Making the Apple Pencil Pod
A few months back we set out to make something for the Apple Pencil and other styluses. After using the Pencil we realized that there were a few issues to address. The first was it was really easy to lose. Second, it’s very active when it comes to rolling off of your desktop and at a $100 a pop — we
don’t need that tool landing on the hard ground. Lastly, drawing or writing with the Pencil wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do given it’s hard plastic exterior.
Our first call was that it needed a case and better yet, a case with magnets. The Pencil has magnets in it so we thought we should design a pod that would reduce the movement of the Pencil when stowed. This would provide a stable rest when tucked away in the Pod.
Now that we had a way to store and carry the Pencil, we needed to tackle the issues around rolling and comfort. In come eighth grade memories of the triangle rubber pencil grip. You know, this thing…
Since we work with leather and not neon rubber, we made our own sheaths. Aside from some internal foolery about the word sheath, what it meant, and other words that it rhymed with, the function of the prototype was almost spot on. It stopped the Pencil from rolling and it was very comfortable to draw with.
Now that we had a proof of concept, we set out to find avid users of the Pencil to get their feedback. Here’s what we gathered.
Participant 1: Sophie Horton Jones
Interview:
- What do you use the pencil for?
I’m a toy and game designer who’s recently moved to the Seattle area from the UK. I do a lot of concept sketching either with a Sharpie and a pile of paper, or digitally with a Wacom Cintiq.
When I moved to the US, I needed a solution that would let me design, sketch and blog on the move whilst exploring the Pacific Northwest. The iPad and Pencil combo let me do this, it also allowed me to see how it compared to the more traditional Wacom digital sketching, and whether it could compete in a more professional capacity. I’ve been sketching in coffee shops, jotting down ideas on the move and developing product, toy and game concepts ready to pitch. I’ve also been using it for a blog that follows my adventures here in Washington: www.robotsandcoffee.wordpress.com.
2. What did you think of the case and leather sheath?
The case has been absolutely fantastic. I usually carry my iPad and Pencil in a satchel which has a front pocket that neatly fits the Pencil, but I was always worried about it bending or scratching. The case is great to be able to drop it my bag and not worry about it. It also comfortably fits both Pencil and a Sharpie, as digital sketching doesn’t always fit the concept. Aesthetically it’s great, the embossed detail is lovely, and I’ve loved showing it off whilst on my adventures. I can’t really imagine not carrying my Pencil in this now!
The grip was great too, I was actually a little skeptical of this at first as I hadn’t had any concerns about the Pencil without a grip. I wondered whether it could enhance the usability or comfort, or what it would bring to the Pencil. As soon as I was used to having something extra on the Pencil it felt great, it’s difficult to describe what it brings to the Pencil, but it felt more tactile, slightly warmer. I have found that over time the leather has loosened it’s grip on the Pencil a little, it could perhaps benefit from a slightly tighter fit.
3. What are your favorite pencil apps?
Procreate has been a winning app for me so far. I’ve tried most of the staple sketching apps; Autodesk Sketchbook, Concepts, Adobe Sketch and Adobe Draw, but Procreate feels the most natural. It has some really fantastic tools and works seamlessly with the Pencil with tilt and pressure recognition with no lag. You can also export the artwork as a number of different formats, including a layered .psd, which is great to take an idea to the next level.
Astropad is another fantastic app, it allows you to hook up to your Mac (wired or Wi-Fi) and essentially use the iPad as an external sketching device, like a Wacom does. So you can use your iPad and Pencil with full versions of software such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
4. Do you have any pencil tips or hacks?
Customizing your quick gestures in Procreate is a must, it means with one tap you can quickly switch between tools, undo, re-do, add a layer etc. It makes working much quicker, and means you don’t have to keep going to the tools in the top right. I’m all about finding shortcuts that allow me to work faster and more seamlessly.
I’ve also read about people adding matte screen protectors to their iPad Pro’s to add a bit more friction to the screen, making the Pencil feel a bit more like traditional pen on paper sketching, I’d quite like to try this out.
Participant 2: Suzanne Minatra
- What do you use the pencil for?
I am a letterpress printmaker and I use the Pencil to make my drawings that will be used to create my plates (I use a combination of linocuts and photopolymer plates).
2. What did you think of the case and leather sheath?
I am obsessed with both the sheath and the case. The sheath has made the drawing experience much more enjoyable for me, as I generally find the Pencil to be too slick and have a hard time keeping a comfortable grip on it. The case has been a life saver; pre case I’m fairly certain I spent more time looking for my Pencil than actually using it.
3. What are your favorite pencil apps?
My favorite apps to use with the Pencil are Procreate and Sketches for drawing, and Graphic for quick mock-ups.
4. Do you have any pencil tips or hacks?
Up until recently I wrapped the lower half of my Pencil with paper tape for a better grip, but the sheath has made that one obsolete!
Participant 3: Jack Longley
I received my Apple Pencil case just under a week ago now and have been using is every day since!
- What do you use the pencil for?
I am a Visual Effects student and I am also an amateur photographer, I also cannot draw to save my life. This means that I use the Apple pencil a little differently to the majority of people. For me photography is a huge passion, I love going out and taking photos, and then sitting in a coffee shop to edit them, and with the introduction of the ability to edit RAW files in Adobe Lightroom Mobile, I now edit a lot of my photos on my iPad Pro, which is a complete game changer, I am able to travel around light as I don’t have to carry my laptop with me, and the pencil allows me to do serious and precise photo editing, something which was never possible before. I love the level of precision that the pencil gives me when I am working in Lightroom Mobile, its a precision that you just don’t get from using your finger. This method of editing allows me to edit, export and share photos quicker than I have been able to before. Another thing I love about Lightroom Mobile is that I synchronises with Lightroom on my laptop, so that when I get back to my desk, all of my photos are there, edited, ready to be exported. My workflow is; take the photos, offload them onto my iPad, edit in Lightroom mobile, export any edited photos I want to share immediately, rate any others that I like at five stars, then when I get home, I open Lightroom on my laptop and either continue editing or export the rest of the photos I liked. I find it is a really efficient workflow, and great for when you are travelling around or want to get a photo edited and shared quickly. I really love the integration between the mobile and desktop versions of Lightroom.
