The Whitecloud Medical Utility Bag is the first combined waist pack and back support designed specifically for medical professionals. Nurses and medical technicians need both back support and to carry medical supplies and personal items with them while they work. The unique feature of this bag is that the back support stays stationary while the bag can move around the body. The interior organization of the bag has a main pocket with an opening that folds down for easy access to supplies and a smaller pocket for personal items in the back. Interwoven designed, developed and prototyped a utility bag that incorporates a back support for people who work in these demanding environments.
Whitecloud Medical Utility Bag
What we did
- Design Research
- Competitive Analysis
- Concept Development
- Material Sourcing & Color
- Prototyping
- Technical Design
Clients / Collaborators
Problem Identification
Medical professionals, nurses and technicians, have strenuous jobs that often include lifting and helping patients from both prone and sitting positions, lifting and positioning equipment while also aiding in the mobility of patients by pushing and maneuvering gurneys and wheelchairs. Often, these activities can lead to back strain. In addition to this, medical professionals need to carry many items with them during the course of their workday. Often these items are bulky and, when carried in pants pockets, are uncomfortable and can weigh pants down. These items include syringes, flushes, bandages, gauze, etc. The founders of Whitecloud are medical professionals who experienced these issues and needs firsthand.
Product Description
The innovation behind the product stems from the bag's ability to slide around the body on a belt while also being able to overlap and conform onto the back support as if it were a single unit. This allows for a worker to have access to common medical or personal items or to slide the bag over the back support to prepare for strenuous movement such as lifting a patient. The product's modularity comes into play when a user wants to use the bag without the back support or vice versa. Both components are able to be removed from the belt and used independently if the user chooses.
Design Process
Whitecloud Medical approached Interwoven Design with rudimentary prototypes and a proof of concept. After the initial analysis of the proof of concept, the design team explored the current fanny pack and back support markets. This analysis guided the aesthetic and functional trend direction, considering material usage and differentiation in the current landscape. Through rounds of ideations, mockups, and feedback, Interwoven was able to develop multiple concepts with contrasting elements.
Whitecloud Medical selected two bag concepts, a back support and a belt, to refine further. Interwoven developed the initial concepts through the technical design phase and presented final prototypes. These prototypes were fabricated in sourced materials and in the chosen color palette.
