Pad Tie™
Invention | The Sticker-Based Book lock
  • Overview
    Pad Tie™is my original invention and intellectual property—born from the simple need to keep my oversized sketchbook closed and protected. Since then, it’s evolved into a powerful multi-tool for paper lovers, students, professionals, and anyone who relies on notebooks, planners, or sketchbooks in their daily life.
  • The Problem
    Paper users everywhere face the same issue:
    No reliable way to keep books closed.
    • Built-in elastics? Only available in select books.
    • Binder clips? Bulky and damaging.
    • Rubber bands? Often too tight, too loose, or break with use.
    There was no universal, sleek, non-destructive solution—until now.
  • My Role
    I took Pad Tie™ from concept to market through:
    • Creative System Architecture
    • Product Invention & IP Protection
    • Brand Strategy & Naming
    • Identity Creation
    • Illustration & Graphic Design
    • Print Production & Packaging
    • Creative Direction & Commercial Art
    • Photography & Instructional Icon Design
    • Market Testing, Refinement, and Rollout
  • The Solution
    Pad Tie™ is the first-ever sticker-based book lock—a simple two-piece tool:
    a Pad (sticker) and a Tie (re-positionable sticker band). It installs in seconds and fits most:

    • Sketchbooks
    • Notebooks
    • Binders
    • Planners
    • Folders
    • DIY Portfolios
    It’s tactile-friendly, lefty-inclusive, and stress-reducing by design.
Brand colors and logo marks. Red Black and gray are the main elements with the others used as accents.
Brand Fonts. Headline and
body copy.
Creative System Architecture

This system has many moving parts. To keep them all streamlined and easy to access I have created an interactive visual, clickable note taking system that can be published as a website.

The book has now nearly 200 chapters that have been created over one year. This system was built in Notion.
How It Works
Each Pad Tie™ pack includes two components:

🟣 2 Pads – durable, adhesive base. 🔵 1 Tie – a flexible fabric based re-useable band.

Together, they form a simple, reusable lock for books, planners, binders, and more. To make setup easy, I designed a set of custom icons that walk users through the install process—no instructions needed, just stick, wrap, and go.

Special Features

While Pad Tie™ is the first-ever sticker-based book lock, it’s not the first lock ever made. That’s why standing out required more than function—it demanded intelligent design, broad usability, and thoughtful details that set it apart. Here’s what makes Pad Tie truly special:

Made for Real People

Pad Tie™ was designed with everyone in mind—
✔️ Lefties
✔️ People with tactile sensitivities
✔️ Folks who misplace things constantly
✔️ Messy desks, busy lives, and brains full of ideas
In other words: real humans.
To highlight these everyday use cases, I created a library of simple, relatable photos that show Pad Tie in action—no models, no fluff, just real solutions for real situations.

Final Thoughts
Pad Tie™ started as a personal solution and grew into a creative brand with a mission: Support paper people. I’m proud to say that we’re just getting started.

Follow the journey at padtie.co or on Instagram, and watch this brand lock into place across the world.
WORK WITH ME