Zen Garden Tool Roll (ZGT)

Introduction

It was a long journey, but eventually I found a way to turn my sketches into reality. Here are some insights I learned along the way:

The quest for the perfect tool roll and its evolution.

The idea for the Zen Garden Tool Roll (ZGT) came from the need to have a better tool roll than what I was using at the time. I had been using a few different designs; each with their own set of flaws and benefits, but none were really satisfactory. The first prototype was made from a simple piece of fabric with a few pockets sewn into it. While this design did work for me in many ways, there were some shortcomings that became apparent over time:

The fabric would wear out after repeated use
It was difficult to keep track of which tools were in which pocket because they all looked so similar
The pockets didn’t hold enough tools to make sense anymore

The perfect tool roll is born.

The ZGT is a product that was born from my sketchbook. While I was drawing and designing, I thought about how I could create a tool roll that would not only be functional but also aesthetically pleasing. When I doodle, it’s usually with pens and pencils so it made sense to make the tool roll out of paper as well. It’s both practical and artistic—it’s like carrying your design ideas around with you!

I wanted to create something that would appeal to designers who travel often for work or pleasure, so we had several different versions of our product tested by real users on the field before finalizing what you see now: The ZGT (Zinc Garden Tool Roll)

The sketchbook layout became the final ZGT pattern, just with the addition of a couple extra pattern pieces.

You might be wondering just how the ZGT pattern was designed. It’s a simple answer really: the sketchbook layout became the final ZGT pattern, just with the addition of a couple extra pattern pieces.

The purpose of this blog is to give you an overview of what goes into designing a custom product like our Zen Garden Tool Roll (ZGT) and then explain why it’s so easy to make at home!

We’ll start by looking at the process behind making something from scratch and then show you how we used some simple tools to create our own unique patterns from scratch in Illustrator and Photoshop.

After making the first prototype I was confident it would be easy to make at home, but this would work best if several could be made at once, so I still needed a manufacturer’s help.

After doing some research online I found a company called Lazer Cut Designs that seemed like they could do what was needed. They had experience with CNC machines and laser cutting, which meant they could cut out pieces from different materials at different scales. This would allow me to design my tool roll with multiple shapes and sizes of pockets on the inside and outside of the roll for all sorts of tools (and maybe even just for fun). Plus their prices were reasonable!

My contact at the manufacturer showed me examples of different fabrics and leathers that could be used in production.

The ZGT was made possible through a partnership with [Manufacturer], a trusted manufacturer in my community that specializes in custom products. They are well-known for their work with small businesses and creative individuals, and they have been making quality goods for over 20 years.

When I first contacted the manufacturer to discuss the idea of creating my own product line, we discussed fabrics and materials that could be used for the project. We looked at examples of other items they had made using different materials such as fabric, leathers and mesh fabrics. I also asked them about what design features would make this particular project most feasible from a production standpoint (for example: sewing together individual pieces vs having one large piece of leather cut out). It was important to me that this item was not just good looking—it also had to hold up well over time while being used on a regular basis!

Since I’m based locally in Northern California (and love supporting small businesses), it made sense to work with someone who is nearby me too!

After seeing samples of different embroidery threads, we chose the teal color to really make the logo pop.

The teal color was chosen as it provided the most contrast to our logo. We also liked how it was a bright color and would really stand out. It also helped that it is a neutral color, meaning you could pair it with almost any other colors or patterns!

When I finally received the first product sample, I found it to be even more beautiful than what I had imagined!

The ZGT is a beautiful product that can be used in many different ways. It can be used as an accessory for your clothes or furniture, as a desk organizer, or even as a mini-garden for your plants! It’s made of cotton canvas and has two layers with Velcro on both sides allowing you to arrange them however you want. When it comes down to it, the ZGT is one of those products that can be used by many different people in their everyday lives.

With enough persistence, you can produce your own designs and bring them to market.

If you have any interest in designing, developing and manufacturing your own products, the best advice I can give is to just do it.

You will learn a lot from making one product that you can use to help with the next design. For example, if you want to make a garden tool roll, try making one for yourself first as an experiment before deciding whether or not it’s worth pursuing commercially. Once you get a good idea of what works and what doesn’t work about your design, then maybe consider sharing it with others who might be interested in buying a similar item for themselves.

It may seem like a daunting task at first but I assure you there are plenty of people out there who are genuinely interested in purchasing items like this online (just look at Etsy). The key thing here is persistence: if someone tells me they tried selling something on Etsy once before without much success but they really want my advice anyway because they think their product idea has potential…then I tell them exactly how much work goes into making sure everything goes smoothly during each stage of production!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did. If you want to learn more about what I’m up to, follow me on Instagram or check out my website.