02 Mar Interview With Mujjo On Designing Tech Accessories
Mujjo is a Dutch design brand selling accessories for tech products such as Mac’s, laptops and phones. They sent me out one of their new MacBook tan leather sleeves to see what the product was like.
I have left my thoughts about the product at the bottom of this article because as usual, I wanted to find out more about the company and the product I had in front of me.
I reached out to Mujjo and spoke with managing director Remy Nagelmaeker to find out more about the history of this Dutch accessory brand.
Remember to check out my first ever print publication. The first print magazine is a limited edition publication and once they’re sold that’s it. The magazine is packed full of inspirational advice and motivational content that you can’t afford to miss, from millionaire founders to popular creatives from around the globe. Find out all about the magazine here.
I think it’s good to get some perspective on the people behind a brand and their products, to actually find out how that product was made and how this company has established themselves since launching. It’s amazing what you can learn from learning how different businesses began, operate and what their creative process looks like.
Interview With Mujjo On Designing Tech Accessories
How did Mujjo start out? What’s the story behind the brand?
I started out working with my buddy Tom and was soon joined by Robin, my younger brother. We did a couple of projects together but Mujjo was our first real success.
We started out by designing touchscreen gloves that (unlike anything else that was available) actually looked good. These gloves turned out to be a great success and have been featured in some major publications around the globe. Soon afterwards, we announced our first collection of sleeves, which was great because they’re less climate dependent.
The brand has grown fast and continues to evolve, but Mujjo always keeps the same passion for creating beautifully designed products.
How long has the company been running?
Since 2011, this is our 6th year.
How did you get the business off the ground? How have you made it a success?
We just went with our gut and created products according to our own tastes. Our products are perfect for travellers, for instance, because we’re always on the go ourselves and that’s when our ideas often come to us. We prefer to travel light and clutter free, as it adds so much to the comfort. And I guess people agree!
I think that’s the key to Mujjo’s success really: we just do what we are passionate about and other people seem to like it.
How have you used social media to your advantage? What are your social strategies?
We’re lucky enough to get featured on Instagram a lot by our customers who take our product with them on their travels. Aside from that, we also work with influencers.
In the end, either off or online, it all comes down to reaching people, because even if you create a great product it’s not really worth anything unless it gets noticed. The real challenge for a company (especially when it’s new) is to get noticed by a big audience.
Describe the creative process behind a new product? I take it starts with making a product for a specific tech product like a MacBook. Where does it go from there?
We don’t chase after fashion trends. Instead, we design products that fit our own style, taste and need. The creative process really starts with realising that there is a certain need for a product. That’s how the Touchscreen Gloves came to life in the early days of Mujjo. And that’s also how our Leather Wallet Cases came to life, born from our personal need to declutter.
Describe how you came up with this new Macbook case? What is it made out of and why did you design it how you did?
It’s crafted from a unique combination of full grain vegetable tanned leather and felt. These sleeves have been designed to securely carry the all new 13” and 15” Macbook Pros, along with their 3rd generation predecessors.
It has always been one of our most popular designs: contemporary and still remarkably simple. And now it’s back, in its best shape ever.
What is the biggest challenge Mujjo has had to overcome?
The biggest challenge is staying true to our high standards for materials and at the same time keeping our product affordable.
We use premium quality materials for everything, from our full grain vegetable leather to the paper in our packaging. And it shows. We put serious effort into the details.
We don’t source off-the-shelve materials; we actually develop the materials to our exact liking in cooperation with the supplier or tannery. We set pretty high standards and stick to them. We definitely don’t like to make concessions. So that can be a challenge. But, like everything else, it’s born from our passion for what we do.
What does the future hold for Mujjo?
I love challenges and new stuff so I’m not sure exactly where we’re heading with the brand or where we’ll be in 5 years. The brand is growing, we’re constantly trying to improve and I do see the brand moving into additional product categories.
Also, as entrepreneurs, it’s possible that in 5 years we’ll be running a second brand because we’ve moved into an additional category, product or service that doesn’t fit in with Mujjo.
Product Review
I was quite impressed with the product quality and how well designed it was. I also liked the fact that the sleeve used to protect your MacBook actually comes with a sleeve to protect it. It doesn’t seem that necessary at first but my MacBook is normally being used more than it’s in a protective sleeve, so it’s nice that this is also provided by Mujjo to keep the sleeve clean and protected.
The product is really well made and seems quite durable. I have had the product for over a month, and I know this isn’t very long, but I have used the product every single day and it still looks like it was just unwrapped out of the box. I have had some MacBook sleeves in the past that have started to wear after the first month.
I also like the fact that this sleeve is quite thick as it actually protects your MacBook from slight knocks when carrying it around. The leather material that covers the top of the sleeve clips onto a button on the front felt and the sleeve also includes a second sleeve for documents and anything else you wish to carry.
Most of all, this product actually looks good. It’s the type of product I would have carried my MacBook to Universtiy in or even to a business meeting today.
This sleeve is far better than the sleeve I was using a few months ago. It’s a product you will use around the house or in your place of work. I find myself using the sleeve when I am taking my MacBook iinto another room or somewhere where I don’t need or want to carry a bag, yet still keep my MacBook protected.
You can see for yourself what the product looks like and there are also other colours available. I haven’t tested any other Mujjo products out but I imagine that the quality is consistent with their other products.
You can follow Mujjo on the following links below: