Project
Cooler Backpack Lo
In response to the growing outdoor trend, Sagaform aimed to expand their eco-friendly product line with a new sustainable cooler backpack. The thesis focused on developing a concept that reduced environmental impact while appealing to Sagaform’s diverse customer base, including private buyers, businesses, and retailers.
Using an iterative product development process, customer needs were identified through interviews, focus groups, and usability tests. A life cycle analysis was conducted on Sagaform’s current City Cooler Backpack, revealing opportunities for sustainability improvements. The final concept, Cooler Backpack Lo, increased the use of recycled materials from 20% to 77%, resulting in 16.3% lower energy consumption and 15.2% lower carbon emissions.
Designed for year-round use, Cooler Backpack Lo features dual compartments, a removable shoulder bag, and an integrated QR code for user guidance and sustainability information. The project encompassed design, ergonomics, and material analysis, with deliverables including sketches and life cycle impact assessment.
Team
Time
15 weeks in 2023
Tools
Figma
Granta EduPack
Photoshop
KEY WORDS
Concept Development
Customer Analysis
Ergonomic Analysis
Life Cycle Analysis
Product Development
User Research
Design Process
01 Customer Analysis
A customer analysis and evaluation of the City series initiated the project, focusing on understanding customer behaviors, needs, and preferences through focus groups, and interviews with retail, B2C, and B2B customers. This customer analysis informed the concept development phase, identifying key insights and requirements for the product.
02 Usability Test
A thorough usability test of the City Cooler Backpack was held, to evaluate its ergonomic design and functionality through video documentation and analysis.
03 Life Cycle Analysis
A comprehensive life cycle analysis was conducted on the City Cooler Backpack, delving into the product’s materials, transportation, usage, and end-of-life processes. Utilizing the Eco Audit tool, this analysis enabled us to quantify the environmental impact in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption across different stages of the product’s life.
04 Ideation
The idea generation phase was based on a requirements specification, which consisted of requirements and needs from the client and users, identified during customer, ergonomic, and life cycle analysis.
The ideation was intitiated with the application of brainstorming techniques, resulting in a wide array of solution proposals. These proposals were methodically organized using a morphological matrix, culminating in 16 comprehensive design options.
05 Refinement and Detailed Design
The journey from broad concepts to actionable designs involved a detailed refinement process. Utilizing tools such as the PNI-table and elimination matrices, the team narrowed the options to nine detailed designs.
06 Rapid Prototyping
The concept development phase further refined the designs, resulting in two standout concepts. The two concepts were built on paper to explore their design and functionality. The paper prototypes were then used alongside analog and digital sketches to present the concepts to the client.
07 Concept Development
After a thorough evaluation in collaboration with the client, Lo emerged as the preferred concept. Its simplicity, user-centric design, and cost-effectiveness aligned perfectly with the project’s goals. The final design of the cooler backpack was meticulously detailed, considering aesthetics, dimensions, and material choices, ensuring a product that beautifully marries functionality with environmental consciousness.
08 Prototype
Material suggestions and sketches of Lo were sent to the client’s factory for consultation. After information searching, comparisons and consultation on different materials, final choices were made for all components of the cooler backpack, and the first prototype of the cooler backpack was manufactured.
Cooler Backpack Lo
Sketches and Size
The measurements for the Lo Cooler Backpack are based on anthropometric measurements and usability tests. The cooling compartment below has a volume of 15 liters and is 27 cm wide, 15 cm deep and 37 cm high. The upper compartment for other packing has a volume of 8 liters and is 27 cm wide, 15 cm deep and 30 cm high. The shoulder straps are spaced 7 cm apart and have a length of 42 cm and a width of 7 cm. The modular bag is 15 cm wide, 6 cm deep and 20 cm high. Its shoulder strap is 80 cm long and is based on anthropometric data.
Outside
For an increased use of the product, the concept includes two separate compartments, the lower one for refrigerated goods and the top compartment for other packing.
The bag’s cooler compartment is opened with the help of a zipper where the top lid folds against the front of the backpack. The volume of the upper compartment can be adjusted by rolling down the compartment, tightening the straps and finally snapping with two plastic snaps.
Along the front of the backpack run two webbing straps, each with 5 loops. Other packing can also be hooked into the loops, such as Stig, or City picnic blanket. There are two open pockets on both sides of the backpack where packing that should be easily accessible can be placed, such as the mobile phone or Nils Stålflaska. The pockets have rain covers at the top to protect the contents.
