I’m usually the type to walk without an umbrella. I just put up my hood or wear a hat or get drenched (it’s cause I usually forget to bring my umbrella). As a non-umbrella carrier though, I’m walking on narrow sidewalks and see singular people carrying these massive umbrellas with spikes and have to duck my head or swerve or go onto the road to avoid running into them. It slows down my pace as I try to get to class or other places. I saw this design of an umbrella that can contract (see top two pictures) and I thought that was really cool. It’s called the ‘Polite Umbrella’ and the person holding it and pull on a string or something to draw the sides down to make way for other people and not hit them in the head. 

The design below it, I also really liked (third picture). It’s of a woman carrying an umbrella that can become a bag. Big umbrellas are usually clunky and awkward to hold once you’re done using them, so it makes sense to make an umbrella fold into something like a small bag that is easy to carry and useful.