Packaging System
2022
Summary:
Durable case designed around structural performance and manufacturing feasibility - built to protect and present.
Team:
MTM Watches Design Department
Key Materials:
Plastic
Rubber
Foam
Suede Leather
3D Resin
What the Market Told Us
Toughness Earned:
. Referenced military equipment, tool cases, and raw materials - looking for objects that earn their toughness rather than perform it.
Structure as the Starting Point
Proportion Locked Before CAD:
. Several structural directions explored to establish case proportions - durability and opening mechanism drove the form, not aesthetics.
. Sketching used to visualize form before committing to CAD - faster to kill a bad idea on paper.
From Screen to Physical Model
Caught Before Tooling:
. CAD used to lock proportions and define the mechanical relationships between lid, body, and closure.
. Produced 3D-printed prototypes to evaluate scale, fit, and mechanical interaction.
. Prototype feedback from engineering changed the hinge geometry - caught before tooling not after.
Inside the Case
A Product Within A Product:
. Interior designed as a product in itself - foam density, suede grain, and stitching pattern all specified to match the case’s tactile register.
. Material decisions made in parallel with the outer structure.
Final Simple. Project Closed.
The Process Was The Product:
. Received engineering revisions to the hinge clearance and closure thickness - made the adjustments, validated against the revised specs, and signed off on the final sample.
. Project discontinued before production - the full development cycle from concept to production-ready sample remains the most complete cross-functional process I have worked through.
Texture Through Manufacturing Input
Hands-On, Not Just Screens:
. Evaluated vendor sample, choosing texture for grip and durability, not appearance alone.
. Selected a cement-like finish to achieve a durable, tactile surface aligned with the product’s rugged intent.
. Finish confirmed achievable within existing tooling - no secondary operation required.