I also use the pencil for my University course, I study visual effects, and for each of my projects I have to create a storyboard, so I use the iPad and Pencil to create rough storyboards for my projects, I can’t draw, but using the pencil on the iPad is just like using a pencil on paper, just the iPad has the benefit allowing me to make as many mistakes as I like, without it being permanent, and without wasting paper (I make a lot of mistakes), which is something I really like. I am able to get the feel of drawing on paper, without the permanence of it. I also use the Pencil for note taking during lectures, again for the same reason, its just as quick as paper, just without using paper, and I can make a mistake and erase it instantly just at the press of a button, whereas with paper, I would have to put a line through it, or get a rubber (eraser) and erase it, which takes time, or makes my notes look messy.
2. What did you think of the case and leather sheath?
First impressions blew away my expectations. It arrived in a really nice custom bag, which I have now repurposed for storying loose cables, memory cards and random accessories in my everyday bag. The case itself its near perfection, I think my favourite part is the zip, its such a satisfying zip, it feels so robust and sturdy. Its very well padded, so I have no worries quickly throwing it in my bag as I walk out the door in the morning, I know that it is going to keep my pencil safe and protected. The addition of the magnets is a nice touch also, although not particularly effective, I have found they don’t really hold the pencil in place. Maybe just a leather loop to hold the Pencil in place would be better (like on your pen and pencil case). The leather sheath actually surprised me, I am a huge fan of the pencil as it is, I feel that it is the perfect weight and diameter, so I was skeptical about adding a sheath as I felt it would be too thick and not feel comfortable in my hand. However, I actually love it, I adds a nice level of cushioning to the pencil, and I find that I am able to be even more precise with the pencil as I am using it, it has completely changed my way of working. Thank you! After using it pretty much constantly for the last week, there are a couple of things that I have thought of, not issues, but maybe something to think about. I carry the charging adaptor for the pencil (the lightning adaptor thing), and I have put it in my case with my pencil instead of its usual pocket inside of my bag, and I have found that it sometimes falls out when I open the case, and it also rattles around in the case with the pencil which is a little annoying. What would be amazing is if there was a small piece of elastic or something that would just hold the adapter in place inside the case to stop it falling out when I open it or rattling around when its closed with the pencil in there — I am aware I am part of a minority using this adaptor, I’m sure most people have lost theirs by now, but for the people who do use it, a way of keeping it safe in the case would be hugely appreciated I think. One other thing is I feel like there is a lot of empty space, so I am actually using my case for more than just my pencil and adapter, I have found myself putting SD cards in there, micro SD cards, or the lightning SD adapter, so from my perspective as someone who is constantly filming or taking photos, I would love to see a small mesh pocket or something similar on one side of the case to store SD cards or small accessories in. I always have my iPad and Pencil on me wherever I go, which means now I always have my pencil case on me, so I use it for more than the pencil, I use it to keep small things safe as well and I am sure that other users would find themselves doing the same too. Overall its great, the quality is astonishing, and the design is beautiful, it just makes me want the Tech Dopp Kit even more! One last thing, I love the colour, however all my tech and everything I have is black or grey so it doesn’t really fit in too well, are you going to make it in other colours too? I would love to see it in charcoal, that would be beautiful!
3. What are your favorite pencil apps?
My favourite pencil apps are Adobe Lightroom Mobile, Photoshop Fix and Mix, Paper by FiftyThree for storyboarding and Penulitmate for note taking.
4. Do you have any pencil tips or hacks?
One great tip is you can actually use the Pencil through a piece of paper (so long as the paper isn’t too thick), meaning you can trace. Which for someone like me who can’t draw to save their life, it is a really awesome hack especially when you are trying to draw a storyboard. Another tip is you can use the notes app side by side with safari which is great for making notes when you are doing some research.
Participant 4: Wyatt Kollar
- What do you use the pencil for?
I use the pencil for any illustrative work I do, from the start I use it to get rough ideas to “inking” then clean them up in illustrator, and then I use the pencil again in photoshop at the end of my process to add in details and textures to the piece.
2. What did you think of the case and leather sheath?
The case is awesome, I was always kind of tucking the pencil into a couple little hidden pockets in my backpack to avoid losing it but having a larger case to put it in has made it really a lot easier to not forget it and to find it in my backpack. The sheath is great, the finish on the pencil normally is really slippery and hard to get any sort of break from when you’re using it, having something rough enough to give traction and soft enough to be able to kneed it around in my fingers its great and allows me to work uninterrupted for longer periods of time.
3. What are your favorite pencil apps?
I use Adobe Illustrator Draw, Procreate, and I use the pencil with photoshop and illustrator on my computer using Astropad on my iPad.
4. Do you have any pencil tips or hacks?
I found that if you have one of the Apple thunderbolt monitors, you can place your pencil on the right or left edge of the monitor and the magnet in the charging tip of the pencil will hold it up against the monitor for you, nifty little place to put it when your desk has too many things on it!
You can buy the Pod + Sheath (now called Jack) or buy the Jack on it’s own which also fits on any pen/pencil.
