The Sustainable Hawk Fund

02 — Process

From constraint to concept to reality

The ideation process started with the constraint itself. If the material has to be recycled or reclaimed, what forms can it take? A sleeping bag requires insulation and a flexible outer shell. A storage bag requires durability and volume. We worked backwards from those functional requirements to figure out what salvaged materials could meet them.

From there the design evolved through physical prototyping. Working with actual materials rather than just sketching allowed us to test how things held together, how they felt, and whether the dual function of the bag was genuinely achievable or just a nice concept on paper.

When our professor encouraged us to apply for the Sustainable Hawk Fund, we had to translate that design work into a proposal that could justify $5,000 in funding. One of our original team members was not able to continue at that point, and someone new joined the group. The transition required getting a new person up to speed quickly while keeping the project moving forward.

1

Brief interpretation and ideation

Starting from the constraint of repurposed materials and asking where that could create the most value for the local community. Landing on unhoused individuals as the user group and defining the core need the design would address.

2

Concept development

Working from functional requirements backwards to material possibilities. Defining the dual function of storage bag and sleeping bag and testing whether that was structurally achievable with sustainable materials.

3

Physical prototyping

Building with actual reclaimed and recycled materials to test the design in the real world rather than just on paper. Iterating on form, construction, and usability through hands-on making.

4

Funding application and budgeting

Translating the design into a formal proposal for the Sustainable Hawk Fund. Justifying material costs, production scope, and community impact to secure $5,000 in funding.

5

Workshop planning and facilitation

Designing and running two open student workshops to share what we had learned about taking a design concept from idea to funded reality. Creating advertisements and offering prizing to drive attendance.

"The brief gave us a constraint. What we did with that constraint was up to us. Choosing to point it toward something that could genuinely help people felt like the most interesting and honest response we could give."

03 — The Solution

Two deliverables, one mission

Receiving the Sustainable Hawk Fund grant meant the project had real accountability attached to it. The $5,000 in funding came with an expectation of tangible deliverables, and our team committed to two: the Nurture Pack itself, and a series of workshops that would share what we had learned with the broader student community.

Deliverable 01

The Nurture Pack

A multi-purpose bag for unhoused individuals, designed to function as both a storage bag and a sleeping bag. Built entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials. My contribution was in the ideation and design of how the bag would work, thinking through the functional requirements and how the dual purpose could be achieved. The physical construction and sewing was handled by a teammate whose craftsmanship brought the concept into reality.

Deliverable 02

Student Workshops

Two open workshops run for Wilfrid Laurier students, designed to show how a design concept can move from a classroom idea to a funded, real world outcome. I helped plan, facilitate, and advertise both workshops. Prizing was offered to encourage attendance. Hands-on sewing activities gave students a direct experience of how tinkering and making can transform an idea into something tangible.

The workshops were designed to be accessible to any student regardless of their background or discipline. The goal was not to teach design skills specifically. It was to show that an idea, developed thoughtfully and presented with conviction, can attract real support and become something that actually exists in the world.

The Nurture Pack

The finished Nurture Pack, built from recycled and reclaimed materials. A dual-purpose bag designed to store belongings and function as a sleeping bag for unhoused individuals.

04 — Outcome and Reflection

Seeing an idea go all the way

The Nurture Pack was built, the workshops were run, and the funding was put to use in a way the team could be proud of. The first workshop drew a decent crowd and the second brought even more people in. Across both sessions we had over 10 attendees each, all of whom participated actively in both the presentation and the hands-on sewing activities we had set up.

Watching students who had never thought about speculative design sit down and start making something with their hands was one of the most rewarding moments of the whole project. We did not just want to talk about how an idea becomes real. We wanted people to feel it.

Most design work lives in screens and presentations. This one lived in the real world, and that changes how you think about what design can actually do.

"Most projects end with a file. This one ended with an object that exists in the world, and two rooms full of people who understood a little better how that happens. Seeing an idea go through its entire arc, from an open ended brief in a classroom all the way to something physical and real, is something I carry with me into every project since."

My Role

Timeline

Team

Tools

Methods

Outcome

From a brief to something that mattered

From constraint to concept to reality

Two deliverables, one mission

The Nurture Pack

Student Workshops

Seeing an idea go all the way

Matteo’s POrtfolio

Contact

The Sustainable Hawk Fund

My Role

Timeline

Team

Tools

Methods

Outcome

From a brief to something that mattered

From constraint to concept to reality

Two deliverables, one mission

The Nurture Pack

Student Workshops

Seeing an idea go all the way

Integrative Conservation Clinic Capstone

Personal Branding

Matteo’s POrtfolio

Contact