The Brief - The Solution - Additional Images
Brief
Any branding shown by the project on this page has been produced by me purely to adhere to the requirements for this project set for me by Bournemouth University. There is no official affiliation between this project and any brand or registered trademark.
This project was classed as a 'Design for Need' project on my course. The brief was open, I had to find a 'need' or a problem, and design a solution to it.
I stumbled upon the problem I wanted to solve during my routine of walking to the local supermarket to buy my food for the week. Carrying 5 or 6 full and heavy shopping bags isn't an easy task, especially if you have a fair distance to travel. This problem can be multiplied for people with certain medical issues, or simply with ageing, as heavy bags with thin handles can dig into skin quite severely.
I wanted to design a product that would make it less uncomfortable to carry bags. It had to be ergonomic and comfortable to grip tightly, and also capable of holding the weight of multiple heavy bags.
The Solution
From the beginning of this project, I felt like some sort of hook would be the strongest and most reliable method of holding a carrier bag, without it slipping. I toyed with the idea of some sort of wearable system where the bags could be attached to a harness, but the user experience of that wasn't something I was happy with.
My design implements a handle which is substantial enough to spread the weight of multiple full shopping bags over a larger area of the hand, making it less painful to carry. Also, the diameter of the handle is based on anthropometric data to make it comfortable for most ages with varying hand sizes.
I carefully designed the geometry of the two hooks and calculated the total weight the material would be able to hold before starting to take damage.
Additional Images
Development and experimental sketching during concept and development phases
Carrier Bag Carrier Presentation Board 1
Carrier Bag Carrier Presentation Board 2