A UK design revolution
The RiutBag smashes Kickstarter target within first week
Predicting a Riut
The next generation of rucksack for commuters, the RiutBag, is causing a storm on Kickstarter. Initially aiming for a funding goal of £29,700, the campaign has soared to nearly £40,000 within the first week, an incredible achievement for the The RiutBag’s designer, Sarah Giblin, based in the commuter-hub of Reading.
Why the Riutbag is causing a storm
Riut stands for Revolution In User Thinking. The RiutBag is a unisex rucksack which elegantly puts security at the centre of its design. Created for commuters and city travellers carrying data-rich tech, it has no outer zips; instead they are all cleverly located against the wearer’s back for total peace of mind during the city commute. Designer, Sarah Giblin, explains why: “I noticed in the commuter crush one day that there’s a problem with the conventional rucksack: the person behind you can access your belongings better than you. That’s an unnerving design problem in our densely populated cities.”
What’s more, the RiutBag looks the part. It is smart enough for work, casual enough for a city holiday and minimalistic in design and branding. It holds a 15” laptop, has hidden ticket pocket holders in each strap and bottle holders within the profile of the bag. It has a fully waterproof base and outer shell, made from Kevlar and foam-lined Cordura. Its sleek profile means you can be a considerate commuter whilst carrying everything you need to.
Reaching for the stars: 100% funding in one week, how far can Riut go?
No outer zips? A simple but brilliant idea, the “crowd”, has pledged enough to fully fund the RiutBag and put it into production in just under 7 days. It’s currently at £39,000 and rising with the remaining RiutBags beginning to sell out.
Sarah Giblin, designer, in her thank you message to early backers said “Funding a project in one week shows us the amazing power of social media. You have helped to create a brand in demand at incredible speed, and we are now so excited to see how far this journey can now take us.”
Why should we Riut ?
Fully funded, and with a ready made army of supporters, the world is welcoming a new UK company, Riut, to the global luggage industry. This is Giblin’s personal mantra, design philosophy and the motivation behind her enthusiastic engagement with rucksack users on Kickstarter. Revolution in user thinking also describes how Giblin has literally evolved the body of the rucksack to make the RiutBag,
Backers have welcomed Giblin’s user – focussed approach: “It is truly a breath of fresh air to see a KS (Kickstarter) creator so involved in the comments - almost half of them are [the creator’s]!” said one backer.” Another commented: “Congrats, I can't wait to get my RiutBag, hope you continue developing cool and practical things that change the way we go through our everyday activities.”
Giblin believes that her company can be run totally focussed on the user now and into the future. “By revolving all thinking around the user, Riut will continue to create a new breed of user-centric travel accessories which take us from 2014 right up to the day that teleportation makes rucksacks a thing of the past!.”
At-a-glance information
Live Kickstarter page link: http://kck.st/1tvaf06
Funding goal surpassed: £29,700
Current (at time of writing): £39,000
Designer: Sarah Giblin
Product: Smart, safe rucksack for commuters
Cost: From £45 including UK P&P
Campaign ends: 26 November 2014
Editor's Note:
Issued by Brand Refinery (www.brandrefinery.co.uk) . For more information please contact Samantha Marie-Cadman, E-mail: Samantha@brandrefinery.co.uk or phone 01886 833446.
About RiutBag: Based in Reading, Riut stands for Revolution in user thinking. 1000 commuters answered Riut's rucksack surveys earlier this year which helped inform the design and style of RiutBag.
