bamboo blackberry case by G.O.D

the ‘literati’ bamboo case for blackberry playbook

with ‘literati’, a case for blackberry playbook, the hong kong design studio goods of desire (G.O.D) adapts a traditional practice and material to modern needs.

the design is modeled after the manuscripts of ancient china, where prior to the invention of paper, ‘books’ consisted of words carved into strips of bamboo, held together by string. while advancing in the text, a reader could coil the manuscript progressively into one hand. ‘even with the advent of the printed-paper book,’ G.O.D notes, ‘this way of holding a book remained for chinese readers.’

practically the design facilitates not only reading while holding the tablet upright, but also functions to adjust the tilt of the device when used as a stand, helping in typing or movie watching.

although original prototypes were done in bamboo, the for-production case for blackberry hong kong is composed of high quality coated plastic in black or white.

full view of the case

by coiling parts of the bamboo, users can adjust the height of the stand

the packaging of the product suggests its traditional roots

studio G.O.D. takes its name from cantonese slang: ‘god’ is the phonetic sound of the phrase ‘to live better’, reflecting the designers’ goal for their own work, and human achievement in general in hong kong, asia, and all the world.

douglas young, creator of the project and founder of G.O.D, at his hong kong studio portrait © designboom