Update 005.

“The Grampian” Launch

Number 005 here we go! This is one I’m excited for and I would be really keen to hear your thoughts in the comments below. I’d like to build this newsletter into a valuable tool in shaping the products I bring into the world and using this as a soundboard would be invaluable. I am just as guilty as everyone else - I consume a lot of content but I rarely comment/feedback. It’s just the world we live in. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to good content. Hopefully I can draw you in and get you excited enough to comment :)

If you have been enjoying these updates, I would really appreciate you spreading the word with just one person you think would appreciate this. Word of mouth will always be the most powerful marketing tool.

Laminar Update

A sneak peak behind the scenes - the first shots of my samples out of the mould. These have been produced in white porcelain and will have a range of finishes applied before being high fired for review. Keep your eyes peeled for an update in the next newsletter…

This will only go into production if I can hit the target. We’re still quite a few away so if you would like to see this happen, make sure to click the link below and share with your friends/family :)

“Focus” (Productivity Tool) Update

After launching “Focus” last month, it is now live - ready for you to back and make it a reality! Machined locally, right here in Aberdeen, I am excited to bring this one to life.

We only need 9 people to back this one to make it happen.

As with all of my concept products, anyone that signs up to help me meet the target will lock in the best pricing I will ever sell that product for. For Focus, that means you will pay £22 instead of £40. To back a concept, all you need to do is sign up - no money will be taken.

Last months most clicked link: Vizcom

My top 5 pieces of content I have found helpful/inspiring:

1.

Coffee Waste Sunglasses. As a coffee lover I have played quite a bit with creating my own bioplastics from coffee waste - with limited success. Whilst I can’t see what binder they are using here to create their sunglasses, it makes me happy to know there are people out there genuinely trying to make a positive impact. Whilst coffee grounds are compostable, they are not native to most of the countries where coffee is consumed which introduces challenges. This is a really nice approach and shows the potential of the material.

2. 

Jonny Ive x OpenAi. Jonny has teamed up with OpenAi to design “the iPhone of artificial intelligence”. AI has the potential to revolutionise how we interact with technology. Whilst smartphones have revolutionised how we have interacted with technology over the last 10+ years, I am personally excited to see what the future might hold and this is a partnership that excites me.

3. 

Thoroughly Considered. A podcast about entrepreneurship, product design, and the ups and downs of running a small indie business. Episodes don’t come out very often but when they do it’s always an enjoyable listen.

4. 

Laura Kampf. A youtuber/designer I have huge respect for. Her approach to design and making use of found materials gives her a really unique style that is instantly recognisable. This is the type of content you want to sit down with a nice cuppa with. I have been really enjoying her restoration of a 120 year old house.

5. 

Mycelium Packaging. Mycelium is a material that has received a lot of hype over the last 5+ years. A mushroom based material that can biodegrade in 30 days, it has long been forecasted to replace expanded polystyrene (one the least recycled plastics). Having recently visited IKEA for a student trip we run annually, I discovered IKEA are now actively using mycelium packaging with some of their products. Brilliant to see this material is being used at this scale!

This month is all about making as mindfulness. As a designer that has been trained to make people’s lives easier by reducing “friction”, I feel quite strongly that this is in part to blame for our ever more connected and productive lives - where we cram more and more into less and less time. When was the last time you had time to really disconnect and think?

During the pandemic I went down the leather working rabbit hole. It was a nice escape and I found that being so hands on and analogue was really helpful in giving me moments of pure digital disconnectedness in a world that was rapidly becoming even more digitally connected. It continues to be a source of mindfulness for me - keeping my hands and mind just busy enough to keep everything else at bay.

In a world of infinite growth that is bound to finite natural resources, we have become disconnected from the things we own. When you can buy a pair of jeans for £5 (I’m looking at you Asda) is it really a surprise we have less connection? When we can access things so easily, we have no connection to them - we’re not invested. As a result we have a throw away economy that is currently using 1.75 planets worth of resources. Clearly this isn’t sustainable - we need to slow down and connect more with the things we own.

That’s where The Grampian comes in - a DIY, premium leather wallet kit that takes you on a journey of discovery into a craft that has been practised for 400,000. With this kit you would get:

• Your choice of matched full grain leather

• All of the tools to get started with leather working (needles / edge beveler / leather glue / edge slicker / burnishing gum)

• Designed Experience: Die cut leather and a high value video guide to guarantee even a total beginner can produce a premium wallet to be proud of and cherish

This is a design I have been fine tuning for a few years now, dealing in the details to ensure a faultless experience that will hopefully get you as interested in leather working as I have become.

Why launch this as a kit and not a finished wallet? simple - connection. By committing to making this wallet, you have skin in the game. Studies have shown that by involving consumers in the making process, consumers place a higher value on these items. I want to make products that last.

“The IKEA effect is a cognitive bias in which consumers place a disproportionately high value on products they partially created” find out more