At MacCase our design philosophy is pretty simple. We solve problems, not follow trends. Our designs tend to be more understated, yet highly functional. In essence, they last and never look dated. We try to distill the elements that go into a given form factor down to the essentials and then stop. This has proven to be a successful formula as we have been going strong since we started in 1999.
Even with the best designs, the market, the way you respond to it and the solutions you bring to it change. For the last 15 years we have strived to be one step ahead of the change and for the most part, it's worked. Our customers have appreciated what we have brought to market. I know this because I get the emails and take the phone calls.
With the advent of our Premium Leather line, much of our recent design focus has been on building out and expanding our Premium Leather offerings. The launch of the ever changing iPads keeps us busy responding to new form factors introduced by Apple. This focus on the leather models has come at a cost to our standard line nylon designs. It's been a while since we have launched a new nylon model for the standard line. This is about to change.
While the nylon line has not seen a new model for a while, it is not for lack of trying. Some of the designs were so radical, we couldn't get anyone brave enough to make them. We'd send the drawings and mock up models out, only to have them vaporize into some sort of soft goods black hole, never to be heard from or seen again. It's emotionally exhausting to work on something for so long only to have it disappear like that. In another case, the vendor would review the drawings and just admit they couldn't make it. We'd revise the design and still, they were afraid. Fear is not the friend of innovation.
Reeling from the frustration, we regrouped and decided to tackle some form factors that we knew would could actually get to market. This is what is coming now. Two of the most popular form factors are backpacks and messenger bags, both of which MacCase has had a steadfast commitment to. These are the two new designs we have been working on, with the messenger bags being the focus of this discussion.
While our current messenger bags have been around for a while, there are certain aspects of it that work. It's freakishly light. It was the first soft good product to have a bright interior to make finding things easier. (This have now been copied by everyone). Anxious to create something new, we remembered there is no reason the new design could evolve these features and have them be part of the new model.
Given that, the differences between the old model and new design are vast. The overall form will be more compact (and still super light!). The main compartment will be zippered. There interior will be fully lined and padded with integrated sleeves for laptops and tablets. The new design will hold everything - laptops up to 15", multiple tablets if you want, your phone and almost anything else you're going to need to get through your day. There will be lots of pockets, both zippered and open. There will even be a handle to aid in pulling the messenger bag out of a car or an overhead bin. Many of these features are things that customers have been asking for. If you're one of them, you're going to like this new messenger.
Stay tuned.
