Kiwi-Designed Case Has Future in the Bag

Patent-pending luggage one of the first Kiwi inventions accepted by Kickstarter

The New Zealand designer of a suitcase prototype, touted as the “mobile office of the future,” is seeking support via Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowd-funding platform.

The Barmes Freebase is an original, sleekly-designed case which has separate compartments that allow fast and easy access to travel documents; files; laptop; phone and power-cords; toiletries and clothing, and has been approved as carry-on luggage with all the world’s major airlines.

Aucklander Paul Barmes, founder of Barmes Design, aims to raise $40,000 by December 21, which would enable the Barmes Freebase to be in full production by April 2014.

With the Barmes Freebase everything has its place and is easy to find in the standing position.” states Mr Barmes. “Other bags are either soft, so your gear is not as safe, or the hard shell cases have to be laid flat, and everything taken out to find what you want. Moving quickly through airports is so much easier with the Freebase.”

Mr Barmes adds, “it’s extremely encouraging for our design to be accepted by the most pre-eminent platform of this type in the world.”

Since Kickstarter launched in 2009, it has raised more than US$800 million, funding more than 50,000 creative projects.

Kickstarter has previously only been open to US, Canadian and UK-based projects, but announced in October that it would accept New Zealand applicants from November 13, making Barmes Freebase one of the first New Zealand projects to launch on the platform.

“The timing for this project is synergistic,” says Mr Barmes, who began his career designing commercial furniture and manufacturing computer arms for workspaces.

He says the Freebase concept stemmed from the evolution of employee’s mobility requirements, which has been termed “activity based working” and focuses on two key aspects; mobility and flexibility.

“As part of the activity-based working development, many companies are now providing lockers for their people, but lockers tie you to one place. When you change locations, you want to cover all the options - work needs, travel documents, personal clothing, gym gear, toiletries and cosmetics, all organized, all accessible and always within reach.”

Mr Barmes says office desks are becoming a thing of the past for many."

“Shared spaces have become the norm. Wireless has enabled people to work seamlessly from home, on public transport, in the office, in cafes or other public spaces,” says Mr Barmes, “which is why I invented the Barmes Freebase – to truly mobilise people.”

To learn more about the Barmes Freebase or support it visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962910895/barmes-freebase-mobile-office-carry-on-case?ref=home_location
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