BowerBags: From Grad School Project to Kickstarted Company



Jamie Bowerman, Bowerbags

Jamie Bowerman, creator of Bowerbags in Savannah, Ga., designed and created the Bowerbag for a class project in graduate school. The challenge: Create a bag that would allow Bowerman to carry his work and school material in a single, comfortable bag. To solve his commuting challenge, Bowerman created a courier carrying system. He fueled bag production by starting a Kickstarter project to fund his bag. Bowerman quickly reached his Kickstarter goal and began producing.

Courier Magazine recently got in touch with Bowerman and interviewed him for an article that appeared in the March/April issue. Read on to see the full interview, and find out how Bowerman created his bag and why he chose to fund his project with Kickstarter.

Courier Magazine: I believe you came up with the concept for the bag in one of your graduate school classes. What was the project and what sparked the idea?

Jamie Bowerman: Yeah, it was a completely strange thing. I felt that going back to grad school was the right thing for me to do. It was just a weird time. I wasn’t really happy [with my career].

[In class,]I was working on a project, trying to figure out how people can better carry things without cars. And I grew up riding bikes. I think bike culture is phenomenal. [At the time], I wound up carrying all my bags from school to work, back and forth. Everything I had was in different bags. And I was thinking, ‘I wish I had a messenger bag for work and a backpack for school,’ and that pulled me into creating this bag system. Basically, it’s a carrying system and it started as a three-way bag. It goes from a messenger bag, to a backpack, to a saddle bag.

There was a competition in town where you could pitch ideas for companies and start-up businesses. I entered it in the student category and there were people who wanted to buy bags. All I had was this prototype, so I had to figure out, well, how I actually make this. So, I did a Kickstarter project. I learned a lot.

CM: Why did you make the changes to the product?

JB: I am always pushing the boundaries. And I’m always looking at things, not from the perspective of this is wrong, but what can I do better. The project was successful. Then slightly after I made the bag, I thought there’s got to be a better way to do this, so I spent time making different prototypes [to improve the bag].

CM: How was the Kickstarter process?

JB: I think Kickstarter is fabulous. It’s a fabulous format. I encourage everyone to use it because it sort of solves the big question that many of us have, which is does my product have a market. Even if it’s a handful of people. I think if you gathered a bunch of entrepreneurs in a room you’ll consistently find that they’ll all say you don’t want to make your product for everyone. Find a niche, start in that niche and really support it. It gives you a chance to be, like, ‘hey, is anyone out there interested in what I’m doing.’ And no matter what you do, you’re going to the people and looking for funding. And everyone likes to see the bigger numbers, but even if you have 10 people, I feel like that’s a win. It helps validate the idea. There are other formats that have sprung up like it, other things that are similar, but nothing like that [Kickstarter]. But, yes, it does have its highs and lows once you get going.

CM: Who is most interested in the bag?

JB: It’s a mixed bag. It’s really been individuals right now. I hope that as the product continues to evolve and grow, so will the audience.

CM: How long have you been making the bags? And do you have any plans for making any other types of product for cyclists in the future?

JB: For about the last year or two. And yes, I think with cyclists it will be popular! I’m really excited. [It’ll work] not just for cyclists but for even just the person who likes to ride their bikes for work, or for leisure.

CM: Yeah, it does seem like an all-purpose bag that would help commuters, too.

JB: Yeah, I want to help incorporate that for people where it’s a part of their lives.

CM: Have you graduated yet?

JB: I’m in the process. I’m in this grey-zone where I’m working on my thesis at the same time. I’m ready for that next round of funding. I’m driving this forward.

Family, Art and Persistence: Daniel McKewen on Founding Seagull Bags

Seagull Bags

Daniel McKewen, owner of Seagull Bags, Columbus, Ohio, founded the courier bag company in 2003. McKewen’s business goal was to create the perfect courier bag, although he had no bag construction or sewing experience.

Since the company’s inception, McKewen’s company has become a highly regarded bike bag company. The business makes different sized bags to accommodate every rider. And when the company does take custom orders, the embroidered artwork is mesmerizing.

Courier Magazine recently got in touch with McKewen and interviewed him for an article that appeared in the March/April issue. Read on to see the full interview and find out how McKewen learned to craft his bags, how he has surrounded himself with a top-notch team and how professional couriers have a part in Seagull Bag testing.

Courier Magazine: When did you first begin creating?

Daniel McKewen: I started when I was in school. It was sometime in 2003, 2004.  It’s hard to put a date on it because it truly was an organic process.  

