Toolkit Tote

Created for artists, architects, and makers, the Toolkit Tote is a portable vitrine designed to celebrate, display, and organize everyday tools of the trade. Each bag features twelve interior pockets for storing pens, pencils, markers, glue, mini-clamps, sketchbook, cutting mat, knife, scale figures, trace paper, triangle, cell phone, ruler, and more. As tools are added, removed, or swapped from the bag, the luminous shell transforms to subtly reveal the objects within.

The exterior envelope is constructed from a single sheet of Mylar, a translucent drawing material typically used for architectural prints. Each print acts as both a template for assembly and a diagram for organizing the tools. Graphic notations indicate where to cut, fold and stitch the bag, while the static 2D drawings juxtapose the dynamic and playful movement of the 3D objects inside. The interior is constructed from a mesh liner, sewn to form pockets that are specially tailored for the tools. This dual-layer construction provides a large central storage space for any additional tools or materials. The Toolkit Tote acts as an interface between 2D drawing, 3D object, and the process of making.

Year: 2021

Program: Totebag

Team: Cait McCarthy, Jordan Young