ABOUT THIS PROJECT 

Hi from Australia and thanks for stopping by to check out our project. I'm Kevin Whitley, founder of KWA Design Group, an industrial design group in Sydney, Australia. 

KWA Design have been operating for more than 30 years and designed thousands of  innovative iconic products for multinationals such as Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Nike, SMEs and entrepreneurs.  Now we'd like to release some of our own cool and inspirational products to the world.  The first is our NU Lifestyle RFID Blocking Card Holder ... the sleekest and most comfortable RFID blocking Card Holder in the world.

Inspiration

After sitting on a Fat Wallet for years, I wanted to come up with a design that would eliminate bulk while incorporating an efficient and sophisticated design.

If you’re a guy with a bulky wallet, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. Most men with a bad back have reported to be suffering from Piriformis Syndrome which is a misalignment of the spine and is often called Fat Wallet Syndrome.  

Sitting on a Fat Wallet for an extended period can cause backache 

Do we really need a wallet today?

With a smartphone in everyone’s reach, business cards, photos, contact details  for family and friends are easily accessible, eliminating the need to store them in a conventional wallet. 

Our research shows that today, most people use just 2-3 cards everyday, and with our NU Lifestyle Card Holder at hand, we can safely answer the above question, No, we no longer need a conventional wallet today. 

Our research has also highlighted some interesting solutions to the card holder, but none have been efficient enough nor provided an elegant design that any guy or girl would be proud to carry. My mission was to create a card holder that is ergonomic and cool at the same time.  

What is RFID skimming?

Today the world is moving away from transaction cards with a magnetic stripe to Smart Cards. These house a small RFID (Radio Frequency ID) chip which contains sensitive information about you and your account details and which can be easily skimmed. The banks and credit card companies will tell you that these Smart Cards are safe and secure.  They are not, and if you are in any doubt of this, take a moment to watch this recent YouTube clip.

Unless you are using a card holder that protects the cards you use everyday, there is always a risk of your personal and bank account details being stolen. 

We have solved this potential threat simply, elegantly and innovatively with our NU Lifestyle RFID Blocking Card Holder that effectively forms a Faraday Cage around your cards and protects them from being unlawfully skimmed.

Our Design Brief

RFID theft and Fat Wallet Syndrome are just some of the issues we wanted to solve. Here’s our complete Design Brief:

• RFID skimming protection. 

• Ergonomic low profile form designed for the human body.

• An emotional user experience through the use of Haptics.  We wanted our Card Holders to not only look great and work well, but also feel great too. Our objective is to provide a satisfying emotional experience with every use. 

• Must accommodate 4 cards or 3 cards plus some cash notes. We discovered that this is the most ideal as the research supports, the average person uses up to 3 cards per day.

• Must also be useable as a business card holder.

• Elegant, sophisticated design that people would want to use and show their friends. 

• Customisable to individual taste and branding. 

• Consist of a range with a variety of models to suit all requirements and price points.

• Suitable for males and females.

• Suitable to be worn in front or rear pockets with equal comfort.

• Fit into a ladies small evening bag.

• Durable and robust design that will last for years.

THE SOLUTION - NU Lifestyle Card Holders

After three years of design and more than 100 prototypes, we have evolved our range of NU Lifestyle Card Holders. 

We called the range NU which is French for naked or nude. NU Card Holders are simple, elegant and organic forms which incorporate minimalism and functionality. They are designed so that you won’t feel them in your pocket.

We have trialled them on a number of people who have stated that the NU Lifestyle Card Holders felt sensual to hold and eliminated bulk in their essential everyday life. After experiencing the NU Lifestyle Card Holder, recipients have said that they will never use a conventional wallet again.

THE NU LIFESTYLE CARD HOLDER RANGE

We recognise that people’s needs and requirements are different, so we’ve developed a range of NU Lifestyle Card Holders to suit everyone.

NU Uno - Non RFID Blocking Card Holder

 

 

The NU Uno Card Holder is a solid one-piece construction manufactured in the highest quality, tough engineering grade polymers with pad printed branding. NU Uno is perfect for any cards where RFID security is not an issue, such as older magnetic stripe cards, as well as being a great business card holder.

If you have kids, you’ll find that it's ideal for school library cards, proof of age cards and bus passes, keeping them together, safely.

