Modern Industry’s Refreshing Take on Carry

We’ve touched on Modern Industry briefly but they’re doing some pretty interesting things which we think are worthy of center stage attention. Enter Mike Weiss, bag fan, the man behind the marketing for Triple Aught Design, and a guy who knows a thing or two about the industry. He caught up with Modern Industry and has kindly put together the post below…

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If their Kickstarter campaign is any indicator, Modern Industry is slated for big things. Not bad for a group of five friends who pooled $7,000 to make an idea a reality. The driving force behind Modern Industry is Patrick Healy, who first stapled artist canvas together in his apartment to show proof of concept. Fast forward one year and the Magnitude (their main pack) is now a reality, culminating as the central figure of his senior thesis and Kickstarter campaign.

Patrick’s approach from the beginning was always a bit different. And it comes through when you sit down with him and the rest of the team (Lorris, Mike, Taylor and Tony). To start, these are young faces bringing a breath of fresh air to carry. Second, their approach and overarching philosophy is forward thinking, bent towards sustainability and giving back to the community. After all, the companies they admire are those that buck the trend, like Outlier, Zero Skateboards and Rickshaw Bagworks.

Why Kickstarter

To bring Modern Industry to life, the guys had two options: bring in some external funding and cede control or they could crowdfund it, build demand, sell product and never have to relinquish control. The choice was clear. Kickstarter proved to be the best option because of its high volume of users, DIY mentality and the ability to showcase the people behind the brand. Let’s not forget that carry has proven to be a popular category. For the guys, the decision to go the Kickstarter route took a lot of weight off their shoulders and let them focus on their product offering.

Speaking of which, this is the part of the conversation where we start talking about their slim wallet, made of Horween leather. As you can see below, they went through quite the iterative process to get it right, finding the right balance of simplicity, size and functionality. The reason the wallet is so important to them is simple; it allowed them to build into their Kickstarter campaign a lower-cost product offering to ideally get them one step closer to their goal.

Now for the Good Stuff

The first thing you notice about the Magnitude is that it strikes a great balance between functionality and intention. They take obvious design cues from technical and lifestyle packs, bringing together the best of both worlds. It is important to note that the Magnitude was intentionally designed to do less with more. With some clever designs and distinct style, the pack works across all facets of your life, be it work or for play. The daisy chain is a detail that epitomizes this approach. With just your essentials, the pack practically folds in half, providing a more refined aesthetic that’s perfect for the 9-to-5.

Unlike most packs that create an internal compartment for a laptop carrying system, the guys decided that for such an everyday essential, quick and easy access is paraamount. As such, a zippered external pocket was integrated so you have access to it without having to open the bag. It doesn’t change the weight or balance of the pack on your shoulders and is just the sort of outside-the-box thinking you come to appreciate with their pack. Another exceptional detail that is easily overlooked is the top stitch sewn around the edge of the pack. It was refined repeatedly until they found a means of sewing it in such a way that the pack would literally fold into itself.

One of the biggest challenges they faced was with the back panel and strap system. Most straps curve out from the top to the bottom but they found this uncomfortable across various body types. A simple and better alternative proved to be inverting the straps for enhanced comfort no matter the shape or size. But the back panel is the true work of art. Not only is it comfortable, vented well and has a clean aesthetic, it was also a huge pain point to design and construct in the manufacturing process. They chose not to use compression molding due to the hazardous materials and process in making them. Instead they went with 0.25-inch thick EVA foam at the base and 0.5-inch foam on the raised panels.

To make a long story short, keep your eyes on Modern Industry. They have passion, energy and the mindset to really make a mark. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Hopefully they’ll let us get our hands on the Magnitude or Conduit Sling for a more in-depth review.

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Mike Weiss has always believed that a bag serves a purpose and used this excuse to make sure he had a specific bag dedicated for specific use cases. When not obsessing over the latest and greatest, he can typically be found either running, biking or looking for that perfect shot. He currently does marketing for Triple Aught Design.