How one company redesigned the UX of a woman’s handbag

The word handbag is often preceded by the word ‘stylish’ but never the word ‘functional’. A handbag, which is essentially a derivative of a bag or backpack, often doesn’t get the same treatment as its gender-neutral category. It’s like how men’s jeans have pockets, but women’s jeans rarely do. There’s a strange gender-vs-usability bias in the fashion world where product aesthetics are given a higher priority than functionality… especially for women. A crowdfunding startup is out to change that.

You may remember Wool & Oak from their past Kickstarter campaigns, including the wildly successful 6-in-1 Duffle that introduced modularity to travel cases. Their latest campaign, The ALL DAY BAG, brings that very same level of problem-solving and pragmatism to a product that’s clearly plagued with problems. By redesigning the core UX of the woman’s handbag, The ALL DAY BAG gives women the ability to do more and carry more, with the freedom of being able to wear their handbag the way they see fit. The ALL DAY BAG is essentially a well designed backpack in the avatar of a woman’s handbag. It comes with a full-grain premium leather exterior in a silhouette that puts it at par with most high-end handbags, albeit with an adjustable strap system that lets you carry it like a handbag, wear it like a tote, or even strap it across your shoulders like a backpack (effectively freeing up your hands). The bag features a secure magnetic closure, as well as a secret quick-access pocket on the outside for a smartphone or wallet.

The interiors of The ALL DAY BAG reflect its conscientious approach to design. With a waterproof technical nylon inner, and an organized layout, The ALL DAY BAG is the perfect hybrid between a purse and a backpack. It comes with a well-planned set of compartments that include a sleeve for a 13-inch laptop, a notebook sleeve, pockets for your wallet, hand cream, sunglasses, a roomy zip pocket for valuables or chargers, a secure looped-holder for a water-bottle, two leather pen loops, two leather lipstick loops, and a clip for securing your keys. This is, while excluding the bag’s main compartment that’s spacious enough to fit a 15-inch laptop and a lunch-box among other belongings one may own. The bag’s design comes with side-gussets that you can either tuck in, to make your bag compact, or expand outwards to change the visual appeal of the bag while giving you a larger inner compartment. Designed to be stylish (and that’s the only time I’ll use this word here) but more importantly be functional, The ALL DAY BAG comes with a usefulness and versatility that most women’s handbags often lack. For instance, The ALL DAY BAG even has a luggage-strap that lets you secure it to a carry-over bag, freeing you as you travel through an airport. In doing so, The ALL DAY BAG embodies the very characteristics that women aim at reflecting. Freedom, versatility, the ability to multitask, and to look great while doing it!

Designer: Johnathan Webster

Click Here to Buy Now: $319 $419 ($100 off). Hurry, only 2/708 left! Raised over $330,000.

The ALL DAY BAG – Multi-tasking Masterpiece

THE ALL DAY BAG can be worn as a handbag, backpack, or a tote. Simply pull the straps to turn it into a whole new bag.

Made for the woman on the go, Wool & Oak created a premium bag – without the premium markup; a bag that keeps up with you so you can use it All Day. Every Day.

ALL DAY Elegance

Crafted from full-grain premium leather and designed to flatter the female silhouette, The ALL DAY BAG was made to elevate every outfit for any occasion.

ALL DAY Comfort

Now you can do what you want with a bag that does it all. The morning to moonlight ALL DAY BAG is a true multi-tasking masterpiece.

ALL DAY Freedom

Made for motion. Adjust the versatile straps to a luggage strap to maximize your bag’s safety in transit. Wherever you’re headed this year, THE ALL DAY BAG has your back.

ALL DAY Access

Built around the busy woman’s day The ALL DAY BAG is intuitive to use. A secret phone pocket on the back and a thoughtfully curated interior ensure functionality remains chic.

A clip for keys, a 13” laptop sleeve, a notebook sleeve, pockets for your wallet, hand cream, sunglasses, a roomy zip pocket for valuables or chargers, a water bottle holder with an elasticated top, and two leather pen loops, two leather lipstick loops, ensure your everyday necessities stay organized and accessible.

The main compartment is spacious enough to hold a 15” laptop, a cardigan, and even your to-go lunch.

