Creation and Designer Tips

Believe it or not I put a lot of passion and stress into designing a new item for ML Leather. One of the main things I try to focus on is the key role of this item in someones life. I am a firm believer on if it is not useful its useless. To some folks that is just a crazy thought but believe it or not there are millions of other people out there who live on less than a dollar a day and do not "Store up stuff in Barnes" .


So here is some tips and thoughts on designing things that you may be wanting to create. The example I am going to use is one of my favorite products. The Nomad Satchel

1) Inspiration
Find something that sparks your interest in the project. For me it was the idea of a person being able to transfer his most precious items from a motorcycle, a horse or even a bicycle and wear it as a hip bag.

2) Be artsy.
You are not perfect so why does your creations have to be. I mean work towards the goal of being satisfied with your final project but don't be so anal on symmetry or perfect stitching. I believe it gives character to the item and something so much more personal then some machine made item.







3) Think of Use/Multi Use
As I stated before If it doesn't have a use it is useless. So come up with ideas of how the project your working on could be used. For Instance; some people see a piece of rope just as is. But some folks see it as a fire starter, guitar strap, entertainment, Luggage strap, jewelry, etc.
Keep an open mind.

4) Simplicity
I am a very detailed kind of guy. I am also very complicated. But once I realized how simple life really is I realized that if I spend all my energy on focusing on that simplicity I can pass that on to other people. It make people happy once they realize how simple something is. Make others happy. Its a great thing to pass along.


5) Use every resource/ Don't Waste.

Would you throw away a package of vegetable seeds that couldn't be used this planting season? Hell no! You would keep them for the next season.
Whatever you have that you don't think you could use, find a use. For Example, when I first started leather working I had boxes and boxes of scrap leather and half the time I would throw them away or give them to buddies who were into the same craft. Then one day I snapped out of my American way of thinking and figured out how to make zippo cases, bracelets, apparel, etc out of scraps I would have thrown away!
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