The transition of an analog tool into a digital device doesn’t mean its design has to drastically change; take on novel form even if the technology allows for it. Unlike how LEDs have radically shifted the shape of lighting (it doesn’t need to be tangible), writing utensils still need to be conducive to ergonomics: the contour and grip of the human hand.
With the development of Montblanc’s first digital tool in this category, San Francisco-based design studio Fuseproject has chosen the path of smooth conversion. The cornerstone of the Montblanc brand’s new market-forward Digital Paper Suite, the boldly named Digital Pen looks and feels like the German producer’s iconic Meisterstück model.
The design has been iterated upon innumerable times since its release a hundred years ago but has always maintained the key features of a somewhat bulbous contour and three ring adornment. The same is true of the Digital Pen.
“When we design for a heritage brand like Montblanc, our job is to honor its past while creating a bridge to its future,” says Yves Behar, Fuseproject founder and renowned designer in his own right. “Montblanc’s writing culture is legendary. Our role was to translate that culture into a digital experience that feels timeless and captures the emotional richness of handwriting.”
While the new design might not be a direct facsimile of its predecessor—that would be disingenuous and defeat the point—it maintains its vital tactility and decipherable shape. It has the same weight and balance. However, there was no need to replicate the traditional metallic tip mechanics that dispenses ink when gently pushed down. As a result, the entire design can become more uniform and mono-material.
The Digital Pen is available in three different tips—fine tuned for different types of digitally emulated paper textures—transmitted on the Montblanc Digital Paper tablet. Paired with digital ink, the pen helps translate handwriting as searchable text. The product comes in Mystery Black, Elixir Gold, and Cool Grey with a calf leather side bar.
Unlike some tech-forward “solutions” that put software ahead of usability, the new product was engineered with the customer in mind first and foremost. The Montblanc Digital Pen is a negotiation of forces, those that might seem obsolete from a technological standpoint but aligned with a more human touch and vice versa. Fuseproject’s task was determining how best to combine these carefully considered components.
To montblanc.com and fuseproject.com.
Photography courtesy of Fuseproject.
