Project goal:
Designing and constructing a functional three module component portfolio bag for artists who commute back and forth from home to studio
Project Duration: 15 weeks
meet leah
Leah is a senior majoring in Fine Arts. Her focus in her major is painting.
Uncomfortable.
Most common kind of portfolio bag, however, it's hard to carry and the shoulder strap causes pain.
Awkward.
Looks comfortable, but the height of it is awkward. Would still need another bag for your school assignments and bag for supplies.
Small.
Stylish, but it's so small it can't carry anything bigger than an iPad or 8"X11" paper.
the current market
Organization
These items you see is a typical haul for a traditional artist.
Usually, these are spread between three bags.
So I decided to categorize each bag to avoid a scrambled mess like this
Brush Bag
Supply Bag
Paper Bag
branding
Many fine artists enjoy incorporating a bit of joy and whimsy into their everyday lives through their wardrobe, hair, makeup, and personal space such as their rooms, cars, and studio space.
This aspect of many artists is ignored in their supplies. Many of the portfolio bags tend to be too plain and boring for this lifestyle.
sketches
At this point, after a few rounds of sketching, landing on this main silhouette. With the branding, the bag needed a fun shape, and since stars are a trendy, gender-neutral shape that was stretched and manipulated into different proportions and styles
final conept drawing
materials
I thought it'd be ironic using canvas as the main material of the bag made for artists, plus it doubles as a durable and thick material. Some panels have foam between the outer and lining layers as well as the shoulder straps. Then, the binding tape wraps around a piece of cording to give the bag extra structure.
For the Brush Bag, I decided the coat the material in beeswax, making it waterproof and safe to store wet brushes if need be.
Systems map
Fabric mockup of all three modules. Tried out attachment points, specific measurements. Learned more about what the bag was lacking
mockups
Bristol and cardboard mockup. Use it to get a general idea of sizing and proportions pf each component,
Fabric mockup of just the Paper Bag. Wanted to test sewing skills and methods
pattern
color exploration
In the color exploration, I made sure to add a version of the bag without a giant star for those who may want to customize their bag themselves or if they don’t want a star as big and noticeable as the original concept.
final colorways
process
Even though I was able to get back a few inches of fabric, I was still short 2-4 inches depending on the piece. My solution to this was to incorporate patchwork in the lining layer. This doesn’t obstruct the visuals, and even helps section off different pockets in some of the bags.
I also waxed the Brush Bag myself, using a heat gun and some beeswax.
Dyeing the fabric.
Problem Solving
Because I decided to dye the fabric myself after cutting the pieces, the pieces shrank. I tried my best to stretch out the fabric the best to my abilities, at first when it was still damp after dyeing it, and again with the iron the next day.
Patchwork Solution
final prototype
