Last year as a junior at San Jose State University I began my internship at Hive Design. The interview was fun as Shane gave me a design challenge on the spot. I did well enough to get the job and It's been almost a year since that day. As the only industrial designer at hive, I was tasked to bring in a new perspective to new projects that were in the works.
It wasn't long until my boss, Shane, walked into our tiny cramped design and engineering room with another challenge. He pitched the idea of creating a wallet based on a binder clip, and it turned into my main focus since January 2015. I've also been working on campus for the Outdoor Adventures program, so now having two jobs on top of school was a challenge. This challenge though was worth it. As any design student knows, working in the field is a whole other animal and can be very rewarding. I've been working after before and after classes during the semester and full time during summer to keep this project rolling.
The core team of Shane, Brian, Bryan aka "Harry", and I have been working hard on this. We've also had some help throught from friends who provided great input on the design, and some provided technical support for web design and marketing. There is so much that goes into launching a product that I had never seen in my classes. I'm so stoked to see this project hit the market. Enjoy our story.
edwin is a modern-minimal wallet inspired by the binder clip
Los Gatos, CA, USA September 22, 2015 – Hive Design, a Bay Area design firm, has developed a new style of wallet, which takes the term “minimal” to a whole new level. Many people have tried to minimize the bulk of carrying a wallet by using a binder clip to hold their credit cards and cash. Co-founder, Shane Rogers was no exception and after years of using a binder clip, he knew that the concept could be taken much further. The engineers and designers at Hive Design worked for twelve months designing and refining until the wallet they named “edwin” was born. “The edwin wallet takes what we love about the binder clip, and transforms it into a wallet for the modern minimalist – simple, functional, robust, reliable, and contemporary.” Shane Rogers, Co-Founder.
Edwin Baltzley and his son L.E.'s 1910 binder clip patent.
The edwin wallet is the namesake of Mr. Edwin Baltzley, an avid writer, inventor, and father of Louis Baltzley, the inventor of the binder clip. In 1910, Louis created the binder clip as a more efficient way for his father to secure his manuscripts without damaging them. Fast forward a century and we’re still using the same basic mechanism of his original design. Brilliant!!!
The edwin wallet uses the inherent spring properties in spring steel to provide the security needed to keep your valuables in place. One size truly fits all; the edwin is perfectly capable of holding a single card (the extreme minimalist) or up to 15 cards (the striving minimalist). Opposite the binder clip side of the wallet, edwin includes a quick draw, single card slot for your most used card; you’ll be amazed how much you’ll fall in love with this feature.
“As much as we all deeply want to maintain our minimalist persona, that Costco card and ‘90s student ID somehow make their way back into our daily essentials. After being stretched to capacity, wallets and money clips make it almost impossible to get back to our more consolidated stack while maintaining any level of functionality. The edwin is designed with this type of user in mind and is much more forgiving.” Brian Holm, Co-Founder
Kickstarter Approach
Wallets, as a category, have been quite the craze on crowdfunding platforms as of late, with some reaching funding in excess of $500K. However, a case can be made that the edwin deserves a category of its own. With no seams to stretch out, no screws to fuss with, no elastic bands to degrade, and no textiles to add bulk, the edwin brings something new to the table.
The edwin wallet initiated its 30-day campaign on Kickstarter this morning with a $15,000 funding goal. Early Bird pledges start at $25 and come in two varieties: the edwin classic, all the features that you’d ever want in a wallet (thin, lightweight, durable, etc.), and the edwin+, the same features as the classic plus a few emergency tool features and a bottle opener.
Design Specs
· Built from a single piece of metal – No bands, no screws, no textile.
· Binder clip style backbone – An alternative to elastic bands that maintains its internal spring force after repeated use.
· Primary card isolation – Provides easy access to your most used card; no more holding up the checkout line.
· Cash stem organization – Creates a unique and efficient storage solution for your cash.
· RFID blocking – Protects against illegal RFID scanning of your credit card.
· Tools – Incorporates a hex socket set, Phillips and flat-blade screwdrivers, and a bottle opener (edwin+).
We met our funding goal quickly in our 30-day campaign, and we ended up with 250% funding. Shipping is set to begin January 2016.
