PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x QWSTION

with Christian Paul Kaegi

A joint project between Swiss bag brand QWSTION and ECAL students of the Master Product Design programme, exploring ways of carrying and using the new sustainable and lightweight material CottonShell®. In the project led by Christian Paul Kaegi, Swiss Designer and Creative Director at QWSTION, the sustainably produced CottonShell® was the starting point for an extensive research. CottonShell® has so far been used for clothing only and its unique construction makes it wa-ter-resistant without the use of any coating. Questioning the norm, using straightforward materials and integrating functionality in effortless ways are the core brand values of QWSTION which completed the brief. «A good answer is the result of the right question. I think it’s a really important part of studying to keep questioning the status quo, of society, technology and their relation.» mentions Christian Paul Kaegi. The student’s engagement with both the QWSTION brand as well as the new material resulted in interesting new ideas and concepts going beyond the ordinary: a scarf with hidden pockets aims to challenge airline staff, a new method of protecting contents inspired by bubblewrap makes for minimal carry, and a backpack with integrated rain coat tackles unpleasant weather surprises.