Unlike other card holders that are usually made from an upper and lower moulding that are welded together, our NU Uno Card Holders are made in one piece so they are much stronger with no seams to split and crack. It sounds simple and obvious, but it’s actually quite difficult to do and more expensive to make than a two-piece moulded product. 

Nu Uno provides a far more durable and robust result that is worth the extra effort and expense.

NU Chroma - Non RFID Blocking Card Holder

The NU Chroma Card Holder, like the Uno, is a solid one piece construction manufactured in highest quality, tough engineering grade polymers with pad printed branding and also comes with a hand-polished chrome trim moulding for an added touch of elegance. Like our Uno model, Chroma is perfect for any cards where RFID security is not an issue, such as older magnetic stripe cards, as well as making a great business card holder.

NU DuoChroma - RFID Blocking Card Holder

We understand that not everyone can afford our premium aircraft-grade aluminium NU Persona RFID Blocking Card Holder. Which is why we created the Nu DuoChroma RFID Blocking card holder. It works just like the Persona range, the only difference is that it is made with a tough engineering grade polymer and then chrome plated to protect your cards from RFID skimming.  This means you can carry your most important cards with you every day, with confidence.    Choose between the sexy brushed satin chrome finish with bright chrome trim or the sleek brushed black chrome finish with bright chrome trim. 

NU Persona – RFID Blocking Card Holder

The NU Persona RFID Blocking Card Holder is our premium product. Made from aerospace grade aluminium, it effectively forms a Faraday Cage around your cards and protects them from being unlawfully skimmed. It is elegant, sophisticated, beautiful and sensual in use.  It is available in a range of anodised colours and finished with precision moulded edge trim features that are themselves available in a range of finishes to suit individual mood and style. You can choose from one of our standard NU Persona range, or our special IndieGogo Limited Edition range.   

Introducing your NU bestie....

Ladies, whether you are going shopping and want easy access to your loyalty cards or going out for the night, the NU Lifestyle Card Holders will not only lighten your load but offer you a practical and sexy sleek style while you’re on the go.

Shopping has finally become an easier experience. Instead of scrambling through your purse and getting lost in the abyss of multiple cards and receipts, NU Lifestyle Card Holders are easily located, helping you find the card you need fast.

If you’re going out for a drink or dinner and are tired of lugging your heavy wallet around, simply pop the essential cards and cash you need for the night in a hot NU Lifestyle Card Holder and eliminate bulk instantly. Slim and perfectly shaped, a NU Lifestyle Card Holder will fit in the smallest of clutches.

Guys, protect your back, guard your cards and simplify your life.

Why is it curved?

During the design of the NU Lifestyle Card Holders, we paid special attention to the ergonomics of the product.

NU Lifestyle Card Holders are designed with a subtle curve so that it sits comfortably in your back or front pocket, making it unnoticeable.

NU Lifestyle Card Holders are virtually invisible in front or back pockets!

Specifications (NU Persona Model)

NU Lifestyle Card Holders will comfortably hold 4 credit or debit cards or 3 cards plus some cash notes. 

Durability and Sustainability

Unlike conventional leather wallets that degrade over time when exposed to moisture,  our range of NU Lifestyle Card Holders are durable and can be washed and wiped down if they get dirty. Being manufactured from premium polymers and aircraft grade aluminium they are kind to the environment and can be recycled at their end of life. 

Where will my money go?

Product design and development is an expensive and time consuming process. Here are some areas where the IndieGogo funding will be spent. 

• Tooling and jigs. While we have already paid for tooling for Uno, Chroma and DuoChroma and we need to commission tooling and production jigs for Persona. 

• Minimum Order Quantities. Manufacturers require minimum quantities that must be paid for before they run the products. 

• Patents. We have filed provisional patents to protect the intellectual property contained in our unique range of NU Lifestyle Card Holders and stop others from forging our concepts and designs. Our patents need to be filed in each country, which is a very costly but essential exercise.

• Design and development of packaging for each of the products in the range. 

• Overseas development trips. Quality management and control is needed to ensure that the product we have designed is exactly the product you will receive. Over the coming months we will make several trips to China to oversee tooling and arrange production of the NU Lifestyle Card Holder range.

Backer Perks

We have a great range of Backer Perks that allow you to select the NU Lifestyle Card Holder that is just right for you at great IndieGogo backer prices.