A Model of our Ideals
My Ideal Wallet
My ideal wallet is a small gray trifold wallet. It has specific compartments for paper bills, cards, and pictures, while it is noticeable that the compartment for the coins is separated from the inside. This is for the convenience that the wallet will not appear to be bulky. These several compartments show how I really like to get my things organized. Above all, the simplicity of my wallet identifies what I like and what I am.
THE INTERVIEW
In an interview with Peachy, she opens up about her ideal wallet. The wallet she visualizes is like what she currently has, wherein paper bills and coins can perfectly fit. She describes the wallet in the color of pastel blue and pink as handy and foldable that can fit into a small bag. There were also pockets and compartments she mentions for the wallet’s contents. The contents you will typically find inside are money, IDs, and cards (Membership cards, Load cards, and Reward cards).
DIGGING DEEPER
Behind the features of Peachy’s ideal wallet, there were some significant meanings on the design, color, and the wallet itself. Usually, when she goes out, she does not forget to take her phone, and next to it is her wallet. That is why the wallet was designed as a small size trifold wallet for her to hold easily. She values it because it contains most of the important things that are essential for her when going out. For her, this wallet with the pastel colors pink on the outside and pastel blue on the inside feels like radiating positive energy.
GOALS AND WISHES
As for Peachy, she is after the convenience and functionality of the wallet. The essence of her ideal wallet was an essential thing for her practical use. It is a kind of wallet that is fit for her, which she can easily grab whenever she goes. She wants a valuable wallet to maintain organized content and store some important things in the specific pockets and compartments.
INSIGHTS
I like how Peachy said that “a thing like a wallet can radiate positive energy.” Not only because it has something valuable inside of it, but because of how we used and valued it. It was a refreshment and a new learning experience for me to look at a wallet not only for practical use. Although she looks at a wallet for practical use, she might overlook the essence that a wallet can give her more than how she used it. There is a greater extent that carrying her wallet around can give her comfort and a secure feeling.
TAKE A STAND WITH A POINT-OF-VIEW
IDEATE: GENERATE ALTERNATIVES TO TEST (RADICAL WAYS)
Problem: Peachy needs a way to practically make her wallet easy to carry around as she considers it an essential thing, wherein she can fit some important things inside. Then the paper bills and coins will always be easy for her to access.
5 Radical Ways to Meet Her Needs
SHARING THE SOLUTIONS AND CAPTURING FEEDBACK
As I shared the sketches and concept for her ideal wallet, she told me she liked the way it was designed, and she acknowledged the ideas for the wallet. On the other hand, she had some suggestions to make it more personalized, make the pastel color complement each other, and create an additional pocket.
REFLECT AND CREATE NEW SOLUTION
According to feedbacks, some of the features and designs of the ideal wallet remained the same. Still, there are additional changes and new solutions for the ideal wallet.
The textured cover was redesigned into a cute minimalist design as she preferred a single personalized figure in front of the wallet.
An outside pocket was created to give her more compartments and easily store her money when in a hurry.
Based on her taste, she wanted the pastel colors to complement for a balance appearance of the outside and the inside.
BUILDING SOLUTION: THE PROTOTYPE
The Prototype is suitable to Peachy’s needs according to how she visualized her Ideal Wallet.
SHARING SOLUTION AND GET TING FEEDBACK
What worked+
For Peachy’s preference, the arrangement of the compartments and an attached handle meet her demands of having a handy wallet. Additionally, the design in front of the wallet captured her attention, and she liked how the colors complement.
What could be improved-
As for the convenience of holding the wallet, the handle strap durability should be a primary concern to improve as it may be affected by the wallet’s weight.
Questions?
Peachy’s question was about the magnetic lock if it will still securely close even if the wallet is bulky.
Ideas!
With the things that could be improved and the question, I came up with an idea to redesign the wallet’s strap specifically to make the attached hook bear the weight of the wallet’s content. While for the magnetic lock, I consider making it a linear magnetic lock to close the wallet securely.
ASSESSMENT OF THE DESIGNING PROCESS
How did talking to your interviewee inform/influence your design?
With the interview, I actually gained knowledge that you can experiment with colors. It does not necessarily need that a wallet has one general color; this made me aware that people have different choices, and for them, these colors might carry different meanings. It greatly influences my ideas to explore varieties of colors because I tend to choose neutral colors.
How did testing and getting feedback impact your final design?
The feedback I got was a huge impact on the outcome of my design, and it became a guide for me to improve the features of the ideal wallet. Each response from how I presented the design made me aware that I need to collaborate effectively to develop the desired final design. This feedbacks also supplied me with several ideas and allowed me to test my creativity.
What was the most challenging part of the process for you?
I was challenged on coming up with various ideas on designing the wallet to meet the needs of Peachy’s ideal wallet. Although she explained some concepts, it is hard for me to turn them into visuals. I became cautious that my ideas might overlap with her original concept; that is why designing the wallet was a challenge because I need to think of the aesthetic and the functionality.
