ELABORATE: The Ideal Wallet
Sharing my solutions and capturing feedback
After showing Andrea what I have come up with in the “explain” portion of this activity, she positively received the new ideas. Since the new additions would not hinder any of the original elements she already wanted, she had no problem with the new ideas. When I asked her if she had anything else she wanted to add, she said that there was none. I do believe that since we have covered much in our previous interview, there was not much left to add.
Reflecting and generating a new solution
Aside from Andrea’s original description of her ideal wallet, three significant changes in the new design are the receipt compartment, name and contact info card, and the tracking chip. Andrea still stuck to the original color palette (baby blue, pastel pink, black, or mustard yellow.) I suggested that the wallet’s size be 4 x 3.5 inches, and she accepted that size. Despite the compact size, I remember her request to have the wallets open wide to have similar items in the same compartments. I also suggested that her info card would be on the interior/ exterior of the purse in case it gets lost separately. The chain is detachable but also sturdy and locks securely. Her bus pass is also securely in place but also easy to slide out if needed.
I believe that the original problem statement remains. The goal is still for Andrea to feel secure and ideally worry less about her new wallet whenever she is out and about.
This is the Prototype design for Andrea’s wallet:
DEBRIEFING TIME
- How did talking to your interviewee inform/influence your design?
My interviewee influenced my design immensely. They are the priority, and I am designing for them, so my design revolved around who they are and what they wanted. For example, once I knew about Andrea’s paranoia tendencies, I was sure that that would become one of the problems that need work. Thus, I suggested integrating the tracking chip and information card to give her an extra sense of security.
2. How did testing and getting feedback impact your final design?
Knowing that I was in the right direction was very helpful once new ideas started popping up. The more feedback I received from my interviewee, the more I got to understand her. So whenever I have a new idea to propose, it was like an educated guess, but I also had prior info on her to back up my suggestion. An example would be when I was presenting my own wallet and when I started talking about a compartment for receipts, she seemed to agree with me, so I suggested that we include one in her wallet.
3. What was the most challenging part of the process for you?
If I were to choose, it would be deciding on the best and most precise ways to present ideas while avoiding misunderstandings. Often there’s a risk of someone not liking your vision if they do not fully understand it. It’s tricky finding the balance of being overwhelmingly detailed and not detailed enough. I try to lean on the detailed side but also struggle at times with overthinking. However, I’m glad that Andrea is a very decisive person, so the process was fairly smooth.
OTHER ACTIVITY PARTS:
ENGAGE Link:
EXPLAIN Link:
