Fanning Wallet - Unveiling the Story of Smart Wallet Design

People have been carrying wallets since medieval times. Since the invention of the earliest wallets, the industry has gone through multiple changes but the reason for carrying wallets remains the same - to better organize and access cash (and later cards).

When developing the Fanning Wallet, we went back to the fundamentals. The goal was to create a design that was better organized and made it easier to access cards and cash than anything else on the market. The main components that makes for wallet functionality are below:

Organization and Space:

Wallets can sometimes get a bulky and disorganized - especially if they accumulate receipts, loyalty cards, and other non-essential items over time. This makes it harder to find and access important cards or cash quickly. Through research, we found that most people nowadays carry fewer than 10 cards - hence we gave Fanning Wallet a 10 card capacity.

Card Clutter:

Many wallets have limited card slots, causing overcrowding and making it hard to insert or remove cards easily. Cards can easily bend or wear out faster due to this. In an ideal world, each and every card should have its own slot for better organization and faster access. All 10 cards in Fanning Wallet have their own sleeve. There's no better way to organize, insert, and remove cards from a wallet.

Size and Portability:

Wallets that are too small may not hold all necessary items, while those that are too large may be cumbersome to carry or fit into pockets. Fanning Wallet is big enough to hold 10 cards, notes and coins yet still small enough to fit in most pockets. A comparison of our wallet with traditional wallets is below.

Durability:

Low-quality materials or poor craftsmanship can lead to wallets wearing out quickly. There were many material options available for wallets and we experimented with different types. We started off with using plastic sleeves - similar to the ones used for Pokemon, Yugioh and other card games. We then experimented with other options such as Tyvek but found problem such as quick wear and tear. Material options such as leather were ruled out due to both practical and ethical concerns. After careful consideration, Carbon Fiber emerged as the top choice for its durability and natural RFID blocking properties. Following months of testing, the carbon fiber sleeves showed minimal wear and remained in pristine condition.

Security Concerns:

Some wallets lack essential security features like RFID blocking to prevent electronic theft or secure closures to keep items from falling out. While RFID blocking is often exaggerated with few reported crimes worldwide, we included it as an extra precaution by using Carbon Fiber sleeves. Additionally there is a fabric lining in side our sleeves which ensures cards stay put even when shaken vigorously.

Accessibility:

Certain wallet designs may not be user-friendly for people with disabilities or limited dexterity such as tight zippers or hard-to-reach compartments. Card access can't get any easier with wallets when it’s one card per sleeve. The only thing left to tackle was coins and notes. For security reasons, it was apparent cash had to be concealed. While people nowadays don’t carry coins very often, we made a small pouch just in case. That pouch can be used to carry things like recipes and business cards if not used for coins. When opened up, you can access notes easily. The opening uses a small piece of Velcro. We decided on this technology since magnets shut unexpectedly when they get too close to each other.

Maintenance:

Certain materials, like leather, require maintenance to keep them in good condition. Other materials may be easier to clean but result in faster wear and tear. Carbon fiber sleeves require no maintenance. It’s waterproof and can be cleaned with wipes or damp tissues if needed.

Style and Personalization:

While not strictly functional, personal preferences in terms of style and fashion can impact the usability of a wallet. Some designs may not match certain outfits or occasions. The color natural carbon fiber gives it a modern, minimalist look.

Development Process

The process of developing the Fanning Wallet started with research. We didn’t set out to create a wallet but rather develop products that have better utility value than competition. We eventually came onto wallets after seeing the same basic problems that most designs had - namely cards were bundled together and there was a lack of proper organization and access. Once this was determined, we then brainstormed ways to solve these problems and add in functional features to make the optimal wallet design. The flash of inspiration came with card sleeves that people would use in games like Pokemon and Yugioh. We thought, what if we used these same concepts but applied it to credit cards instead?

The first step was sketches. This started with a pile of drawings detailing the shape and dimensions of each component of the wallet. We found the standard size most cards use and based the size of our sleeves on that.

We then worked with a designer to do a basic CAD (computer aided design) of the wallet before sending it to the factory for clarification. As the old adage goes, what looks good on paper often doesn’t translate as well in practice.

Thus, we knew we had to go through multiple iterations (a total of 15 revisions in this case) before we finally had the version we’re happy with. This involved the factory making a sample and sending it over for us to do testing. We then tested each sample carefully and sent back a list of tweaks. We repeated this process until we ended up with a version we believed was market ready.

Throughout this process, we tested multiple different materials. The first revision used polypropylene sleeves. They were too thin and flimsy for use but gave us an understanding the product could work mechanically.

We experimented with other materials like Tyvek and Nylon but quickly found either they had shortfalls such as scratching easily or were too flimsy. The material that fit the bill in the end was Carbon fiber. Carbon Fiber sleeves were flexible and durable yet rigid enough to hold its shape. On top of that, it had inherent RFID blocking properties.

The dimensions shape and dimensions were also heavily tweaked with earlier versions using an edged shape at the bottom. It was eventually changed to a circle as we found through testing it was more comfortable on the hand

The dimensions were tweaked as well sometimes by the millimeter as we wanted to ensure that every last millimeter of our products was best optimized for functionality.

Continual improvements are at the core of our ethos, as we remain dedicated to enhancing our products based on valuable customer feedback.