CM: How did you learn to sew and construct bags? Also: what types of materials do you use and how did you come up with the bags’ style? How’d you settle on what materials were best suited for courier bags?

DM: It was a bit of a process for me. My friend taught me the basics of sewing and I learned a ton just from trial and error. Over time, I started teaching myself newer techniques by looking around at what certain stitches looked like and learning how aspects of construction functioned. Again, this was mostly by trial and error. What we've got now is the result of a pretty long evolution of tweaking various ideas. We're really happy with it. The idea for the asymmetrical flap was there early on and so was the basic functional construction of the bag. But there has been a nice evolution in the strap and getting the exact dimensions dialed in. The strap has been to a pretty good place for years now, but getting the particular dimensions perfected makes the bags fit better and feel more cohesive. It’s nice to be able to continue to tweak ideas after using a bag for several years because a lot of the little things that people don't necessarily notice will help the bag feel and function better overall. Plus, as the years go by, our sewing has become visually better as well, so every bag looks clean and crisp.

The materials were a bit different. The first bag that I used every day was canvas and would get soaked with water as I rode to class, so having a bag that could stand up to the elements was paramount. Starting with that idea, we used a vinyl, trucker-tarp interior that was waterproof and an exterior cordura with a water-resistant backing. The construction is also designed to prevent water from getting inside the bag. Early on, we even reshaped the flap of the bag to further prevent water from getting in through the top. It’s cool looking back on almost 10 years of consistent design and evaluation on the same product. That’s one thing that really separates a company that manufactures bags and bag makers. 

CM: Were you a courier before you created the bag?

DM: No, but I was definitely riding a ton. I loved my bike and rode every single day. Going back and forth to school and everywhere else got me pretty familiar with how bags function and feel and where certain bags lack. We still have our new products tested by messengers, and we listen very closely to their feedback.  

CM: Are most of your customers individual buyers or courier companies?

DM: We do some ongoing orders with courier companies from all over the world, but the vast majority of our orders come from individuals. I think the super customization of our bags lends itself to that really well. In the near future, we'll be introducing some bags that are semi-customizable, sort of an in-between of our black bags and custom bags.

CM: What are couriers’ favorite aspects of the bags?

DM: Hands down, what we hear the most is the durability and comfort. It’s nice to have something that lasts for a long time. We're also committed to our warranty policy on parts and labor, so if something does start to function poorly, we restore it to its original ruggedness. That has definitely been a plus to anyone who uses their bag a ton. The strap on our bags is probably the most defining feature. It is super comfortable and stays comfortable for a long time. It also positions the bag correctly on your back to distribute the weight properly. Working couriers are pretty excited if they can have something that is comfortable to wear and lasts a long time.

CM: How did you assemble your team?

DM: Everyone who works here has been here multiple years. The first couple employees, Maika and John, were people who were right around me. I went to art school with Maika and John is my brother. They're both still working here and in charge of large sections of the company’s operation. Ben, our embroiderer, was someone who I knew through multiple avenues and I liked his ability to recognize interesting visual things. He is also a hard worker and has excelled in stepping in for our former embroiderer, Tina. Skinner is the baby of the group and has been friends with Ben for a while. He's also a really hard worker and has expanded from just cutting to also building bags himself. He has been really good at finding new ways to contribute here. Keira is John's and my younger sister, and she comes in to clean up in between her classes. We've got a great group of friends here and it is a total privilege to have such awesome friendships with the people you work with.

CM: It seems like a lot of your repeat customers come back because of the shop’s customer service and the warranty policy. How did you develop that type of service?

DM: That's really cool. I'm glad people say that about us. The center of it has to be that we have all been here for a long time. This gives us knowledge and an expertise that helps us fit features and bag size to what someone needs, rather than trying to push "X" product because that’s what the company wants. But with that expertise we realize that we can make mistakes, too. We try to be fair and honest with ourselves if we could have communicated something better or if an error was made on our end, and then we're aggressive about fixing those errors. The overwhelming majority of people are grateful for us fixing the problems and continue to recommend us to others. The third thing is that we like being kind to people. It may sound strange but there are a lot of places that take their expertise and use that to make people feel dumb or un-cool. Or you're dealing with huge institutions that don't care about you, or what you want, or what you think (banks, the government, utility company, etc.)  We like talking to new people and finding out what they're into, showing them around the shop and taking the time to relate with them beyond just bag questions. That extra time helps us figure out what bag will fit them best and we get to make new friends in the process!