![\"Leon](\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Leon-Oudehand.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?<\/strong> What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?<\/strong> Typically, minimal wallets are great for cards and bills. However, few offer a \u201cgood\u201d solution for carrying coins (or other small items). I tried going \u201ccashless\u201d or at least \u201ccoinless\u201d for a while, but found that there\u2019s still quite a few places that don\u2019t accept cards, or don\u2019t accept cards for small amounts. Time after time I ended up with loose coins in my pocket. After finding over 10 euros worth of coins in the washing machine, and another stash spread around the car, I decided I had to find a solution.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when I came up with Cavity Card. A simple and light frame that can be mounted onto any card and creates just a little space for a few coins, a key or an SD card while keeping my wallet slim. At first, I just printed one for myself. But after a number of questions from friends and colleagues, I decided to open up a shop.<\/p>\n What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?<\/strong> Having studied in Eindhoven, Shapeways was the logical choice for me. A while ago I did a bit of a benchmark comparing it with a couple of other 3D printing services but found Shapeways still has the best balance between cost, range of materials and service.<\/p>\n How did you learn how to design in 3D?<\/strong> How do you promote your work?<\/strong> Next to my Shapeways store<\/a>, I also run an independent website<\/a> where I sell Cavity Cards with self-adhesive strips and a backing card included packed in a nice minimal pack.<\/p>\n
\nHi, I’m Leon and I\u2019m a product and packaging developer from the Netherlands. I work as packaging designer for a big FMCG company, but alongside that I love to design and create products that make life just a little easier, both for myself and for others.<\/p>\n
\nI guess this is one of those typical “I had a need and couldn’t find the right product so decided to do it myself” stories where a product originates from a pure personal need. When the explosion of wallet projects on Kickstarter<\/a> started a couple of years ago, I too got a little addicted to the minimal wallet trend.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nI learned about 3D printing as a tool for rapid prototyping in my job as a packaging designer. It\u2019s been a great tool for very quickly getting something physical in your hands, which is great for very early stage tests and design evaluation.<\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m schooled as an industrial designer. So I learned 3D modeling at university. I\u2019ve experimented with a couple of CAD solutions, but find SolidWorks to be the best fit for me.<\/p>\n
\nFor a very niche product like Cavity Card, which is only relevant to people owning a minimal wallet, it’s difficult to reach the right people. I currently mainly use Instagram and Facebook to try to build a following. I\u2019ve also been experimenting a bit with Facebook ads (although not too successfully yet).<\/p>\n