TeamSpeed wrote in post #10257723
aesthetics and quality are two different topics, I would think. Quality would cover how well the bag holds up, how well it holds equipment without ripping or damaging the equipment, how well the snaps and straps (and supporting hardware) hold up. Aesthetics would cover how easy it is to operate the bag, like zippers, pockets, compartments, space, etc.
hmm... interesting point of view.
for me, it's always been...
aesthetics:
good design element, flow, and overall look and visual appeal yielded by material selection, construction, and design
durability:
strength in materials, rate in which a product wears or degrade over time yielded by material selection, construction, and design
utility:
functionability of an item... pocket, pocket placement, ease of use, protectiveness, etc... yielded by material selection, construction, and design
perhaps better word would be overall value?
but material selection, construction, and design all plays a part in aesthetics, durability, and utility of a product.
take for example italian hiking boots made from the Montebelluna area...
folks here have been hand making hiking/backpacking boots for ages and the best boots in the world comes from there...
the amount of passion involved in designing the boot... when i was sampling our footwear there, no shortcut was taken to save on material selection... only the finest hides were used... and even then, they cut the main upper from the select areas, despite the high loss.
the construction was amazing as well... each part, even though it's hidden to the consumer, was stitched meticulously, seam sealed, and made sure it offers comfort to the wearer... the leather seam edges were all skyved to reduce bulk and add comfort... these are steps that are taken that us consumers will not see... but adds to value and comfort... behind each and every metal eyelet or hook or d-ring, there's always a metal washer to sustain the higher strengths required...
the design was a bit traditional... but still that's what they do... they make traditional and classic hiking boots... but within the classic design, you see the placement of the curves and padding all have a purpose...
sadly, these quality hiking boots are rapidly replaced by synthetic upper and injection molded soles... produced in bulk...
nothing wrong... but we can all see that there is more value on a well made product.
if the price point of the cheap product was say, 1/4 or even 1/2 of the better made bags, i guess you can clearly say that you get what you paid for...
when the price of the cheaply made product was about 3/4 of the better made product... it's clear... spend more and get better...
.
You can tell that much from 
