Although we believed that a democratic development process would not produce masterpieces, we took on the challenge and the BUDDY16 was born.

In early 2019, we entrusted the daypack project to a designer in his second year at the company. Even though we had the big brothers the BUDDY22 and the BUDDY33, the development started from scratch. We had him start with market research, collect requests from other staff members, sketch them, create samples, and give a presentation, and we had him carry out the design work in a democratic process that was right out of a textbook.

In the process, I wanted them to think, worry, discover, and grow as designers by asking questions like, "What kind of daypack is easy to use?", "What is the ideal shape of a daypack?", "What is a daypack, anyway?" and "What is a tool, anyway?" I continued to watch over the project with that feeling. More like a club advisor than a boss, and with a warm gaze at all times.

However, things did not go so smoothly, my ideals crumbled, and I was frustrated for days. After much conflict, I overwrote his design and pushed through with my own design. As soon as that happened, the project was no longer his, and I saw his passion has been lost. However, our mission is to create the best product for our users, and to do that, we need a tremendous amount of passion. In the end, I took over the project, and the BUDDY16 was born from the "democratic development process" he promoted. It is simple, easy for anyone to use, and unlike anyone else, and I think it is a product that is typical of PAAGOWORKS. It is a simple design, but it is a product full of passion.

Try it out and experience how comfortable it is to use in a variety of situations, from everyday life to traveling.

Now, when the time comes, let's go out and have fun!!

Pack and go!