Some things have remained unchanged for decades, but that doesn’t mean there’s no more room for improvement.

The number of items we put inside our bags seems to be growing every year to the point that some people are looking for ways to either get rid of some of them or at least combine them. Some things, however, are just indispensable, like the charging case for your earbuds, your emergency power bank for your gadgets, and, if you wear glasses, a protective case for your spectacles. Along with paper notebooks that might also be found inside those bags, those glasses cases haven’t exactly seen any significant improvement in both design and purpose. In fact, most of them are designed to break easily and be thrown away just as easily. One designer, however, realized it’s high time to give this protective accessory an upgrade by merging it with one of the most essential accessories people need these days.

Designer: Khaled Mohamed

Some ideas come like a flash of lightning, while others take a long time to percolate. Still, others tend to take detours, as in the case of this mashup of two important things inside many people’s bags. The first attempt to modernize the glasses case ended up putting an external SSD aimed at workers on the go. It turned out, however, that there was more demand for a more common mobile accessory that could be useful to almost anyone, which is how the Glasses Case Battery Bank plan was finally put into motion.

As the name so clearly states, this product combines a case for glasses with a battery bank. That is indeed more useful for almost everyone because everyone has a phone these days. And while you might not have prescription glasses, there might always be a time when you have to bring sunglasses with you, even the rather expensive kind. Sadly, almost all but the most expensive eyewear have cases that are designed with quality and longevity in mind.

In contrast, this combo aims for both with an added touch of modern convenience. The case will be covered by Italian calfskin leather, prized for its durability and its softness. On the inside, Japanese Ultrasuede will keep your glasses safe and clean while also protecting the power bank with a soft interior. As for that battery pack, it is planned to bear a 4,000 mAh capacity, enough to juice up most phones these days at least once.

If you think that combining a glasses case and a battery bank will create a rather bulky structure, then you’re half right. The design of this accessory seems to be partly inspired by origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. When acting as a glasses case, it takes the form of a prism with the battery bank serving as the solid base. Without the glasses, however, the sides of the case can unfold and wrap around the power bank, creating a more compact form.

The Glasses Case Battery Bank doesn’t exist yet in a form you can buy, though. It will be hitting crowdfunding soon and lures a tempting $99 price tag for early believers of that vision. The product will also be manufactured in the US and Canada, which should at least help reduce the carbon footprint and costs when shipping to backers in North America.

The post This evolved glasses case pulls double duty as a power bank for your phone first appeared on Yanko Design.