How Nerdforge built a backpack for their messy, creative world

October 24, 2025
Nerdforge
Creative

Ideas are the most precious thing we have. Martina and Hansi of Nerdforge have taken hundreds of creative ideas to fruition and documented the process through their YouTube channel. They combine fantasy, technology, and art through projects and adventures like building an enchanted reading nook, spending 14 days painting in off-grid cabins, creating an entire miniature fantasy street within a bookshelf.

But ideas aren’t something you can pull out of thin air. “I don’t have any ideas. It’s not like I keep a list,” Martina says in a short film released on Nerdforge’s channel. Finding ideas means exploring, living, and engaging with the world around us. That could mean getting lost in your craft, wandering through stories, or stepping into the great outdoors.

That’s the philosophy behind a new backpack released by the duo. The pair spent the past year designing a backpack that can keep up with their travels and creative pursuits. “I wanted to make a backpack I can use for everything, from painting adventures to travel to hiking,” Martina said. “But I have never been able to find a backpack like that for everything, that also looks good.”

The result is the Cryptic Backpack, a durable backpack crafted especially for real creative lives and everyday exploration. It has almost more compartments than you could count, including a hidden passport pocket only accessible to the person wearing it, a dedicated laptop sleeve, large side pockets for water bottles, and a front flap to carry bulkier items like a tripod, easel, or jacket. The main compartment opens up all the way so you can pack it like a suitcase. “I hate travelling with suitcases,” Martina said. “But having a backpack that serves as a suitcase, where I can look into it, it’s organized, you can secure it with these straps... I love it.”

The visual language of the Cryptic backpack is an extension of Nerdforge’s popular Cryptic apparel, which combines streetwear aesthetics with runic motifs. Those symbols are woven into the backpack’s straps, while a few embroidered gold details add a touch of magic. Reflective printed patterns give the backpack a futuristic look while providing visibility and safety at night.

Bringing beauty and utility together is at the heart of everything Nerdforge does, something their merchandise partner Juniper Creates is quick to point out. “Martina had such a clear vision for this backpack,” said Jenny Luc, Product Development Lead at Juniper. “Collaborating with Martina showed me how much great product design comes from that balance of creative vision and practical problem solving.”

Nerdforge announced the backpack with a short film, produced by Andyax, in which Martina is pulled into an alternate dimension à la The Matrix. Leather-and-sunglasses-clad figures have captured Hansi and demand that Martina hand over her ideas. She refuses, locates the Cryptic backpack, and uses it to help her rescue Hansi and escape. The villains don’t respect the creative process that leads to the ideas they covet, which is why Martina is able to use her creative tools, like the Cryptic backpack and the power of hot glue, to defeat them.

The Cryptic backpack is available on the Nerdforge store, alongside a new release of the Cryptic hoodies and joggers.

Credits

Product DesignMartina, Kelsey Byrne, Victor Chang

Product DevelopmentJenny Luc, Laetitia Wang, Phil Xue, Frank Zhao

MarketingRachel Llanera

Store DesignJoel Berg

Project ManagementAda Yu

PhotographyNerdforge, Florian Singer, Kuma Xiong

VideographyAndyax