This tech brand takes aim at the “disposable culture” of phone accessories

Tech brand Nolii, which aims to create a more sustainable world for mobile accessories, has launched with creative direction from Made Thought studio.

The products, which come together as a “modular ecosystem of connected tech accessories” were originally thought up by co-founders Asad Hamir and Amar Radia.

Made Thought co-founders Ben Parker and Paul Austin joined as Nolii’s creative directors and created the brand identity. It is also the first project that the design duo have invested in. Daniel Barnes is Nolii’s director of product and design.

How “personal challenges” have inspired the range

Hamir tells Design Week that the range was inspired by his “personal challenges” with technology, from tangled cables to sudden midday battery loss. More recently, he had a bad head injury when he tried to take his phone out of his pocket while running.

“All these daily annoyances one day turned into an ‘Einstein’ moment,” Hamir says. “I wanted to solve these problems not just for me, but for everyone who also faces the same challenges.”

The name Nolii is taken from the first letters of the phrase, Nomadic Life Intelligence, according to Hamir. Nomadic is perhaps a reference to the mobility that Nolii hopes to create for its users.

The products include a wallet that stores important cards along with your phone and is held together by a patented “Click Lock” technology. The locking system means you can connect your case to a range of lifestyle accessories.

In reponse to that jogging-related head injury, there’s a fitness band which keeps phones securely in place when you’re working out. A “functional and easy-to-use” detachment mechanism allows users to quickly answer calls mid-workout.

Specifically targeting the disposable nature of phone accessories, Nolii has created “tangle-free” cables which have reinforced collar stops to prevent breaking.

Hamir hopes that the product range will help people adjust to the much-discussed “new normal”. “Our new normal has never been more infused in technology than it is today,” Hamir says. In the coming months, two new systems will be added to the range.

Attention has been paid to the design details, from the “vibrant” colourways to the “tactile finishing”. Hamir says that they will experiment with these details in the future.

A more sustainable product design

There are many tech brands that have similar products and can be seen up and down the high street. Most people have had to buy a replacement phone cord only for it to break a few months later. What sets Nolii apart for first-time investors Parker and Austin?

The design-led ethos makes the brand stand out, according to the Made Thought co-founders. This includes the material design, for example. “Toughened” polycarbonate has been used for the case and battery products, and Kevlar has been used in the cables to reinforce the connecting parts.

The designers also hope that Nolii’s modular focus will help the products adapt to an ever-changing world. Parker says that the shifting balance between where we are working and living will impact design going forward. People’s needs are changing, and what we need out of technology has shifted. The idea is that all the designs can be integrated with future products, which will hopefully drive sustainability as well as innovation.

Products start at £25.