We know if you’re here, there’s a good chance you’re a person with diabetes, know a person with diabetes, or, better still, looking to treat yourself.
But not everyone who lands on our page knows the ins and outs of diabetes, or why someone would design an entire collection of bags and cases around diabetes supplies.
Fair question.
It’s one I’ve found myself answering a lot since launching KYT, so I thought I’d share my answer here too.
(FYI: if diabetes itself is still a bit of a mystery to you, I’ve done my best to explain it here.)
Diabetes comes with lots of stuff
Think blood testing equipment, insulin, back-ups and spare parts for equipment that we wear (like CGMs and insulin pumps), extra needles, hypo treatments, snacks, logbooks, emergency glucose pens, and anything else we've learned helps us manage day-to-day and feel safe and prepared.
Some people carry blood glucose meters and a couple of insulin pens. Others keep it light day-to-day. Others take enough back-ups to survive a small apocalypse.
But there’s one thing we have in common: we all need to take diabetes supplies with us, wherever we go.
And talking to hundreds of people with diabetes around the world taught me that, whatever we carry, there are some things that matter to everyone.
What people really need in a diabetes bag
Organisation. Dedicated space. Easy access.
Dedicated space for diabetes supplies means they don’t get lost or damaged amongst everything else in our bag.
Good organisation means we can quickly see what we’ve got, and what’s missing.
And easy access matters for the many everyday moments we find ourselves managing diabetes: at work, travelling, exercising, running errands and everything in between.
Insights like these, direct from people living with diabetes ended up shaping every KYT design. It’s kind of major to crowdsource a design idea with a whole community, so I’ve shared more about the process here.
Where KYT comes in
I wanted to create bags built around the way people actually use their diabetes supplies, with dedicated space, organisation and easy access built into each design, rather than trying to make a standard handbag or case do the job.
And because there’s no such thing as a standard diabetes kit, I designed different styles around the combinations of equipment we know people carry most often, from the basics to the back-ups that help us feel extra prepared.
The result is a collection of diabetes bags designed to make carrying our essential items a little more organised, accessible and together, wherever the day takes you.
P.S: if you’re wondering which of our designs will be best to suit the diabetes supplies you carry, I've broken down the differences here.
Bridget xx
Designer & Diabetic
