Doctor Inspires Corona-Safe Backpack
How One Designer Is Rebuilding Traveller Confidence In the Age Of Covid-19
With hygiene a priority for commuters, award winning backpack designer Sarah Giblin launches the first easy-clean backpack purpose-built for everyday life in the Covid-19 age. Inspired by feedback from a doctor working in Covid-positive wards, the secure 20 litre laptop bag, RiutBag+, responds to 2020’s everyday challenges with a mask holder, hand sanitiser attachment and disinfectable, wipe-clean surfaces throughout.
Inspiration for the easy-clean RiutBag+ came when Dr Velasco, working in Covid positive wards at the peak of the pandemic, contacted Giblin’s backpack company: “New Covid regulations mean I can’t take my normal backpack into the hospital anymore because they can’t disinfect it. I’m currently carrying my belongings in a plastic bag. Can you help?”
From her Manchester studio in lockdown, Giblin immediately started prototyping a backpack for the doctor and all hygiene conscious travellers after lockdown. After giving feedback which shaped the prototype Dr Velasco said, “I can’t believe your response to my message. Thank you for this design.”
Coming out of lockdown, attitudes to travel have changed. Currently in 2020, 91% of travellers surveyed said hygiene in public places is “extremely” or “very” important to them, up from 41% in 2019. 98% of travellers surveyed use methods to stop the spread of the disease. Despite their precautions - including wearing a mask, carrying hand sanitiser and disinfecting items on arrival - 73% said they feel uncomfortable travelling with other people. In 2019 over 67% of travellers “liked” or “loved” travel. That figure has fallen to just 7% in 2020.
Sarah said: “As a designer, I build products to help us thrive as individuals, and together, in society. When people feel stressed or uncomfortable in their usual environment, this signals a problem to be solved. In 2020, I see it as my job to help those who want to travel to do so safely and with confidence.”
Giblin’s designs first hit the headlines in 2014 for their simple and effective theft-proof “backwards” design: the secure laptop backpack has zips cleverly hidden on the back panel so no one else can get in. The new RiutBag+ is safe and secure: it combines Giblin’s secure design with reengineered minimalist, smooth surfaces which are easy and quick to disinfect.
She added: “My first designs helped reduce stress, fear of theft and actual theft with the backwards design. I can’t make Covid-19 go away, but I can build a backpack with disinfectable materials which allows travellers to stop the spread, so they can move with confidence between work and home.”
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RiutBag+ launched on Kickstarter 15 October 2020 with early bird prices of £85 to £105. RRP £135.
Link to campaign: http://kck.st/3j0B6wK
About
RiutBag+ is on Kickstarter from 15 October to 3 November 2020. It has easy-clean materials, mask and hand sanitiser holders which respond directly to challenges travellers face due to Covid-19. It is a secure 15” laptop backpack to help commuters and students travel with confidence again.
Sarah Giblin was born in Scotland and raised in commuter town Reading, England. She left her office job to found Riut in 2014 which she runs as a one-person company. She has over 20,000 customers globally and designs innovative backpacks with their feedback. Giblin was awarded the European Product Design Award 2020 for her safe travel designs. She is currently based in Manchester and Berlin. Riut, pronounced “riot”, stands for Revolution in user thinking.
Links
European Product Design Award 2020: https://www.productdesignaward.eu/winners/epda/2020/10154/
To arrange an interview, or if you would like more information or further hi res images, please contact Sarah directly - sarah@riut.co.uk or +447989940512
www.riut.co.uk, www.facebook.com/riutbag, www.twitter.com/_riut, www.instagram.com/riutous