COPAQ is a transformative bike with various configurations to adapt to simultaneous commuting needs.

Client: SRAM

Role: Industrial Design, CAD modeling, Model Making, User Research

Team: Carmen Torrey, Eyoel Tewdros, Kimberly Wang

Duration: 9 weeks

Recognition: Georgia Tech Chair Silver Award

The problem

Life isn’t planned, so why should your bike ride be?

It’s difficult to react to unexpected situation as a bike commuter due to the limitations in current commuting bikes. This causes people to go for other transportation options.

“The most difficult part of biking to work is pre-planning”

Preplanning for cargo and safety is difficult and time consuming.

The current market does not cater to commuters’ conflicting needs.

Commuters want to minimize bike clutter, but also want to be able to bring their commute necessities (bags, bike locks, keys, phones, and other personal belongings. Coffee included.)

2. Bikes that can carry these necessities are not compact and have a bulky appearance. Commuters often compromise bike aesthetics in order to have their commuting cargo needs.

COPAQ, the transformative bike.

COPAQ can transform into various configurations to offer utilities when needed, all while maintaining its simple, clean look when the user is done using them.

Versatile Storage

COPAQ incorporated convertible storage system that can hold cups of coffees, phone, keys and rigid back rack for heavy carryings.

Bike Safety

COPAQ uses the structure of the seat post to combine air-pump inside for unforeseen happenings. Not like regular bikes, COPAQ’s front segment transforms into a u-lock. Also, its lighting system ensures the vision of the road and riders from other vehicles.

Process

MARKET RESEARCH

Our team went outside to visit bike shop in Atlanta area. We were able to get a good idea of general trends, who are the customers and what they ask for in general.

FIELD RESEARCH

Our team went out to observe parked bikes to see what is common things for bikers to bring and observed users to find insights from their unarticulated behaviors.

INTERVIEW WITH BIKERS

We interviewed a wide range of bikers from general commuters to road racers. This was helpful excercise to cull qualitative data from users.

SIMULATION RESEARCH

We wanted to empathize bike commuters pain-point much more engaging way not just hearing from them. So we simulated possible situation they would go through in a daily basis.

VALUE PROPOSITION CANVAS

We listed our users needs in categories: customer jobs, gains, and pains. Then, we created a hierarchy in accordance to importance based on our research.

Top tube is commonly untouched area.

Based on the research findings, we explored various way of creating a convertible storage as well as a maintenance and safety system that could solve commuter pain points.

Screen+Shot+2020-01-07+at+3.16.07+PM.jpg — Double

We set our direction to solve multiple needs spontaneously with minimum carryings.

Utility

Incorporating a double top tube gives users more versatility on the carrying experience.

Simple

A double top tube solved our main concern which was to maximize storages without harming the simple looks of a bike.

Ergonomic Studies: The double tube

We attached a double tubes to a regular bike to make sure it does not harm the original bike ride experience. Steering and pedaling from various terrains were fair enough to maneuver in the setting.

Development

Through the ergonomic study of double top tube idea, we gained validation of its usability in various type of terrain that involves in commuting circumstances. We then started to develop the tube to serve our user’s needs.

Form Development

After developing the functional part of our bike, we set out to figure out the appearance of our bike. Our value for physical design language was simple, modern, urban and sophisticated.