The Briefcase for 13 iPad Pro and Air
Many of the products we create are in response to what customers are asking for. Others are in response to general trends in the industry, to which we typically do the opposite. Sometimes we put something out there that is a hunch, a risk, or even a bit crazy. Our
Briefcase for iPad is not that product.
Since creating the market for high-end Apple-specific leather cases in 2007, our Premium Leather line has avoided all the typical form factors that one would expect in a line of leather cases. I'm not sure how we've succeeded all these years by doing that. Nor how we've managed to find so many people who agree with our iconoclastic take on Apple portable protection.
Maybe it's because we went to art school, not business school. Maybe it's because we feel originality is always better than copying what already exists. It's amazing to see how many bags and cases are available that appear to have been designed in the 1820s, not 2020s. It's scary.
When it came time to design new models for Apple's largest tablet, we looked at a lot of different forms, many of which have made it to production. One that stood out was a horizontal leather iPad bag for the 12.9 which MacCase had never done as part of the Premium Leather line.
The first MacCase ever was a horizontal case, sort of. We have had many horizontal cases as part of our nylon line, but never one in leather. With the 15 years-long success of our vertically oriented Flight jacket models, we wondered whether it was time to rebel against our rebellious nature and do a horizontal design. Should we do an iPad case with a handle and strap?
Is it Better to Have an iPad Case with a Handle?
The decision of whether or not to get an iPad case with a handle depends on your individual needs and preferences. If you are looking for a case that is easier to carry, then a case with a handle may be a good option.
The goal for this new brief was to provide a clean, elegant case with a handle and a shoulder strap that a professional could use to take their Apple tablet, the Magic Keyboard, and some personal items from office to office, meeting to meeting throughout the day.
It would also work in an academic environment for a teacher or professor, a doctor or anyone else needing to protect and transport their Apple tablet but who did not want to be dragging a big, bulky bag around with them all day.
This leather 13 iPad case with a handle is very slim and compact. The new ultra-light shoulder strap helps keep the overall weight down. It's the perfect case for moving back and forth, to and from, and through an office, academic, or other such environments.
It possesses all the hallmarks of the MacCase Premium Leather product: tough yet subtle hides in Pebble Grain black or distressed Vintage brown, the industry's best build quality, exquisite proportions, and superb functionality.
Best Bag for 13 iPad with Magic Keyboard
Another goal was to deliver the best bag for 13 iPad with the Magic Keyboard. While "best" is always a subjective term, we feel we've created a iPad bag that works extremely well for a lot of people.
Apple's first-ever Magic Keyboard has been designed to create what is in essence, a portable iMac. With its floating screen, the iMac has become Apple's most popular desktop model for both home and office.
In a very real way, the Magic Keyboard is its own case. It covers the front and back of the tablet. The problem is it doesn't offer any edge, corner, or Pencil protection. Again this is expensive stuff so a quality, secure way to transport and protect this hardware is needed.
Our Briefcase for iPad is perfectly tailored to protect the most vulnerable parts of the 13-inch iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard combination. Completely padded and lined, our brief is designed to pick up where the Magic Keyboard leaves off.
Many cases designed for the 13-inch are not designed to fit the tablet when the Magic Keyboard is added. Why? Because the Magic Keyboard needs a case that has room for the added half an inch or 12mm the keyboard adds to the width of your large Apple tablet. Our Briefcase for iPad has this extra 1/2 inch so it's the perfect case for the Magic Keyboard and the 13-inch.
Along with outstanding protection, there are places for other items. This functionality combined with its sleek, timeless style and bulletproof build quality, makes this iPad bag a favorite among a broad range of Apple tablet users no matter which generation of the 13-inch they own.
Integrated Pencil Case of the Briefcase for iPad
One of the key features of all MacCase products for Apple's largest tablet is our integrated Pencil case that is part of each design. Visually, this is highlighted by a vertical "stripe" that runs down the center, in part or whole, of each 13 model.
