Interview with Shane- Afternoons with Albert

Today we interview Shane, creator of Afternoons with Albert. If you or your family are traveling any time soon we have a fabulous travel accessory to share. Read our interview for more on this amazing new travel must have.

What inspired you to creating Afternoons with Albert?

As a child I spent Sunday afternoons with my grandfather (Albert) in his shed. He was an avid carpenter and tinkerer. I would pass him tools and do the small jobs, eventually graduating to making stuff of my own, with his guidance, for the family home. After the work was done we would retire to the garden and eat cake and drink tea, lovingly prepared by Nanna. This memory forms the basis for the name of the label.

After he passed, I was given all his tools, and set them up in a shed of my own. It was a place where I would go to get lost in ‘making’. I would dream up designs, then go create them. Seeing them come to life was amazing, and as a kid very liberating.

This background, coupled with my inquisitive nature means that I always have to know how something works – I am forever interested in the design of functional, utalitarianthings.

When I became an international pilot for QANTAS at 25, I was suddenly exposed to an entire world of design (pun intended). Having the globe as inspiration, and a jet to access it all has only strengthened my interest and passion in the design space.

I have always loved music, and am often transported to another time and place when I hear a certain song. Entire periods of my life can be characterized by particular albums – my late 20’s were Hot Fuss by The Killers, and Sex on Fire by Kings Of Leon, for example.

One of my favorite things on earth is to get lost in a new city, listening to music … just walking around for hours, in and out of coffee shops, down lanes, talking to strangers.

But it struck me that I never remembered to take my charging cable – so my phone would always run flat before I was finished exploring. Even worse, stuffing my earphones into my pockets would always produce a horrible mess, and I found I was taking endless amounts of time untangling these things, when all I wanted to do was be in the moment and enjoy wherever I was.

So I guess I had a ‘there must be a better way’ moment, and begun experimenting. My creative process is incredibly authentic, in that it’s not forced – if I don’t like a design then I can’t workshop it. But when I do resonate with something, it becomes part of me, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I know I am ready to put the pen down and bring the tools out when I can see the design in my head in 3 dimensions, I can turn it around, up and down and inside out, and look at it from every angle – that’s when I know I’ve got something. The Cord Roll was born like this.

Tell us everything about the Cord roll, how does it work? How would this make life easier travelling?

The Cord Roll is a simple, intuitive way to keep earphones, charging cables and all of life’s necessities safe and organised in one easy to find spot.

When all your travel accessory gear is safe and organised in ONE spot, you always have what you need to keep your phone going, and you don’t have to spend double the price at the airport for the accessories you forgot.

The Cord Roll works by 4 simple steps:

1. Lift the loops

2. Insert Cords

3. Pull the strap

4. Roll

How much can we fit in the Cord roll?

I made it for the 3 cables you always need when travelling, plus all those other small things you need to keep safe – CAMERA MEMORY CARDS, USB DRIVES, AEROPLANE ADAPTERS (SO YOU CAN WATCH MOVIES), AND THAT LITTLE IPHONE KEY TO CHANGE THE SIM CARD (THAT NO ONE HAS A HOME FOR!)

We are thinking of taking our kids overseas, As a frequent flyer yourself, what tips and secrets can you share to help the little ones on the journey?

My single biggest tip for long haul travel, regardless of age, is ear-plugs. They take a bit to get used to, but they have a massive effect for something so small. I also swear by getting onto local time as soon as possible – and the best way to do this is to set your watch to local time as soon as you get on the plane – then get out in sun when you arrive after a nap –All the other usual advice like staying hydrated, wearing comfy, layered clothes and moving around is good as well. I also make sure I brush my teeth before I go to sleep! (That one’s for you Mum).

This undoubtedly will make a great Christmas gift! There are many families who will be travelling this festive season, the Cord Roll will be the perfect travel companion, Tell us how can we get our hands on one?

Visit the website! www.afternoonswithalbert.com

Whats coming up next for you?

Over the next 12 months I intend to expand the range of Cord Roll’s into different colors. I’ve had a lot of interest from the vegan market telling me to make a synthetic version, so I plan cater to that market as well.

I have 2 whole notebooks of other product designs that have been swimming around in my head for a few years so the next focus will be to choose a few of them to add to the product range. As to what they will be … AWA creates lifestyle-wares for people ahead of the curve … so they will be designs centered around making your journey better, whether that entails jumping on a bus everyday to get to work, backpacking through Vietnam, or flying to London for a meeting.

I am also super excited about doing a pop-up with complementary brands to create an encompassing experience. This will definitely involve coffee. It many also involve gin J

The single biggest buzz I get from being in this space is seeing people interact with my product(s) and talking to them about it. Design is a process that never ends – I am intensely keen to keep learning from the people that really matter – the end users.

The Cord roll RRP $75 check them out HERE