IDEAL WALLET
Hello and welcome to my blog!
My first blog for my short term period introduced Communication Planning with the help of a mind map. In the said blog, I also asked if anyone would like for me to continue sharing about this specific course, and while I may not have received a response, I’m back to writing more about it through fun and meaningful examples. With that being said, let’s talk about my experience of making the IDEAL WALLET.
The ideal wallet was a 9-step process activity which involved designing our very own wallet as well as crafting one for our chosen partner too. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it’s been a challenging week for me both mentally and physically which does explain why it took me this long to write my blog. Nevertheless, I’m glad I was able to finish my activity and at the same time be able to do something for someone despite the distance needed this pandemic. The picture above is my ideal wallet and I designed it to symbolize my love for my dogs who have all unfortunately passed away. The colors (pink and blue) represent them being a girl and two boys, and the paw acting as the clasp more obviously indicates that they inspired my design. When I was sharing this to my partner, I also said that I preferred the wallet to be fully embroidered because I wanted that kind of texture, something that feels authentically hand made. And from there begins I and my partner’s meticulous work to achieve our desired wallet for each other.
As mentioned, after designing my ideal wallet, I had to share it to a partner who would attempt to create a better version of it. The picture above is my partner’s ideal wallet which of course I had to craft for her too. I guess at first the features felt overwhelming to me but as we conversed about the designs and their meanings, I became excited to do it. I’m glad that she was self aware of what she wanted and that she really opened up to me about her experiences which influenced her ideal wallet. To add more context to our interview, here are the notes I took.
Moving on, upon reviewing these notes, I knew that my mind was already at work as it visualized her wallet. The most compelling need she had was a wallet with many pockets which will allow her to carry her essentials even without using a bag. In a way, I related to her not having enough pockets to put her things in except I felt more of that need with owning a bag. That relatability did at least help me to craft something convenient and realistic to use.
What then came next was the initial design which consisted of five sketches for her ideal wallet. It was a bit funny hearing her feedback, especially her reaction saying that there were too many design options to choose from but I think that seemed so because the sketches included the front and inside of the wallet. Additionally, I was glad we had been given the time to communicate instead of just proceeding immediately to the final output because we then had more room to improve and know each other as much as we can.
With the sketches shown and her feedback considered, I proceeded to craft the scale model for the final ideal wallet. I was actually surprised she had only one definite dislike which was the zigzag construction of the wallet that she thinks make it difficult for her to access the wallet’s contents. That was my main focus for improvement and I only had to adapt the designs already integrated in some of the initial sketches for the scale model. Here are the model’s elements and corresponding notes to their functions.
Putting all of these elements together thus creates the final wallet and once again I was surprised by my partner’s feedback because she was really satisfied with what I had done for her. Regardless of receiving a negative or positive feedback from her though, I would have respected any one of it because I know I can improve more in terms of not only my designing skills but also my communication skills which would allow me to build and maintain strong relationships in my life. Let me share to you my final output, my partner’s feedback and post-activity questions before I close off with my final thoughts of this challenging but meaningful experience.
COMMUNICATION IS KEY. That’s the best way I can describe my ideal wallet experience. I enjoyed and valued talking with my partner, especially collaborating with her for a specific project like this. Beyond the ideal wallet I created for her, I came through finishing this long overdue activity knowing more about her, specifically her personality and experiences, and taking that into consideration to strengthen our relationship as friends (even if we’re only talking online). For me, it truly starts in the small things and in their remembrance that allow us to connect with each other. It’s never the object but its meaning that makes it treasurable.
