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To all the coffee shop/digital bedouins/neo-nomads
Hello, my name’s Andrew and I’m a product design student studying at Central Saint Martins, London.
I’m trying to design a product that allows a neo-nomad/web worker/freelancer to set up a work environment very quickly and to have everything instantly to hand. To help me make design choices I’ve created a short online survey to collect info about where people work, what they need, how they get there etc. I’d REALLY appreciate it if you would be so kind as to fill it in for me. It’s multiple choice and only 6 questions long.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MSYWT2B
If you have any friends/contacts that are doing the same and would be willing to fill this out then please pass it on.
Thank you, I’ll keep you updated!
- Andrew


sounds very interesting, I have my own company with clients in 3 countries so I know a thing or two about working on the move and away from the office...
Excellent! Thank you for your response (I've had 2 so far and I assume one of those was you) glad to hear you're one of those that can lead this sort of life
I aim to become a neo-nomad myself when done with my degree. I'm a little older than most students on my course and missed out on the whole gap year travelling thing, so this is something I hope to use in the future. I'll post with developments at a later date. Thanks again.
Hello,
Firstly, thanks a lot to those who responded, it was a real help having some feedback off
people that experience the neo-nomad working environment regularly, rather than me trying to
place myself in that situation. If you haven't done the survey yet, please do as I the more results I get the more I can empathise with the problems of user.
Based on the answers so far I have come up with three concepts. I have finished sketching two and I shall add a third tomorrow.
It was obvious to me that from the survey results, the solution would end up being a laptop case as users don't want to carry anything extra around. Therefore I'm trying to combine a laptop case with a backpack and provide everything an average user would need for a day working, within a single case.
I'd really appreciate it if you guys could give me some feedback on these, let me know what you think works, and what you think doesn't. I'll be grateful for anything you'd like to suggest, or even to hear about your frustrations with your current laptop case.
Please also bear in mind that these are just concepts, there are many features to be worked in and out of them before I arrive at the final solution.
PS. I feel that I need to make the survey link clickable, but cannot see a way to edit the first post, so here it is: Survey Link
I just filled it out, hope my response helps. Great images above, I like the concept
Hi Alavri, thanks a lot. Which are you particularly keen on?
I just filled out the survey. This is a great idea. I really love it.
Just a couple -very personal- ideas:
- I´d love it even more if it was a backpack instead of a case. It´s easier to carry with you, and leaves you both hands free for doing something else.
- It´d be great if it could have some mechanism for staying steady on an irregular surface. For example, if I´m working on the park or in the airport, I´ll have to put the case over my legs while I´m sitting down, and sometimes that´s not so comfortable, because the pen rolls out to the floor or the notebook slides out, etc. So something like small adjustable "legs" would be great. Like those small tables you use when you have breakfast on your bed
Then it would really be a mini-portable-office.
My 2 cents. Keep up the good work!
Imativa | Graphic & web design studio in Lima - Peru | Diseño gráfico y web en Lima - Perú.
Ditto on a backpack. (Or maybe attachable backpack straps?) I have a 17" MacBookPro and it is heavy! Carrying it in anything except a backpack is really bad for my back.
Which leads me to... consider making 2 sizes, one of which will fit larger computers. I had a hard time finding a good bag for mine: many bags were just a bit too small. (I actually carried a cardboard template the size of my computer around while bag shopping...can you say geek!)
I usually need access to a notebook, maybe some other papers, and a planner while I work, so I like that front access slot for notebooks.
Lovely responses both, thank you!
I did have backpack straps in mind as a lot of people cycle to these places, myself included. I think a briefcase handle is great for walking short distances and makes for hassle free manoeuvrability when getting on and off public transport, but of course for longer journeys and heavier items a back strap (I was thinking courier style) would help so much. I'll keep this thread going with development as it progresses.
Betty: the cardboard template is a great idea.. of course, geeky to some but I totally appreciate that
I have had friends in class carry scruffy cardboard prototypes of bags around London just to test how it feels, it's all part of the game.
Thanks again.