The ALL DAY BAG was designed for ease of access on-the-go with a fold-in top flap and a leather-covered magnetic closure. For a little peace of mind, Wool & Oak have added a silver zipper closure underneath that’s as sturdy as it’s striking.

Details of The ALL DAY BAG

The adjustable strap works like a wonder. Find your optimal strap length to easily switch from a handbag to a backpack, to a tote in one quick pull.

Fold-in side gussets and a fold-in top flap allow for freedom to switch silhouettes and allow for further storage space.

Lightweight and easy to clean. Their wipeable technical nylon offers a luxe look and feel. It even looks good after a spill.

Click Here to Buy Now: $319 $419 ($100 off). Hurry, Only 2/635 left! Raised over $300,000.

Designers, this is how you make a backpack refreshingly different and beautiful

I write a lot about bags. It’s the nature of my job. It’s also the nature of my job to find the best in each bag and highlight it, making sure the reader who’s looking for that exact feature finds a bag that they’ll end up owning and loving. Every now and then I come across a bag with a nice feature. It’s either anti-theft, or it’s modular, or trackable, or just darn stylish, but the Wings bag by Wool & Oak is different.

Around 15 seconds into the video above, I knew I was looking at something simply different. The guys behind the Wings bag stumbled upon a model that just clicks. The bag’s a cross between a backpack and a duffle, and that makes it ambidextrous. This means the bag can easily be accessed by you from either side without you needing to take your backpack off just to unzip and access your belongings. Slide it off one arm and the backpack becomes almost like a duffle or a handbag, allowing you to access your belongings through zips on either side. The bag also has a vertical flap like traditional bags, letting you access your belongings the old-fashioned way too. This layout gives the Wings bag its appeal and also its name (because the bag’s side flaps open to form wings)

The Wings backpack comes with an incredibly lightweight design (it weighs less than a kilo) and sports an Italian leather construction all around, with a breathable fabric at the back that lets your skin breathe as you carry the bag around the city with you. The bag’s lined on the insides with a water-resistant and stain-resistant PU coated fabric and is spacious enough to carry all your gear, including but not limited to photography equipment. In fact it’s actually perfect for photography equipment, given how the side-access zips make it so easy to whip out your camera while on the go. The bag also comes with magnetic side pockets and a secret front pocket for your necessary belongings, and if all of that wasn’t enough, it also flattens out to make it easy to store and carry around with you.

Wool & Oak’s Wings backpack is refreshingly different just for the way it’s designed to be used. I’ve owned backpacks for decades now and each one has the same problem. You want a pen, you need to take the bag off your back, open the zip or the flap, and dig your head in as you search for a pen. The Wings backpack’s UX is much more elegant. Designed to be a backpack that can be used as a duffle when you need to instantly access your belongings, the Wings alters the unquestioned, virtually canonical blueprint of bag design… for the better.

Designers: Gizem Mut-Webster & Johnathan Webster of Wool & Oak

Click Here To Buy Now: $195 $345 (45% off). Hurry, only 2 left!

Wings is ‘The World’s First Technical Leather Backpack’ with 12-in-1 versatility: Providing the functionality of a technical outdoor backpack and the premium style of a classic leather backpack. The bag can easily be accessed by you from either side without you needing to take your backpack off just to unzip and access your belongings.

Sling the bag to the side, open and access the contents.

Securely carry your drinks and other things, in the side-pockets that hold together magnetically.

Go from work to play!

Features of The Wings Bag:

Wings is the only everyday bag you need: It is super light, weighing only 0.9kg (that’s less than 2lbs and considered the lightest leather backpack in the market), versatile, accessible, and super comfortable.

The Wings features two full zip side panels, which allow you to access any of your items within seconds. It has 2 external magnetic pockets and 1 zippered front pocket that can safely hold your water bottle or phone and wallet. Inside, there are 4 dedicated pockets for meticulous organization.

The 20l capacity can generously hold an extra sweater, pair of sneaker or whatever you fancy throughout your day. The Climate Control Mesh on the back panel lets your back breath for those extra long days. The 3D Nylon Weave shoulder straps add comfort.

