Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes by Ke Zheng and Shuhao Xuanyuan

Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes by Ke Zheng and Shuhao Xuanyuan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum in Accessorium Competition Category.

ArgentumAccessorium· 2024

Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes

by Ke Zheng and Shuhao Xuanyuan

Client: BareBag

Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum Winner in Accessorium Category

187,323
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #160037

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes

BareBag est series ornamentorum gestabilium designata pro hominibus quibus usus brachiorum vel manuum limitatus est, sicut iis qui laesionem passi sunt vel amputationem experti sunt. Uncus BareBag innovatione fabricatus contra oscillationem perfecte in ornamentum elegans integratur, permittens utentibus ut peram quamlibet ad lumbos suspendant sine manuum usu. Technologia eius ButterSlide etiam utentibus permittit ut lorum una tantum manu facile accommodent. BareBag modum ingeniosum praebet ad independentiam augendam qualitatemque vitae utentium meliorandam.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Argenteum

Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes victor est Praemii A' Design Award Argenteum, honoris eximie amplissimi formis summi generis, pulchris et conspicuis dati. Victores Argenti opera valde splendida et creandi ingenio praedita sunt, quae praestantem peritiam, talentum et acumen auctorum suorum ostendunt. Exspectatur Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes opus mirabile, exemplare, valde professionale et penitus novum fore. Haec forma Argento victa inventum notabile et admiratum est, quod ad fines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae promovendos confert. Barebag Series Protheses Elegantes creatio est, quam multi invident, quae cupiditates excitat, sensus bonos affert et admirationem miraculumque movet.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: BareBag represents a universal, integrated solution for limited mobility and functionality for the millions of upper limb injured/amputees, who often struggle to carry their belongings and perform daily tasks with one hand. With versatile bag hooks integrated into cross-body fashion accessories, users can comfortably carry all types of bags at their waist hands-free. By solving a universal problem of busy hands, BareBag promotes social equity and improves the life quality for its users.
Dimensions & Packaging: BareBag: 135mm x 50mm x 90mm
BareBag Nano: 120mm x 12mm x 70mm
Tags: Bag, Prosthetic, Fashion, Lifestyle, Assistive, Wallet, Amputee, Inclusive, Adaptive
Production Technology: BareBag is modularly assembled with a soft leather exterior and hard 3D-printed recycled PLA hook prosthetics. The modularity allows quick adaptation to configuration, and separate cleaning and recycling at the end of its life cycle. Its sustainable rPET strap is equipped with a 3D-printed slider specially engineered to enable smooth adjustment with one hand.
Design Challenge: The two main challenges during BareBag's development are maintaining the balance and stability of both BareBag and the carried bags, and inventing a strap slider mechanism for smooth one-hand adjustment. The wide-body hooks minimize bag-swinging or escaping while allowing the bag to slide in easily. BareBag's slider is re-engineered with a butterfly locking mechanism that allows the user to unlock with a simple pull, effortlessly adjust with one hand, and lock with a simple pinch. We iterated more than 50 prototypes to perfect the user experience.
Research: BareBag is a novel integration that differentiates itself from both fashion accessories and prosthetics. The research for active annual demand from disabled users resulted in more than 3.77 million people in the US alone. BareBag's development went through a 6-month user testing phase with more than 50 prototypes, optimizing the reliability, stability, ease of use, aesthetics, and sustainability.
Inspiration: BareBag started with a bike accident that broke one of its founder's arms. This sudden shift in life quality made him realize how inconvenient it is to do everything with only one hand. Especially when doing dumb labor like carrying bags, he had no hands to even use a phone. However, all the bag carriers on the market are bulky and make the user's disability more visible. BareBag's mission is then set to be an everyday fashion accessory that imperceptively becomes the user's additional hand.
Project Duration: BareBag started in January 2023 in New York City and finished in December 2023 in New York City
Operation Flow: By putting BareBag on like a cross-body bag, it blends into your style while being a prosthetic. With only one hand, unlock the strap slider by folding it up, and effortlessly slide it to adjust the strap length to fit your body. When you have bags to carry, simply hook the bag onto the integrated hook and let it grab the bags for you at waist level comfortably and stably, so your hands can be free to do more.
Team Members: Designer: Ke Zheng
Designer: Shuhao Xuanyuan
Manufacturing Specialist: Danmin Rao