product design
Electronic Luggage Tag & Tracker for Eviate
Connected travel accessories designed for airport systems and everyday use.
Making luggage handling easier
Connected products designed to make travelling with luggage more convenient and secure.
For Eviate, a technology startup developing connected travel accessories, the challenge was to translate a complex digital system into two intuitive physical products. The electronic luggage tag design had to meet the demands of airport handling while remaining simple and convenient to use.
The eTag is an electronic luggage tag designed to replace traditional paper barcode labels. Through a smartphone app, travellers can upload their flight information before arriving at the airport, allowing them to proceed directly to luggage drop-off.
Alongside the eTag, Eviate developed eTrack, a compact tracking device that allows travellers to monitor the location of their luggage through an app.
Both products needed a distinctive identity, while meeting the practical demands of travel, luggage handling and everyday use.
Designed around a complex system
An electronic luggage tag may look simple, but it has to function within the demanding environment of airport check-in and baggage handling.
The eTag combines two e-ink displays, an integrated TSA lock and a robust protective housing. These technical requirements strongly influenced the design, resulting in a compact, recognisable form with smooth surfaces and carefully integrated components.
The accompanying eTrack shares the same minimal design language and includes a sturdy clip for attachment inside a suitcase. Both products were designed to accommodate different colour combinations and airline branding, creating a coherent and adaptable product family.
The importance of a good connection
One of the main design challenges was finding a reliable way to attach the eTag to different types of luggage.
Suitcases vary considerably in shape, construction and handle design. The attachment needed to be secure, easy to use and suitable for repeated handling.
Several fastening principles were explored through physical prototypes. The resulting solution uses a flexible loop that flows naturally from the rigid body of the eTag.
Rather than appearing as a separate accessory, the attachment becomes an integral part of the product. A small but important detail, where form, material behaviour and functionality come together.
What we did:
electronic luggage tag design and development
Joanna Boothman developed the industrial design of the eTag and eTrack in collaboration with Mark Schulte at Dwarsontwerp.
The work included product design, housing development, form and detail refinement, and the integration of technical requirements into a coherent product language.
Particular attention was given to the attachment solutions, with several prototypes developed and evaluated to ensure reliable use across different types of luggage.
The project illustrates how connected product design goes beyond electronics. Materials, construction, handling and the relationship between physical and digital systems are equally important to the overall product experience.
See more about product design and development.
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