Role: Co-Founder · Product Lead · UX & Hardware/Software Designer
Organization: Mark Two Bags
Years: 2015–2017
Domain: IoT hardware · Connected devices · Consumer travel tech
Impact: Conceived, designed, and brought to prototype a smart luggage ecosystem with charging, tracking, and cloud connectivity; filed a patent; partnered with manufacturers; competed internationally; pivoted toward B2B licensing.
Overview
Mark Two Bags was the startup I co-founded with the goal of modernizing travel gear through connected features: device charging, anti-loss tracking, security notifications, and app-controlled functionality.
As co-founder and product lead, I drove everything from concept → UX → hardware prototyping → partnerships → patent filing → product strategy. It was a full-stack entrepreneurial experience — working fast, iterating constantly, and balancing user needs with engineering and manufacturing realities.
The Challenge
Travelers have a consistent set of problems:
- Batteries running out mid-trip
- Lost or misplaced luggage
- Lack of security notifications
- No integrated experience between bag + app
When we started, no consumer brand had combined hardware, charging, tracking, and software into a single ecosystem at a reasonable price.
The opportunity was to build a connected travel platform, not just a bag.
My Role
As co-founder and product lead, I handled:
- Concept & product vision
- Hardware–software interaction design
- User research with travelers and frequent flyers
- UX, UI, and service blueprinting
- Technical requirements + feasibility mapping
- Supply-chain and manufacturer engagement
- Pitching to investors and competitions
- Patent documentation
- Business model iteration (D2C → B2B licensing pivot)
This was end-to-end product creation under real startup constraints.
Approach
1. Discovery & Validation
We started with travel research:
- Interviews with travelers, consultants, photographers
- Shadowing in airports and transit hubs
- Analyzing lost-luggage rates, charging habits, and pain points
- Mapping a “traveller technology lifecycle” across a full trip
Key insight:
Users didn’t want a gadget bag — they wanted trusted utility without friction.
This shaped our minimal-core feature set.
2. Hardware + UX Concept Development
I led the creation of the first product concepts:
- Modular charging system integrated into the bag
- Tracking device paired with a mobile app
- Security alerts when separated from the bag
- Power indicators placed intuitively on the exterior
- Hidden compartments for electronics
I translated these into:
- System diagrams
- User flows
- Interaction patterns across physical + digital touchpoints
- Wireframes and UI prototypes for the companion app
- CAD-assisted hardware sketches and form-factor exploration
This required balancing ergonomics, weight, battery safety, and manufacturing feasibility.
3. Prototyping & Technical Collaboration
We produced several prototypes combining:
- Power-bank modules
- Tracking chipboards
- Sensor housings
- Water-resistant cabling
- Early firmware behavior
I worked directly with manufacturing partners to iterate on:
- Material selection
- Stitching and seam stress points
- Placement of electronics
- Thermal considerations for battery components
- Cost analysis and BOM estimates
These were integrated into a working prototype suitable for demonstration and testing.
4. Patents & IP
We identified novel elements of the system, including:
- The modular connectivity architecture
- Sensor placement and power-management system
- Embedded charging functions with dual-purpose components
I contributed to drafting and documenting the patent filing, which advanced significantly through the review process.
5. Go-to-Market & Business Development
I took the lead on:
- Pitching at international competitions
- Creating investor decks and product roadmaps
- Building relationships with manufacturers and distributors
- Exploring partnerships with luggage brands for a licensing model
We eventually pivoted toward B2B hardware licensing, as it had more feasible margins than direct-to-consumer bag production.
Deliverables
- Functional IoT luggage prototype
- Companion app UX/UI prototype
- Full product specs and manufacturing documentation
- System architecture & hardware interaction diagrams
- Patent documentation & claims
- Investor materials, pitch decks, roadmap
- Business model exploration (D2C → B2B)
Impact
Product Impact
- Working prototype demonstrating integrated charging, tracking, and security
- Validated user interest and willingness to pay
- Created a new form factor that complemented real traveler needs
Business Impact
- Led to strong interest from bag manufacturers
- Advanced a patent application covering key innovations
- Performed well in several startup competitions and showcases
- Generated early partnership momentum before the pivot
Personal & Professional Impact
This startup built the foundation of how I work today:
- Rapid validation cycles
- Balancing feasibility, desirability, and viability
- Designing across hardware + software ecosystems
- Communicating with investors, manufacturers, and engineers
- Making tough decisions in uncertain environments
It remains one of the projects that shaped my hybrid Product–UX–Business skillset.
Reflections
Mark Two Bags taught me to design beyond screens — to think in systems, materials, constraints, and business realities. It was a full-spectrum crash course in product strategy, innovation, and delivery. Those lessons have influenced every complex ecosystem project I’ve led since.