Design Lab: Part 3 – Sad Mousepad

Not so sad mouse pad.

When you spend a disproportionate chunk of your waking hours by your computer, the ergonomics of your work station become important. The angle of your chair has to be just so. The phone has to be reachable. The background music can make or break your day. It was therefor incomprehensible that I let my mousepad bother me for so long. It had served me well for many years, but the corners had ripped, the edges scratched my wrist and some kind of plastic residue seemed to collect under the mouse.

It was clearly time to let go. Commercially available options didn't appeal to me. They just seemed, well, too commercial or at least impersonal. As a crafty designer, I needed to tackle the issue hands on. For materials, I chose felt and leather and got them laser-cut to size. The beauty of laser is that you can also cut the holes for stitches. It is then easy to stitch the pieces together. Even if my waking hours are mostly spent with the computer, it is incredibly satisfying to get your hands on needle and embroidery floss. I love taking micro breaks and running my fingers over the stitches.