The design brief and beyond.
At the Oregon Manifest kick-off party we received a design brief that specifies the functional requirements of the utility bike. The brief lists the elements that are essential to the design of this type of bike: locking, loading, carrying, lighting, etc. As designers and bike builders we know that the basic brief is only a portion of the overall story; it contains the minimum requirements to make a design a viable solution.
We have to think beyond the minimum requirements and design a bike that brings all the required elements together, tells a cohesive story and delivers a beautiful experience. In our initial phase we decided to add richness and depth to the brief by designing for a specific person: the urban explorer.
Who is the urban explorer?
The idea of the urban explorer came to us as we considered what kind of utility bike we would like to own and use. We realized that each member of our Ziba x Signal team is a transplant to Portland and relishes in the opportunity to delve into the idiosyncrasies of our fair city (the dream of the nineties is indeed alive in Portland).
We also know, as all cyclists do, that the best way to get to know a city is on a bike. Even a city where you have lived for years becomes new and intimate when you swap a car for a bike. The urban explorer thrives on curiosity and spontaneity: when he's out running errands he is constantly drawn to the nooks and crannies of the city. She loves to browse bookstores, find undiscovered hole-in-the-wall restaurants, explore specialty shops, chill at great bars and peruse Bob Loblaw's law blog. The urban explorer frequently takes the long way home—quick trips to the grocery store are often an opportunity to run additional errands or simply enjoy a bike ride through the park on a gorgeous (or gloomy) day.
Beauty is not just skin deep.
On the surface this user scenario may seem a bit light on utility, but once you dive into actual design there are some important functional needs. How do you design a utility bike that one can just get on and ride?
Forget all the messenger bags, the panniers, the accessories, the locks, the lights, the maintenance—the urban explorer needs that stuff but also needs to be out the door and on the bike in less than a minute. She wants to experience the carefree joy of riding through the city, with the flexibility to carry various-sized loads depending on her errands and exploration. His bike needs to be comfortable outside, rain or shine, for a long errand or quick coffee.
As we are defining and refining every aspect of our design we continuously test ourselves against the concept of urban exploration. The beauty of the bike is not found solely in its visual aesthetic; it lies where the functionality and utility perfectly meet the needs of its rider. The irony of this story-based approach to design is that once we nail the execution for a specific user, the design will likely appeal to a variety of people.
Getting eggs safely from the grocery store to your fridge.
In the past month our prototyping efforts have kicked into high gear. We have had great sessions at both Ziba and Signal. Matt and Nate from Signal are amazingly adept at quickly constructing prototypes and critiquing their functionality based on our brief and story. We've had several iterations of the sidecar and sections of the bike that allow us to hone in on the design details. The opportunity to work together on this type of project is a great privilege. Here are some pictures so you can share in the fun.
