Designing for Dignity: A 48 Hour Charrette with the Synik 26

We’ve always believed that our bags are at their best when they’re out in the world, accompanying people in whatever they’re building, exploring, or working on. So, when a team of graduate nursing students, clinicians, and faculty reached out and pitched their plan, our interests were piqued. 

The pitch: A 48-hour healthcare design charrette focused on equity, dignity, and community-centered care, and we were all in, no questions asked. We loved what they were doing and couldn’t wait to support them in any way we could – even if that meant simply equipping them with backpacks and cheering them on from the sidelines. 

Collaborations like this remind us of why we do what we do: to be a small part of something bigger. We hope to continue building connections and collaborations with people around the world through a shared love of bags.

Garrett, one of the team members, shared his experience with us – we’re excited to share his story.

Designing for Dignity: A 48 Hour Charrette with the Synik 26

In March, six of us flew to Houston for a 48-hour healthcare design charrette—three Doctor of Nursing Practice students (including me, a psychiatric provider), a nursing PhD student, and two faculty members. The challenge: design a free-standing cancer care center for Houston's Third Ward, a resilient neighborhood that has endured decades of redlining and disinvestment. The Third Ward is a cancer care desert, a food desert, and a heat island. The Third Ward is a community that deserves repair, not just infrastructure.

We had just 48 hours.

Each graduate nursing student joined a separate interdisciplinary team, paired with two graduate architecture students, an engineering student, and a construction management student. The prompt: design a free-standing cancer care center and a Maggie's Centre for the Third Ward. Not just a building but a product of community co-creation, dignity, and the idea that a healthcare space could (should?) feel nothing like a hospital.

Day One

Meet the sponsor. Receive the prompt. Start the clock.

I don't usually commit to new gear right away. I'll get something, sit on it, and keep reaching for my old stuff out of familiarity. Not this time. The Synik 26 arrived, I donated my old backpack immediately, and by the time we boarded for Houston, I was all in. I packed it with my mobile studio: watercolor pens, tracing paper, graph paper, blocking guides, my design notebook, laptop, headphones, snacks, thermos, business cards, chargers, and credentials. Everything had a place. Everything stayed put. Kylie, one of our DNP teammates, put it simply: "The amount of pockets is insane and keeps me so organized! I even have a hidden snack pocket for when I get hangry!"

From the airport to the charrette floor, it was equally effective — gear that works without thinking about it because the designers have already done so!

Day One moved fast. My team outlined our programming over lunch, and then the hours collapsed. Deep work from one to three. By mid-afternoon, our concept had taken shape: not a project to fill gaps, but one to honor dignity. An oasis in a cancer care desert, a food desert, and a heat island. Design goals by five. Pin-up and critique by six. Dinner and a lecture, then more deep work.

At 2 am, a walk through a quiet Houston city park, and finally two hours of sleep. Over the entire weekend, I'd sleep maybe two hours out of sixty. That's not a complaint — that's what the project demanded.

Day Two

By early morning, the team had reassembled. Day One, we found our footing; Day Two, we hit our stride. Coffee, critique, dinner — and then an all-night push. Daylight Saving took an hour from us somewhere along the way. We filled whiteboards. Our sketches began obscuring the windows.

This is where I felt the Synik's design most clearly. It sat upright beside me the whole time — the internal frame holds its shape whether it's packed or half-empty. My tools stayed sorted through hours of reaching and replacing without a thought. Two-point laptop access sounds like a small thing until you're pulling your computer in and out forty times in a day.

The bag doesn't ask for attention. It just works. Our faculty advisor, Seneca, captured it well: "These are bags made by people who care, for people who notice the difference. We noticed."

Day Three

Day Three was deliverables and jury. Boards due at eleven. Slides by early afternoon. Final presentations from mid-afternoon into the evening.

What we presented: a biophilic, community-rooted cancer care oasis. A place where staff and community members receive equal consideration. A place where economic circulation stays local. A place where partnerships with the nearby HBCU build a pipeline for local healthcare careers. A place that offers healing not only to the body, but to the community itself.

After the jury: photos, Turkish food, ice cream at the hotel, and the first real sleep in three days.

The Bag in Practice

The clamshell opening makes setup and transitions easy. The pocket architecture keeps tools organized even when everything else isn't. The luggage pass-through makes travel seamless. At 26 liters, it fits under airplane seats but holds an entire creative and clinical kit with room to spare.

I am using it for school, clinic, and conference season. It looks as good as it is effective.

Closing

Tom Bihn outfitted our entire team with handsome Synik 26s, and we put them through their paces in the least conventional way possible. We can’t thank the Tom Bihn team enough!

The charrette has invited me to ask where else I can show up and make a difference. My Synik 26 will be with me wherever this inquiry leads.

The Team

Kim is a nursing PhD student with a focus in oncology. Kylie is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student specializing in women's health and midwifery. Cass is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student specializing in gerontology and acute care. Garrett is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Doctor of Nursing Practice student, union organizer, and moral injury researcher. Seneca is a nursing faculty member and researcher specializing in human-centered design and socio-technical science. Liz is a nursing researcher whose work spans healthcare design and human factors.

For readers interested in a closer look at our team's concept, the slide deck we presented to the jury — including our site analysis, programming, conceptual framework, and final design proposal — is available below