Bad Design #5 — always room for improvement
Back in the day suitcases did not have wheels, and what a drama that was. But then somebody invented the suitcase trolley. A small contraption with wheels, that you could sit your suitcase on, and wheel it around. How great was this invention!
Then another “smart” person said, hey, why don’t we combine the two together, Bing! went the light bulb. And thus, the suitcase we know today was born. The suitcase with wheels already attached, allowing you to roll your luggage wherever you please.
Brilliant!
Now here’s the thing. Firstly, when we didn’t have wheels we didn’t walk great distances, because hey, suitcase are damn heavy. Secondly, we didn’t care what the floor surface was like, because our human legs can handle many variations, concrete, carpet, sandy, gravel, uneven, holes, etc. But now that we have wheels, we’re rolling our suitcases further, and therefore over a great variety of surfaces.
Anybody been to Europe lately?
Anybody experience rolling a suitcase over these beautiful pathways?
It’s a pain!
So what’s the problem?
The problem is that suitcase wheels were never designed for these environments. Suitcase wheels are made for smooth polished surfaces, like those found in airports or train stations. They were never intended to be used on rough uneven surfaces. But why not? People walk over rough surfaces… and people carry suitcases…so exactly, why not?
As I always say:
Every problem is an opportunity.
And here is an opportunity. Yes, the original solution was brilliant. But like everything, it can be improved. Especially here, where the original solution has actually broadened the scope of use of this product. So, what do we need? New wheels, larger wheels, no wheels, hover board, drones??
Samsonite, surely your million dollar design department has a few ideas (If not, give me a call).
Independent designers, shows us what you got.
CitizenRod is an entrepreneur, industrial designer, artist, and thinker. Follow him on Steemit, Twitter, Insta, his artwork at rodrigoantoniomunoz, and his startup at Maate.it.
Note: This article was originally posted on Medium by CitizenRod.