the book bag

The Book Bag

dream

Meet Joe

He’s your average kinda guy

Works 9 to 6

Works 9 to 6

Loves coffee L o on i

Loves reading...

Library ...and going to the...

But he has a problem...

A HEAVY problem...

HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY

He always forgets to bring a bag to carry his books home...

,

...and ends up like this. ,

He’s really wishing for a solution...

One day... he had a dream...

Library ...that he was going to the...

Library

Weeks later…

Weeks later…

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

Library

Book Drop

...then, he woke up...

...and guess what he did

after that...?

Let me introduce to you the Book Bag

A book that bags other books. Normally, a book. With a flip, a bag. Being tear- and weather-proof (using Tyvek®) makes the Book Bag your trusted

friend in carrying heavy library books. Easily borrowed and returned like any other library book (using RFID tags), the Book Bag finds a natural

place in your reading journey.

The Book Bag. (prototype)

A book that bags other books.

An engaging bag experience…

…through tapping on our everyday visual and tactile familiarity with book-like books…

…and the way we hold, use and interact with them.

Recommended material to make the Book Bag long-lasting: Tyvek®

A tear-proof, water-resistant and very strong and

durable plastic micro-fibre fabric usually used to make

shipping envelopes, medical packaging and hazard suits.

Simple instructions on how to use the Book Bag

Outer pocket for loan receipts

Other features:

Inner CD pocket for CDs loaned out by NLB

‘Curious’, interactive design

RFID tag technology

- Allows Book Bag to be borrowed and

returned like other NLB books. Through

tapping on current borrowing/returning

behaviour, return of the Book Bag is ensured!

Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking……Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking……Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday

sitting, standing & walking…… Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Look at how the

Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Look at how the Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing

& walking…… Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking…… Book Bag is used in our everyday sitting, standing & walking……

“Design is how it works.” - Steve Jobs

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In summary...

OK if you can want some more information,

read on...

How the Book Bag appeals to the library users’ head, heart and gut.

Warning! Next few slides are wordy (hence possibly boring)...

Head ~ rational attributes, “liking the idea of it” The Book Bag reminds one of a book and about reading,

which ‘implicates’ NLB and its mission through

such reminiscences in the library users’ and public’s mind.

It would be interesting to see how users seem like they are

walking around with ‘open books’ in their hands, always

looking like they are in the middle of

reading, living and carrying out daily

activities while in the midst of reading.

Heart ~ interaction-based, “how it works”

With readers already handling and borrowing books at the

library, having to handle an extra ‘book’ would offer the

least resistance in terms of having to learn and adopt new

behaviour. Low-cost RFID tags allow the Book Bag to be

borrowed as a ‘book’ while being economically viable,

and also fulfilling the criteria of

encouraging return since the Book Bag

will have to be borrowed as part of the

user’s loan quota!

Heart (cont’d)

~ interaction-based, “how it works” The functional convenience the Book Bag offers for

library users who didn’t bring bags along would be

appealing to the heart. Above all, the Book Bag ‘becomes’

a bag only when book-carrying is needed in between the

home and library, and at other times becomes a book

worthy of being keep together with the

other borrowed books (i.e. not having

to hunt for it at home to return), hence

situating itself as a natural part of the

reader’s journey and physical environment.

Gut ~ visual/emotional stimulation, “I love how slick it looks” The overall book-like design of a bag would naturally

draw the interest. Incorporating elements of ‘clever’,

interactive design (e.g. the ‘floating’ hand) would draw

further curious attention (visceral

appeal) from the public eye, and

hopefully create a kind of brand buzz.

All the design aspects of the Book Bag were inspired through:

• research on popular trends on bag design

• ethnographic study of library users’ behaviour

• interviews and straw-polls with friends

• prototyping and testing

• resources on design thinking (in library and Internet)

If you’re not asleep by now, you can read more about the design journey of this Book Bag at this blog dedicated solely to this project:

http://bookbagdesigner.wordpress.com/

We’re also on other social media platforms.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookbagdesigner/

http://www.youtube.com/user/bookbagdesigner

http://www.slideshare.net/bookbagdesigner

!

Here are the last bits...yes, seriously. For NLB’s kind consideration...

!

Further Suggestions

#1 Make the Book Bag bigger – at least A3 size for larger capacity

beyond the design brief

Further Suggestions

#2 Customise the Book Bag for different population groups

beyond the design brief

For kids - children’s book design (Enid Blyton?), smaller size

For ethnic minorities - have instructions in ethnic dialects

Further Suggestions

#3 Book highlights / recommendations

beyond the design brief

Change book design based on recommended books of the month

Make it SOCIAL & ENGAGING

Get readers to vote online (Facebook?) for their all-time favourite reads

Have Book Bags designed to the top 3 voted books

The Book Bag dream

The End. Really.