Research other types of musical keyboard carrying cases to notice different styles, design features and what types of materials are used to make instrument cases. Visit your local music shop and ask to see various types of carrying cases for keyboards to have a closer look. Alternatively, find pictures in shopping catalogs or online.
Discover ideas for your instrument case design by looking for inspiration. Observe the world around you. Carry a small, plain notebook and a small pencil in your pocket or bag to note down your ideas or to make quick on-the-spot sketches, to help you remember them later.
Sketch your ideas in your sketchbook using a pencil. (Refer to your pocket notebook for ideas, if applicable.) Experiment with your ideas by generating various design sketches of the interior and exterior of the carrying case. Use the shape of the keyboard as a starting point, as the shape of the case should fit snugly around the instrument it holds. Incorporate design elements by adding specific features, like pocket compartments to house music sheets, the type of case handles used and logos or design motifs created to decorate the instrument case. Support and protection of the instrument and the ease with which it is carried needs primary consideration.
Apply color to your sketches. Use art marker pens--they're quick, bright and effective. It is beneficial for design purposes to have a wide range of colors.
Write pencil notes beside each sketch to indicate design features and materials to be used: for example, leather, PVC, wood, fiberglass, metal, foam padding and soft fabrics for linings.
Select your favorite or what you consider is your most successful keyboard case to be made. Draw a bigger drawing of both the interior and exterior design. Apply color. Outline your drawings with a black fine-liner pen to make the designs seem more emphatic. Mount on a sheet of card or mounting board using glue to display your design in a black leather portfolio.