OhNo!Doom has posted this humorous take on the iPad’s potential effect on fashion.Hopefully you and I together will come up with a tablet bag design that’s just a bit more credible than that!

 

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Sure its likely when you’re designing your ultimate vision of the perfect tablet bag titanium steal protection armor or diamond encrusted bling might immediately pop into your head.  However it’s unlikely that would be the perfect product for you if only Donald Trump could afford it.While those are extreme examples you can probably get a pretty good idea of how your “materials” suggestions are going to affect price by the durability and quality of the material or their preciousness.

Leather is more expensive than “pleather” (fake plastic leather), different rubbers and plastics have their hierarchy of durability (and thus price) and so in the end some tough decisions will have to be made. Suffice it to say we’ll assume that you’ll want to carry your device around a lot and durability will be one of the more important features of our final tablet bag. 

Sure its likely when you’re designing your ultimate vision of the perfect tablet bag that titanium steal protection armor or diamond encrusted bling might immediately pop into your head.  However it’s unlikely that would be the perfect product for you if only Donald Trump could actually afford to pay for it.

While those are extreme examples you can probably get a pretty good idea of how your “materials” suggestions are going to affect price by the durability and quality of the material or their preciousness. Leather is more expensive than “pleather” (fake plastic leather), different rubbers and plastics have their hierarchy of durability (and thus price) and so in the end some tough decisions will have to be made. Suffice it to say we’ll assume that you’ll want to carry your device around a lot and durability will be one of the more important features of our final tablet bag.

Materials such as denim can be quite durable and considering that the weight and size of the next generation tablets should be smaller and lighter… well that might be a fabric that could do the job, and at a reasonable price. Of course style and materials are also heavily related subjects. More masculine and/or ruggedized designs will have completely different requirements and the tablet’s own design itself will have some influence on the type of materials and design of a carrying bag. 

There is certainly a lot to consider and figure out regarding product materials. We’ve created a category dedicated to that very subject in our Operation TBD discussion forums here or 

There’s really no reason you have to conform to the de-facto mobile device bag design standard set by thousands of black and grey computer case clones out there. And you’re not limited to a few simple colors either – implementing prints, patterns and custom artwork is easier and more affordable than ever.

If the tablet bag is going to be something you’re carrying with you as much as you do your phone, how it looks is going to be very important. Remember, unlike your phone, it’s not something you can tuck away in your pocket.

Do you need some thing you can take to work when you’re dressed in a suit? Will that style of bag still be ok when you’re headed to the park in shorts and a t-shirt on the weekend? Is it possible to find a balance or are several designs in different colors and styles necessary? What about a reversible design that gives you two color options in the one product?

With more people than ever toting their mobile devices between the office and the home and also out and about on weekends, the device bag/carrying case is now as much a fashion accessory as your shoes or t-shirt, and expected to mix functionality, security, and style — the ratio of those elements is up to you.

What features you think a tablet bag needs is going to depend a lot on how you think you would use it. On the couch web browsing? On the airplane? Subway? Long car trips? At the mall?

Obviously for some usage scenarios a bag won’t be needed, but what about when you want to quickly check email or Google Maps when you’re on the move? Are you going to want to take the device out of its carrying case each time, or would it be better if you had access to it while it was still inside? Can you operate it with one hand and the other supporting, or will the bag play a role here, stabilizing and holding the tablet leaving you with both hands free to operate it?

Device protection is also important. With a tablet’s big, exposed screen, you might want to consider padding or some sort of rigid screen protector. And of course there’s also the security issue – does your bag need some sort of locking mechanism?

Are you going to be using the tablet outdoors a lot? What about some sort of incorporated solar panel for recharging the device? Perhaps you’d like a bag that comes with a fold out frame to stand the tablet PC on?

The entire product development lasts through 3 simple stages.

• Stage 1 is a wide open gathering of ideas and creativity.
• Stage 2 is final details and a decision about the gathered ideas.
• Stage 3 is presentation of the final product and the users decision on whether they will buy it.
• Stage 4 -Delivery!
   

*Please note the "digital countdown" timer on the top right of the website to see how much time is left for the stage in progress.

Stage 1 Let your creative muse loose by suggesting ideas regarding the materials, style, and the special features of your vision of the ultimate tablet bag design. You can participate as often as you wish with your new percolating ideas. 

At this stage the ideas are discussed by the community and by the Shanzai Studios curators to determine the practical viability, popularity and issues regarding the ideas contributed. This period of time  for stage 1 is typically 3 weeks. At the end of Stage 1 contributors are then notified of the projects move to Stage 2.

Stage 2 Fine tuning the product's minute details your keen eye for quality and trends means the ideas from Stage 1 will start to take shape. You make the tough final decisions and fine tuning choices that need to be made by the community regarding the potential finished product. Weed out the weak ideas from the most popular and practical design concepts that you vote forward for final selection. This period of time is approximately 2 weeks and requires no commitment on the part of contributors. At this point contributors are then notified of the move to Stage 3.



Stage 3 begins with the exciting unveiling of the final product that will go into real world production and its announcement! Depending on the crowd dynamic of Stage 1 and 2 there may actually be more than one final product.  At this stage contributors can decide whether they would like to pre-order the final product(s) (at a hefty discount in reward for your contribution) for themselves with the option to refer it to others for even more rewards.

Start Creating Your Ultimate Tablet Bag... 
Operation TBD (Tablet Bag Design) is your chance to have a say in the design, fashion and function of one of the hottest new product accessories for 2010.

Along the way you'll be transforming how the industry meets your needs and visionary thinking for products tailor made for you.

Watch a 1 min video to see how easy it is to participate.

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Proud geeks and fashionistas alike will find out just how simple and easy it is for you to have your say as you play the roles of"Innovative Product Developer", " Iron Fisted Project Manager" and "Charismatic Evangelist" and input your design ideas for creating your ultimate tablet bag. That we will ultimately bring to market for you!

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