In our last podcast we went through the whole design process of Valley, the backpack for digital nomads that we designed for the friends of Barner Brand and that has recently been recognised with a Red Dot Design Award. It was a very interesting conversation from which we were able to write down some learnings that we want to share with all of you.
Edu and Rai, co-founders of Barner Brand, confess that it wasn't until they won the Red Dot Design Award that they realised the prestige of the award. Seeing that their backpack shared recognition with designs by Google or Phillips made them realise that their product, in terms of design, was on a par with the biggest names.
"Sometimes this kind of recognition is the self-esteem we need to value our products as they deserve".
We all know that Barner is a brand known for its eyewear and that its target is digital nomads. Edu and Rai's in-depth knowledge of their target audience allowed them to come up with this backpack that had to satisfy multiple needs that a digital nomad can have in their day to day life.
"Investing in knowing your user will allow you to generate insights that can eventually become great products for them. This is synonymous with growth for the company".
For them, crowdfunding was a validation tool that allowed them to test their product with their customers. Although they recognise that it is a testing venue that is becoming increasingly complicated, they tell us that it is a great tool that, from minute one, helps us to predict how our product will be received.
"A very detailed campaign that perfectly explains the product, its attributes and its history is essential to generate the trust that the user needs in this type of platform".
Edu and Rai agree on the importance of pattern making in textile product design. Thanks to good pattern-making work, we will achieve a real, viable and definitive prototype. They explain that, since they decided to work with Lúcid, the first prototype was almost definitive, and that this is thanks to great pattern-making work.
"Bringing a conceptualisation to reality requires a lot of knowledge in pattern making so that anyone who has to carry it out can understand how to make an effective prototype".
Both Lúcid and Barner explain that the initial product idea had a lot of functionalities. Their prioritisation was key to having an attractive, functional and affordable product.
Edu and Rai define the part of rationalising and prioritising functionalities as the least pleasant part of the process, but recognise that it is important to find the balance between functionalities and cost in order to have a manufacturable and affordable product.
In the podcast, the Barner colleagues explain that they tried to carry out the project on their own, but they recognise that it was an impossible task. So they decided to contact Lúcid, who redesigned the concept and provided them with an almost definitive prototype that convinced them at the first attempt . As Edu and Rai explain in the podcast, designing glasses is not the same as designing backpacks. Working together was for them the way to materialise and make their idea a reality.