Colors Options:

Click Here To Buy Now: $195 $345 (45% off). Hurry, Super Early Bird Special with Limited Stock.

The Epic 6-in-1 Backpack Makes a Comeback!

It’s only natural for a designer to constantly refine their creations, making the newer iterations better than the previous ones. I honestly didn’t think there was much you could do to improve the backpack of our dreams, but the designers at Wool & Oak are back with the Duffle Sport, a backpack that’s as hardcore a wanderlust as you are.

Taking the same incredible modularity concept from the original Duffle, the Duffle Sport comes in a weather-proof, water-proof fabric shell. The Duffle Sport, just like the legacy Duffle still probably remains the only bag that can conveniently pack your items for anywhere from half a day to 7 days worth of activities. Its proprietary slip-zip-clip method allows you to carry a slim backpack with just work essentials, to an overnight pack, to a weekend-getaway pack, to even a week’s worth of packing. Duffle Sport achieves this through modularity. Available in three different bags that can be used individually or attached together to form a holiday-superkit (in six different configurations), the Duffle Sport deviates from the leather construction for something hardier and more weather resistant. The hydrophobic fabric comes in a variety of colors, adding a splash of vibrancy to the Duffle Sport while also allowing it to be almost half the price of the leather model from last year.

The Duffle Sport is available in a variety of formats. People who just want the convenience of a slim, weather-resistant bag can opt for the Pro, while others looking to make use of Duffle Sport’s modularity can opt for the Overnight, Weekender, or Voyager kits. Each bag and kit is specifically designed keeping segregation in mind. The Pro is ideal for notebooks and laptops, while the zip-on modules are great for travel essentials, clothes, shoes, etc., with even dedicated hidden-yet-easy-to-access slots for your passport, boarding pass, or mobile phone. If you were charmed by the Duffle Backpack last year but wanted something more versatile, durable, and reasonable… Lo, and behold! The gods of travel gear have listened to your prayers!

Designer: Johnathan Webster

Click here to Buy Now: $259.00 $375.00

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The Voyager Set (Pro + Backpack + Duffle)

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The Pro Bag

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The Backpack

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The Duffle

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Click here to Buy Now: $259.00 $375.00

The Backpack You’ve Been Dreaming Of

Designers broadly aim for two reactions to their design. For other designers to go “I wish I had thought of that”, and for everyone else to go “I want to own that”. The Leather Duffle 6-in-1 backpack ticks both those boxes. In fact nothing I say here even matters because chances are you’re already in love with it, just how I am. Let’s just put it here that the video above has garnered as many as 4 million views on our Facebook page in a span of 4 days.

For the people new to this marvel of good design and spectacular build, the Leather Duffle is a one-of-a-kind modular backpack that allows you to swap, switch, merge, and separate components to create the storage solution you need on a day-to-day basis. The Duffel is truly modular and comes in three main designs. The Pro stores your esseentials, providing a practical and light travel solution. The full size backpack has a 15 litre capacity, giving you enough storage for a day or two. The further beefed up Duffel gives you even more storage, making it perfect for travel. The magic is when these three individual storage units join together to form more personalized and integrated storage solution. Based on your needs, you can zip any of the two bags together to make one super-bag that takes care of all your needs! Even without the modularity, the bags are just incredibly classy and even more functional. The bags are beautifully compartmentalized, giving you segregated storage for everything, providing security to some of your belongings, and ease-of-access to others. The bags even come with hidden compartments for your secret stash (probably a bulk of Nickelback CDs, if you’re Mark Zuckerberg)! It even comes with a svelte looking travel pouch that makes overnight journeys and stays an absolute dream. The bags come available in absolutely delicious shades of leather. However, if you’re one of those animal lovers (like I am), the Duffle is even available in a deep dark colored canvas variant.

Completely exhaustive, and beautifully built, the 6-in-1 Duffle is designed not just to be your all-in-one travel kit, but to be the all-in-one travel kit that’ll surely make everyone jealous. This may just be the best backpack ever! (And right in time for the holiday season, no less!)

Designer: Johnathan Webster

Buy The Voyager Leather Set Here: $475.00 $600.00

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