“Let’s go for a walk,” was Steve Jobs’s famous way of calling a meeting. Every time he needed to have a serious conversation with someone, he would encourage an active discussion on foot. It is well known that walking empowers creative thinking and being side-by-side makes a conversation more peer-to-peer by breaking down barriers. So where do all these walking meetings happen? Unless one works on a campus, these gatherings are more than likely in a public space.
Whether it’s the streets, parks, trails, squares or unconventional locations like cemeteries, abandoned railway stations or indoor arenas, access to these spaces is a crucial expression of urbanism. As a backdrop to walking, running, skating or even riding a bike, these spaces offer us dynamic visuals to get lost in and navigate through.
How do products assist us in experiencing these public spaces? Necessary equipment like cycles, skateboards, running shoes, watches and so on help us as we physically move from point to point. For more nuanced fulfillment of unmet needs, emerging trends in technology, social media and crowdfunding have pushed boundaries. Passionate designers with little or no business experience can easily organise support through numerous platforms like Indiegogo and Patreon, disrupting entire markets.
Take for example, Beeline and DryRun, two products with very successful Kickstarter-funded campaigns. Beeline is a simple compass-like navigation tool for cyclists, while DryRun is a tough shoulder sling supporting active pursuits.
These products encourage city exploration, building a case for convenience and ease of enjoyment.
Both were designed out of personal necessity: designers of Beeline kept getting lost on their cycles and DryRun founder Andrew needed a compact bag to keep his valuables dry and safe. The journey eventually led them to entrepreneurship.
Since such products directly fulfil an unmet need, they resonate with wide audiences, grow in popularity and eventually chip off larger companies’ market share. It is no wonder that global conglomerates are growing weary of being disrupted by startups.
Even design students, with little time or money, can garner immense popularity for their products through online blogs and social media coverage. They leverage their fame to attract the support and funding needed, or are snapped up by companies with a promise to produce their designs. That’s what I expect in the case of Milou Bergs for her graduation project, Align. Redesigning a bicycle rack in an effort to declutter public spaces, she has come up with a solution that pops up from the ground only when in use. It is an attempt at cleaning up the public domain.
Alongside this physical reality, it seems that a new public domain is emerging, one that does not necessarily have a material presence across the street, but an intangible one that powers the pursuits of passionate designers, reshaping the design industry. How will this domain redefine itself to support sustained and scalable innovation? Will new platforms emerge to inspire startups to deliver products beyond those that got them fame? What new connections or relationships would need to be built to scale cultures, geographies and market dynamics? Perhaps we should take some walking meetings to brainstorm about this.
Beeline>London, England>2015-present
Tom Putnam and Mark Jenner
Cycling has always been a great way to get around the city, but it came with challenges. Getting lost could make you frustrated, late and even unsafe. Finding your way often meant regularly stopping to check maps or following prescribed instructions that don’t work so well in a chaotic urban environment.
BeeLine simply points you in the general direction of your destination and tells you the distance to go; no instructions. Imagine a compass that knows where you want to go and points there instead of north. This makes riding fun again. You become more engaged in your journey and discover all kinds of hidden gems you would never find on the major routes.
Additional info: www.beeline.co
ALIGN>Eindhoven, The Netherlands>2017
Milou Bergs
The public space is becoming cluttered, filled with functional necessities such as parking. Bicycle racks are a particular eyesore. Even when not in use, they get in the way, creating physical and visual ‘noise’.
ALIGN is a sleek alternative for more serenity. It pops up only when needed. Like a see-saw, the front wheel sinks down, raising a bracket to hold and lock the back wheel. When the bike is removed, the bracket disappears entirely, hidden flat inside the pavement. This flexibility means that the public space can once again be open, making room for events, markets or everyday life.
Additional info: www.miloubergs.com
DryRun>Chicago, USA>2016-present
Andrew Graham
When you head out for a ride or a run, you need a phone, your wallet and keys. And a smart way to keep them dry and stowed tight, no matter where your workout takes you.
DryRun is a tough, compact bag designed as a shoulder sling so the stuff is accessible when you need it, out of the way when you don’t. DryRun’s specialised materials – a grippy cover light neoprene, high tensile-strength nylon strap and a 75-pound-rated release buckle keep its contents in place while you’re moving.
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