Scott Nedrelow is the founder of Nedrelow, a small product-design studio focused on creating thoughtful everyday objects for work and carry. Nedrelow's products make tech accessories feel more useful and integrated into daily life. The brand is best known for protective sleeves that move easily between bags and across all the different surfaces we use for work.
01 Origin. What problem, frustration, or quiet conviction made your company/product(s) necessary? Take us back to the moment the idea wouldn't leave you alone.
I kept noticing people use their device sleeves as desk pads and wanted to make something intentional that was a better option. We are always moving around to work these days, so I was interested in the transition from carrying to working. Could the thing that protects your device also become part of the workspace? That question became the Magic Sleeve. It protects the device in a bag then opens up and becomes part of the way you use the device. The idea wouldn’t leave me alone because it felt obvious and inevitable once I saw it. I also liked that it solved two problems without adding another object.
I had seen portable Victorian writing desks and the way they fold out from a box to a flat surface, but I was most interested in another detail—they were often moved from room to room in homes that weren’t fully heated. You could open the desk and have a small, personal workspace wherever you wanted to work. That felt surprisingly relevant to how we use our devices today. I liked the idea of something portable that was not just about ensuring better transportation but also creating a place to work.
02 The constraint that shaped it. Every well-made object is defined as much by what it isn't as what it is. What was the hardest constraint you worked within, and how did it sharpen the final product?
The main constraint was the dual functionality of the product: it had to work both as a protective sleeve and a desk pad. I wanted both main functions to be clear and without compromises. When it’s a desk pad, it should look and function like a desk pad. When it’s carried as a sleeve, the same consistency should be true. The magnets allow the transition to happen and work surprisingly well. This multi-feature constraint certainly made the product better.
03 A design decision you defended. Walk us through one choice that was questioned, debated, or pushed back on, and why you held the line.
One decision I had to defend was using natural fiber material. Pressed merino wool has a long history of human use. It even pre-dates woven material. Furthermore, I’ve always felt that it provides a grounding and great tactile contrast to the plastic, glass, and aluminum that compose our devices. In regard to thickness and functionality, it’s a naturally dense, padded material.
04 What you removed. Form and Function lives in what's left after the cuts. What did you take out, leave on the cutting room floor, or refuse to add?
I removed most of the things that people expect from a protective case. For instance, there are no zippers or pockets. While these solve problems, they also create friction. The goal was not minimalism for its own sake but to create something new that actually helps us move around with our devices and work.
05 What's next, and what stays the same? Where is the brand going from here, and what will never change about how you make things?
I want to keep building around the small rituals of working, carrying, and setting up. There are a lot of moments during the day when objects can either add friction or quietly remove it. I don’t want to merely make accessories; I want to create useful objects that make the transition between places feel better. Does an object make daily use better? Can it do so without asking for too much attention?
06 Who's next? Name one or two founders, makers, or studios you think is making products that beautifully marry form and function right now. Someone we should be paying attention to, and why.
I love the thoughtful approach of Postalco.
Lightning Round
An object you'd never replace
My Juki sewing machine
A book, film, or album that shaped how you think about design
A daily ritual
Discovering new music in the shower.
The last thing you bought that surprised you
The nighttime light that works like an hourglass from the Casper mattress people.
A piece of advice you'd give to someone making their first product
Don’t be afraid to make something new.
Coffee order
Coffee with milk.
About FORM & FUNCTION
Form & Function is a print magazine about the objects worth keeping. We write about the tools, gear, and everyday things that earn their place through good design and honest craft — the stuff that works as well as it looks. Each issue is made slowly and on purpose: matte pages, considered writing, no filler. This newsletter is where that same thinking shows up between issues — founder interviews, early looks, and the occasional thing we can't stop thinking about.
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FORM & FUNCTION — Issue 001.
The quarterly print magazine about things worth keeping. Matte, printed, made to be held. Ships July ‘26.