This can be seen at the bottom of the main flap, under the clasp, and when the flap is opened. Once opened, storage pockets fan out from a central column that serves as the Pencil case. Your Apple Pencil slots into the opening at the top and is safely protected during transport and storage.
But there is more to this case than just the main compartment. The front panel under the main flap can hold quite a lot of things in the assorted pockets. Moreover, there is a large pocket in the main flap itself to store even more items. The shoulder strap is attached along the long axis of the top of the main flap so the brief hangs close and tight to the body.
Leather Briefcase for iPad - Behind the Design
This is the latest in a series of interviews about the story behind the design of MacCase products. For this interview, we are again speaking to MacCase President and Chief Creative Officer Michael Santoro about the company's new Premium Leather iPad Pro Briefcase.
JKD: This design is a new form factor for MacCase. Why a horizontal briefcase after all this time?
MS: One thing that is important to remember is that MacCase started as a company that was launched on a single briefcase design. Briefcases are where we come from so doing an iPad carrying case with a strap and handle is second nature for us. It's always special when I pick up the pen to design a new briefcase.
Our original case for the original iBook was radical. It was radical when it was new and to see one today, it still looks radical. The joyfulness of the design is still present. It still makes people smile. One of the radical things about it was, that while it was somewhat horizontally oriented, it was not traditional in any way.
There were not any rules to break because the market didn't exist. So the first rule of this new Apple-specific case market that we created was that there was not going to be any template to follow. This can be thrilling or fill you full of fear. It's like being an explorer and being in a new place for the first time. For us, we had to figure out what the rules were going to be.
Is this a Good Carrying Bag for iPad Pro?
JDK: So with all of your experience in doing this, how does this design rank? Is this a good carrying case for the iPad Pro?
MS: This is an excellent iPad Pro bag. It's compact, sleek, lightweight, has good storage options is beautifully made from our ethically sourced leather and comes with a lifetime warranty. Yes, this a a good carrying bag for iPad Pro.
The next aspect of how it functions is specific to the 13 iPad and the Apple Pencil. So many of the solutions other manufacturers have released look like some last-minute feeble attempt to provide a place to stick the Pencil.
JKD: You can see the center stripe theme in this bag design.
MS: Yes, and this center stripe becomes the actual pocket for the Pencil. The case disappears under the flap but is continued visually into the flap. This is design content. This is how to protect the Pencil in an integrated and holistic way. Its designed from the ground up to be part of the solution.
I think substandard solutions like the ones customers are telling me about are insulting to them. This is another reason why this iPad bag is selling so well. Our designs honor the customer's intelligence.
Our bag for carrying iPad centers the entire exterior and under flap design around safely storing and transporting the Apple Pencil. I have yet to see another company have a line-wide solution as good as ours. There is a lot to like here.
An iPad Shoulder Bag
JKD: So you have addressed the Pencil but are there other details that set this iPad shoulder bag part?
MS: The first thing anyone coming from a horizontally oriented older bag will notice other than the good looks, (laughing) is that it's incredibly thin. Yes, it might be horizontal but it's sure not your father's briefcase.
Most traditional briefcases are horridly thick and bulky. Cumbersome. Inelegant. Because the leather iPad Briefcase is so thin, I thought it was important to have some specific places to put things besides the Apple Pencil. So there is a place for writing pens, credit cards, the charger, and cables. We still have some generic pockets where people can put what they'd like.
The customers who are purchasing our leather iPad shoulder bags are the ones who are spending weeks doing this research, looking at what is out there. They are coming to MacCase and saying they have looked all over and our solution works for them.
MS: My goal is to always deliver gender neutral designs. I don't see the design as being a men's iPad bag any more than I see it being an iPad bag for women. I know the design appeals to both groups because I see and talk to who's buying. And I am happy to report it both men and women.
I think there are basic things about the design that makes if appealing to both groups. It's thin and light. It's a bag that presents as very professional for both men and women. It's scales to both groups as well.
There is a comfort there when people first see it. Both men and women can see themselves wearing, holding and using it. That's what you strive for as a designer, that level of comfort for anyone who might need a bag like this.
