BEN—First note, maybe jumping ahead, but there is zero irony in this object. While it does make me smile, there isn’t any irony. Maybe exaggeration, with the weight, which we love doing, but it’s very literal in how it “works” in one’s life. How would you describe it?

ROTENDA—You bring up the word exaggeration there. It leads me to how I would actually describe it - it’s “engineered function”. The weight nods to that - not because there’s a stainless steel hardware, but i think we subconsciously designed in the weight… an exaggeration to its function.

BEN—I think that’s exactly it… It’s almost woven into the Ben Edgar approach to ensure the object is heavier than expected when you pick it up. I suppose I’d never thought about it as concisely as: we almost use weight as a design element just as one would use color as a design element.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being entirely functional and 1 being pure art. Where do you rate this object?

ROTENDA—That’s a great question. You know, in ideating this, I feel we were very much after the function - for a daily use item, we could only want it to work. Since a couple of days now spending time with the samples - it’s quite a sculpture on the table. I give it a scale of 5. Art and function feel in balance. 

I’m actually curious of your thoughts on scale.

BEN—I’m pretty close to yours. Maybe a 6? I suppose if it held 2-3 times as many cards I’d rank it closer to the design side. But the initial concept was actually to celebrate carrying a reduced amount of cards. 

How many cards do you carry daily?

ROTENDA—2. Bank and ID card. 

BEN—Same for me. I find myself almost never using my ID during the day…but I like how the two look while slotted in.

When’s the last time you forgot your wallet and had it impact your day, etc?

ROTENDA—5 days ago actually. I use a neck cardholder, more as an accessory to be fair. I may go couple of days without slotting out a card, but I will have it with me. The days I forget it, are days I actually need “cash” or needing my ID card to pick a shipped package! 

Do you often carry or prefer carrying cash with you? 

BEN—I almost never carry cash. Though, I’m just coming back from Japan and often found myself with a few yen bills in my pocket for the more random small restaurants that only took cash. In my old wallet I always kept a $2 bill a friend of mine gave me.

What are your thoughts on digital wallets, ApplePay etc, and the more traditional analog wallet? I noticed you had an ID card yours when you sent me a photo. 

ROTENDA—I find there’s place for both…. When running quick city errands making store payments. I prefer a quick tap off my phone. Haha, i usually have the phone in hand when out and about, 85% of that time I’m not using it! When I would reach for my wallet, is usually when out for dinner at a restaurant. The neck cardholder is now detached and I can reach out my pocket… it’s a more relaxed environment and I’m in no rush. 

What are your thoughts in digital wallets? I’m guessing you had a driving license on yours?

BEN—Actually not able to use the drivers license function with my ID yet. And honestly don’t think I will. I don’t think it’s nostalgia, rather more for the same reason I love working on physical objects a rather than digital. I hope for example the physical passport never goes away.  That said, I absolutely love using ApplePay for its convenience…but I do miss how worn out my Amex used to get.

What would you change? How close to truly “resolved” did we get on this one?

ROTENDA—[Laughter] I think we share the same thoughts on this one ... there’s ~ 0.5mm’s we’d love to shift around! It’s an interesting one isn’t? It’s that balance of an aesthetic chase vs manufacturing processes. The exercise in both those worlds allowed us to be students, and we were curious enough to find resolutions. 

This brings me to a thought, out of the stages of design journey, which one was the most challenging? The early stage of ideating or the last of refinements?

BEN—It’s funny, if we share that illustration file I have with like a 30-40 different shape iterations, hardware changes, etc…it would seem that was the hardest. It was the last 10% and realizing that I wasn’t as educated on multistage finishing of metal as I thought I was. Learned a lot there. Still learning. 

ROTENDA—The wallet only accommodates 2 cards, what does that say about cultural preferences or practices of money handling?

BEN—Excellent note. Well first I think it’s going to be a bit polarizing that it only carries 2 and is so over-engineered. Though all my objects seem have that affect…and pure function was never the point. There are many other solutions for carrying more cards, the Hermes Calvi is super elegant in how it accomplishes this. But to your question, I personally find it somewhat chic to only have two cards and maybe slot in a $20 bill behind your ID etc. Something freeing about not having much on you.

ROTENDA—Name! There isn’t one yet for this one. What are  the likely 3 from the top of your head? 

BEN—Still feels tricky! “Clip” seems to be where things have landed. I’m 90% on that one. Have also played with “Tag” and “Clink” with the last one being perfectly odd but somehow not sticking. I really enjoy the “Ghost” naming of the other bags I’ve done. Something about it. Actually, Maybe a question for you is, what other company is really interested exceptional at naming their products?

ROTENDA—[Laughter] I think we’ll both agree on my here, Rolls-Royce! Naming a model “Wraith”! The online configurator is the fun place for a surprise. Likes of Salamanca Blue, a colour name we’ve talked about few times before - Salamanca being a city in Spain, there’s just so much of the city’s landscape you see in the colour! Quite the lengths for namesake! Curious on which one you have in mind.

ROTENDA—If there’s even any, when in the process of creating is the best time to name a product?

BEN—You know, usually it just kind of comes in a flash moment, and it’s very obvious that will be the name…no other considerations are given. When that’s not the case, as with this one, it takes quite a while. I think we landed at something really great on this one though. 

In closing… I spent a bunch of time thinking on this object and chatting with friends after showing them the final product ahead of launch. This idea of what a wallet means. It’s an incredibly personal object as it lives with you almost every waking hour of the day and is something you keep especially secure / safe while moving about. And with that, it’s often people’s first truly aspirational or luxury purchase. I distinctly remember my first Louis Vuitton purchase at age 18. It was truly a “moment” for me and almost felt like what an accomplishment in my mind. Whether I knew it or not while creating it, this object is very much born of my desire to create something that has that weight (no pun intended) for anyone who purchases this…this very real desire for it to be a meaningful emotional purchase and something that weaves itself into their lives. Something they are truly proud to have in their pocket. 

ROTENDA—I’ve never before wanted to show my wallet, but this one, I want to exhibit it, it’s a sculpture.