Small attachable bag
A shoulder bag can be attached to the loops with the help of two carabiners. The bag can be detached and carried separately and valuables can be placed in it, for example. As you can see in the pictures, the shoulder bag has two compartments with zippers and an open pocket on the back where the shoulder straps can be tucked away when not in use.
Inside
Further to the inside of the cooler backpack are two elastic bands placed against the back. The elastic bands were placed here to encourage users to place heavy packs closer to the back to avoid strain. The inside is made without seams, which means that water does not leak and preserves the cold better.
To improve the insulating properties, Lo has double the insulation at the bottom compared to the City cooler backpack. The concept also includes a separate washable drawstring bag to encourage the user to take care of their trash and dishes and not throw them in the nature
QR Code
The user can read more about the company’s and the group’s sustainability work and find related products to increase additional sales.
The users are directed to Sagaform’s webpage. Here you can read more about the product, how the cooler bag should be packed for different usage scenarios to obtain good ergonomics and preserve the cold. The users can find different packing constellations that can be used as a guide.
In addition, it shows how the cool bag should be handled at End of Life. To motivate users to take care of Lo at End of Life, examples are presented of how much carbon dioxide and energy can be reduced with proper handling.
Color and Material
The cooler backpack is two-colored to create contrasts, and to clearly distinguish the two compartments. Lo follows Sagaform’s signature colors to strengthen the brand identity. It has a rectangular main shape that conveys stability and robustness, and a softer roll function at the top that gives a more flexible and dynamic expression.
The components of the bag consists of a total of 77% recycled material. The exterior of the backpack, shoulder bag and pockets are 100% recycled PET with a thermoplastic polyurethane coating for better water repellency. The towbars are waterproof and are made of the same material as the outside. The top compartment, drawstring bag and straps are made of recycled polyester. On the top lid there is also a mark in cork that shows that the backpack is made of recycled material, which is tied together with design elements from Sagaform’s range. The plastic buckles on the outside and the carabiners are made from 100% recycled acetal plastic (POM). The material on the inside of the cooling compartment is made of the food-approved and water-repellent material PEVA. The insulation between the walls is a foam material of closed cell foam.
Result
Customer Analysis
The customer analysis identified primary findings such as:
- Versatile Usage: Customers expressed a desire for the cooler backpack to be useful across all seasons and various settings (city, beach, forest), highlighting the need for a product with broader applicability than just summer picnics
- Appeal to Target Group: The product must resonate with its target audience, aligning with Sagaform’s commitment to offering versatile, appealing gifts. Younger consumers emphasized willingness to pay more for a product with greater utility, prioritizing design aspects like style, discreetness, and timelessness, with a preference for green and beige over blue—except among corporate customers
- Sustainability: Both B2B and B2C customers ranked ecological and social sustainability as critical factors, with B2B customers also valuing the ease of customizing the product with corporate branding
- Brand Identity and Multifunctionality: Enhancing the brand identity through signature colors, a clean and natural design, and the incorporation of distinctive design elements was highlighted. Additionally, multifunctionality emerged as a key aspect, particularly for older B2C and retail customers. This includes requirements for additional non-refrigerated storage space, secure valuables storage, and the ability to attach items like blankets and bottles to the backpack
Usability Test
The usability test revealed physical ergonomic challenges with the backpack’s design, such as:
- The backpack’s tilt away from the body and minimal back contact surface create concentrated pressure points, worsening with increased load
- Shoulder strap padding was insufficient for users in the upper percentile, causing discomfort due to the buckle’s placement
- Users with narrower shoulders experienced slipping straps
- The necessity of carrying an additional bag for non-refrigerated items often led to uneven loading
The usability test also highlighted som technical issues, such as:
- Leakage due to condensation from cooling elements and spills, with liquids seeping through the seams, compromising the dryness of both the user and the backpack
- Ineffective cooling, due to misplaced or missing cooling clips
Life Cycle Analysis
Key findings revealed that material extraction posed the most significant environmental challenge, accounting for 83% of total energy usage and 75% of carbon emissions. Consequently, in developing new product concepts, a major emphasis was placed on optimizing this phase. The City Cooler Backpack, which incorporates 20% recycled materials and boasts a 10-year lifespan, showed that focusing on material selection could substantially mitigate environmental impacts.
Further investigation into the product’s end-of-life treatment underlined the superior potential of recycling over incineration. While incineration yields a net energy return of 4.5 MJ, recycling can offer up to 18 MJ, alongside a notable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. This analysis underscores the importance of considering end-of-life processing in reducing the overall environmental footprint, although the actual disposal method by users remains a variable factor. This work not only advances sustainable design practices but also highlights the critical role of material selection and end-of-life strategies in minimizing environmental impacts.