Us+U was a startup venture created in early 2010. Its initial projects focused on iPad accessories with a 360º rotating strap. This feature, first patented by Us+U, was marketed as “the swivel,” and was incorporated in all cases developed by the company.
As a startup, the company had no internal development team, and I was contracted to design and engineer all of their projects.
The first product, the Swivel Profolio, was a three panel case with leather exterior and microfiber interior. It featured the swivel strap, collapsible kickstand, pen holder, and a screen protection flap with integrated pocket.
Follow-up products included the Swivel Pro and Simple Swivel, updated to fit newer generations of iPads. A snap-on hard shell with swivel and spring-loaded legs was prototyped, but never made it to market.
Though I had no previous experience in soft goods, all the products I designed for Us+U were critically-acclaimed by the tech journalists that reviewed them.