AJOTO Pocket Pen: Design Process

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As a small design studio, we handle everything—from concept, sketching, prototyping, and testing, to exploring materials and establishing a robust network of specialist manufacturers across the globe.


We never stop creating, iterating, improving and exploring new ideas.

Later last year we turned all our attention to producing our compact AJOTO pen, an innovative and stylish everyday carry pen that's not just a writing tool but a conversation starter.

Over the years we’ve developed lots of new Pen concepts, but until now none of them had ever excited us enough to bring to market. As we put the finishing touches to the design we are excited to begin revealing some details of what we’ve been working on. Over the coming weeks we are planning to share stories and details from behind the scenes as we prepare to launch our new AJOTO Pocket Pen on Kickstarter.

Join Us on This Journey.

Over the past 6 months, we've created and tested well over 100 design variations of our new AJOTO Pocket Pen. For every "yes," there are hundreds of "no’s." and solution reveals thousands of new questions.

"What if other variants are better? What if this version is more expensive to produce? Are we creating manufacturing headaches? What if nobody likes it? Should we add a clip? Should we include different refill options? What about tolerance stacking? How many options do we need?".

Our design process involves countless sketches and renders, using our both hand tools and 3D printer to prototype, and continuously asking, "Why?" We relentlessly seek feedback from friends and family, urging them to test our designs and give us honest opinions. This puts us in the challenging position of balancing our instincts with what people like and need.

We've stepped out of our comfort zone, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of objects from ancient roman tools to modern mountain bike components. We've also become obsessed with the satisfying sound of a well-engineered mechanism.

Narrowing Down the Options.

One of our biggest challenges has been to narrow down the options

Our aim isn't to find a single answer to every question, but to take the first steps on a new journey. With this new product we are focused on producing the best possible tool and part of that process has been to avoid the pitfalls of feature creep and limitless options.

Doing one thing well is a mantra we like to abide by as we understand that creating something simple is the hardest task.

The Path Forward

We have a winning design!

Our final tasks are all focused on fine-tuning details as we push forward with the following steps:

  • Production meetings with specialist manufacturing partners
  • Selecting materials and finishes
  • Creating pre-production samples
  • Crafting packaging options
  • Launching our Kickstarter campaign

We want to hear from you.

Let us know what you want to know about our process and the AJOTO Pocket Pen.

Let’s start this exciting journey together!

Chris & Marta



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