Sustainable design allows you to turn your iPad into a computer

A new iPad dock made from natural cork offers a stylish and eco-friendly way to use your iPad more like a laptop

Spotted: What’s the difference between a tablet and a laptop computer? Increasingly, very little. Apple’s latest iPad Pro is more powerful than many entry-level laptops. In addition, many people who work in the field, from engineers to plumbers, now use company-supplied iPads or other tablets to track their work, issue invoices and communicate with the office. Now, UK designer Shane Marshall has developed an eco-friendly dock that can transform any iPad into a mobile workstation. 

Marshall’s MAJEE dock is made from natural cork, a sustainable material made from the bark of the cork oak. The cork is harvested in an age-old process that removes the bark without cutting down or harming the tree. For the MAJEE design, cork granules are used, which are often made from used cork stoppers that have been ground down, giving them a new lease on life. The cork is mixed with a binder and can then be heat-pressed and moulded into shape.

The Majee dock fits all iPads from the third generation on. In addition to a slot for the tablet, it also has insets designed to fit the Apple Magic Keyboard 2 and Apple Magic Trackpad 2, which connect to the iPad using Bluetooth. The result is a functional and stylish dock that allows users to work more comfortably from almost anywhere. 

Marshall had the idea for the dock while working from home during the pandemic. He told Springwise that “without the normal freedoms [it] turned homeworking from a luxury into a monotonous chore. This is where the seed of the idea for MAJEE dock planted itself, it was the hunt for simple freedoms like not being tied to a desk that inspired me to create something to help.” Marshall explained that he wanted a product that was not only functional but also less damaging for the environment when compared to the usual plastic tech accessories we’re used to.   

The desire, and need, to get away from plastic has led to a number of designers who are substituting natural materials for petroleum-based ones. These include a high-end home furniture collection made from cork and a car with a vegan interior made using flax-based composites and material from reclaimed fishing nets. 

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