Necessity is the mother of invention, so perhaps it's no surprise that some of the best, and sometimes outlandish, designs come from what might be called “someone's itch.” For example, consider this rather interesting DIY project. Give your iPad mini a home and hide Mac Studio out of sight. There is no shortage of products that individually address these needs, but this creative solution pays homage to and draws inspiration from the product that shot Apple to fame 40 years ago, the venerable original Macintosh. We combine them in a way that makes sense. Of course, this isn't just a superficial nostalgia trip, it's also one that takes advantage of some of the best features of Apple's product design today.
Designer: Scott Yujan
Though it mimics the Mac mini, the powerful Mac Studio is significantly taller and commands a presence beneath your monitor. On the other side of the fence is the iPad mini, which is lightweight and compact and has a number of features that make it a near-desktop device. Although these two products come from completely different lines, they share the same family spirit. All of this may sound superficial when put together, but this 3D printed modular case does it in a very classy way.
Dubbed the Macintosh Studio, the enclosure sits on top of the Mac Studio and hugs most of it tightly, leaving only the ports near the bottom unrestricted. The front of the device has a slot where you can safely slide your iPad mini into it and connect it to your Mac Mini with a single USB-C cable. This way, your iPad mini is always charged and ready for use when you need it, while also serving as a second screen for your Mac Studio thanks to Apple Sidecar. This provides a customized home for both devices without removing anything from functionality. You can also draw quickly on your iPad, but the screen's position and angle aren't ideal for art and design work.
The Macintosh Studio's design not only copies the shape of the original Macintosh, but also cleverly inserts a few modern conveniences to make use of all the unused space on the back. For example, there's a retractable headphone hook on the top, and there's also an interchangeable drawer that can hold a single portable hard drive or a stack of SSDs. There are other possible designs, but these two in particular add value to the experience while staying within reasonable limits.
Considering it's simply a 3D printed enclosure, Macintosh Studio has plenty of flexibility when it comes to colors. Using different shades can make it look like a hybrid between a Macintosh and a colorful iMac, adding a little oomph to the typically drab, monotonous silver aesthetic. Overall, this design is very original in the way it solves two fairly different problems while preserving the individual value of each product.