hold all the things that need to be
taken. That is where a drawstring bag comes into play. A drawstring bag is
lightweight and small, perfect for a few items that need to be taken quickly. A
mobile lifestyle is not complete without some version of a drawstring bag.
However, many drawstring bags are made of material that is so light, it is
structurally compromised. The cloth may tear, or the strings may fray. If only
there was an ideal drawstring bag that was easy to use and had all the essentials
needed for an active, on-the-go lifestyle.
That is where the Action DB Pro comes in. This drawstring
was created as a kickstarter by Alex Lee, who is the creator of Mochibag. This company
has re-engineered the typical drawstring bag. Lee obtained a bachelors degree in
business from Northern Illinois University, and had no training in any aspects
of mechanical engineering or design at the time he came up with the concept of
the Action DB Pro. He was inspired by his own interactions with other
drawstring bags, which he noted would constantly break, or that the straps
would become uneven. After having countless problems, Lee decided to start to
work on the design of the simple bag to see if he could eliminate some of the
problems he was running into. Lee designed several prototypes before he found success
on kickstarter, and he is now being approached by various sports agencies
looking to pair athletes to his bag.
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| GoPro Ready |
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| The Action DB Pro |
The Action DB Pro comes in two colors and two sizes, to
cater to different individuals based on build and personal preference. Each bag
has a front panel, a main pocket, and 3 zip pockets that are advertised to be
weather proof, keeping belongings safe if an unforeseen rain shower hits on the
way home. The bag comes with waist straps to keep the bag secure, which also
double as an accessory strap to carry things externally as well. Lee patented a
type of string called Channel-Anchored Drawstrings that keep the length of the
cords balanced, so the bag will not unevenly slide from shoulder to shoulder,
regardless of how heavy or light the contents are. Lee took the bag a step
ahead of just being a bag, he added the capability to attach a GoPro to the
front in order to record anything on the go without hassle. Included with the
bag is a drinking tube that can connect to a water supply, allowing the user to
be able to drink without stopping and rummaging around their belongings for a
water bottle.
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| All the features needed for an active lifestyle |
Lee successfully designed a bag that opens easily, can carry
considerable weight, is weatherproof/ water resistance, durable, and overall perfect
for a mobile lifestyle. I believe that the creative process Lee uses can be
described as Collecting. We discussed in class how Steve Jobs used collecting
when he designed different fonts for Mac early in his career. He took what he saw
in calligraphy and applied it to a brand new setting with amazing results. Lee
used the same approach. He observed what he believed to be flaws with the bags he
was using, and took his observations and applied them to create the Action BD
Pro. Had it not been for his collecting process, Lee would not be able to see
what was wrong with current products, and as a result, would not be able to
offer a better alternative in his creative product. Creativity is not always coming up with a brand new idea. Improving on an already existing idea is creative as well. Lee applied new ideas to an existing concept, and the result was an essentially new product that supersedes its predecessor in all the right ways.
As a person who has lived out of a backpack, I really like the idea of a lightweight, compact, and durable drawstring bag without all the fuss. Lee’s bag seems to have everything going for it, but I cannot help but ask if this is really an example of collecting? Lee’s bag appears to me to fix previous issues that he experienced with drawstring bags in a more trial-and-error fashion. I do not see what idea he “collected” and utilized in a new and creative fashion. This may be to a misunderstanding of the idea of collecting, or maybe there are alternative perspectives. Either way, I know always will have use for a durable bag like this.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a cool invention, but I'm wondering how they would market it to be better than a backpack. Simply saying something is lightweight may not be good enough to sell better than conventional backpacks. If proven to be effective, this could be a great invention, especially for those of us who constantly feel back aches because of heavy backpacks.
ReplyDeleteI see how you relate this to collecting. He used his past experiences to backpack to find a problem and create a solution. What do you think was his creative process to solving the problem? I see how he used collection to find the problem, but not quite how he found the solution.