Yesterday I sang the praises of my latest favorite piece of luggage, the ZUCA Pro. The bag itself is incredibly intriguing and cool, but so is the backstory behind it.
- ZUCA Sport
Turns out, the first ZUCA product was the ZUCA Sport, designed as a kids’ school and activity “carry-all.” ZUCA Founder and CEO Laura Udall, along with her engineer husband Nick, created the pull-behind carry-all after their young daughter, Rachel, started having severe back pain from carrying heavy books. Rachel was a young teen when she was diagnosed with scoliosis.
What’s super cool about the Sport version is its dual-stacked wheel system that makes climbing school stairs and outdoor curbs a breeze. Plus, unlike the Pro, it’s totally customizable, with frames in five different colors and insert bags in 25 different colorful designs.
I wanted to know a little bit more about the ZUCA Sport, so Laura Udall kindly answered a few of my questions:
1. I’m curious about the timeline: How long did it take for you and your husband to get a prototype of the ZUCA Sport created, and then mass produced and available to the public?
We started focus groups in 2000, went through several design iterations and at the end of 2002 we had several successful engineering prototypes. We were in mass production by July 2004.
2. How many design versions of the ZUCA Sport got chucked along the way?
Somewhere between 10 and 15.
3. Rachel is in college now. Does she roll the ZUCA Sport around campus? Or is she a ZUCA Pro fan?
She was pretty excited the fall of her freshman year, because she saw a cute athlete pulling a ZUCA Sport across campus. She has both the Sport and the Pro but probably uses the Pro more. ZUCA has grown up with her! She is a jazz singer and uses it for music and her clothing when she is on the road. She had a performance in Japan last year and all she took with her was her ZUCA Pro, which even carried all of her evening dresses.
4. What’s the most interesting comment you’ve heard about the ZUCA Pro when you’ve wheeled it through airports?
I always find it so exciting when flight crew and TSA staff ask about it, because they see everything. So when a bag stands out to these people, you know it’s really unique. They all want to know what it is and are amazed to learn you can sit on it.
5. What’s your favorite design aspect of your products? After all, there are so many, from the nifty built-in seat to the beautifully smooth and silent wheels to the exoskeleton frame to the stacking pouches…
The core principal of all our designs starts with functionality – that old adage, form follows function, is our reality. We call it “considerate design.” So I have to say that the way our products function, the attention to detail and quality and their sense of fun are my favorite design aspects.
6. Which is your favorite insert bag for the ZUCA Sport? (Rumor has it, pink is a favorite color…)
I love color, so it’s hard for me to choose just one. The beauty of the ZUCA Sport is you can change the color depending on your mood for the day. My puppy, Ryleigh, rides to work in her pet ZUCA Sport every day.
7. How often do you travel for pleasure or for business?
I’m on the road at least once or twice a month.
8. What’s your favorite airport? Why?
I don’t really have one favorite airport, but I’ve always loved being in an airport, especially the large ones because I am a people watcher. I also love the fact that you can get your hair done, get a massage and have a great meal if you get stuck on a long layover.
9. Besides your ZUCA, what’s the one piece of travel gear you don’t leave home without?
The other gear I never leave home without is the ZUCA Business Backpack which holds my laptop, cables, files and just about everything else. It has pockets and compartments, so it is the ideal organizational system for the mobile professional or student. And it’s designed to stand up on its own, so it doesn’t tip over with your laptop inside. Traveling for a week with just these two products is a breeze.
10. What’s next for ZUCA – any new innovative products we can look forward to seeing in 2009?
The answer is YES! We are rounding out the travel line with some exciting accessories that will enhance the travel experience and adding two new rolling bags you can sit on.
