ENGAGE: The Ideal Wallet
MY WALLET DESIGN
In my Communication Planning (Com 231) subject, My classmates and I were assigned to illustrate our ideal wallets. I already had a vague idea in my head so I decided to sketch it out.
This is my 3-minuite wallet sketch:
I believe that my sketch best represents my personality and what I look for in a wallet in terms of its functionality and design.
INTERVIEWING ANDREA
THE INTERVIEW
When Andrea explained her ideal wallet, she started by describing the exterior of the wallet. She emphasized having a transparent compartment to put a bus card in since she loves the idea of foreign transport becoming more prevalent in the Philippines. If not a bus passport, she would put a picture of her favorite K-pop idol in the meantime. Andrea does not like carrying many coins with her and prefers to have a separate coin purse that attaches to her main wallet via a chain. She prefers compact wallets that open up wide to keep many of the same items in one area. She carries numerous reward cards, and they all go in one section. She has many cards and few coins since she prefers keeping everything digital/ credit so that she won’t have to carry much money. When I asked her about her color preference, she said she likes pastel pink, baby blue, black, and mustard yellow. Lastly, she wants the wallet’s material to be easy to clean.
DIGGING DEEP
When asked about the reasoning behind her design choices, I found out that Andrea is a very “paranoid” or cautious individual. She has a habit of only keeping small amounts of money and counting the money in her wallet before she leaves an area and once she arrives in a new location. She tries to keep the amount in her wallet at P1,200 or less. Thinking back, she states that she has always been on the cautious side. She believes that the experience of losing her phone in senior high school after her exams led to her experiencing a type of stress that she wants to avoid as much as possible. We eventually dived further into her home life, and I found out that her mother is quite the opposite of her — a bit on the messy side. Since Andrea is not free to organize her family house as she pleases, she becomes particular about the stuff she does own, like her room and wallet.
GOALS & WISHES
Andrea prioritizes functionality and prefers a clean and straightforward design. The wallet reflects her personality and her interests. She is proud of her love for K-pop; thus, she wants to have a picture of her favorite idol on the wallet’s exterior. Her desire for a bus pass displays her vision that our country will catch up with foreign transportation standards. Since Andrea is aware that she has paranoia tendencies, she wants to feel secure with her wallet, so she carries cards over large amounts of cash and coins. Overall, Andrea wants to have a wallet that is practical and efficient over anything else.
INSIGHTS
What I take away from designing my own wallet then interviewing Andrea about hers is that our experiences shape us and our preferences. Take, for example, how her unfortunate experience in Senior High led her to be more cautious with her belongings. Additionally, I realized how hearing about other people’s preferences and the reasons behind them might change our perspectives or reinforce our own. There were times when I agreed and disagreed with her choices, but I’m glad to have heard it from a different point of view that I have not yet considered. It was an interesting experience since Andrea and I differ in work ethic, personalities, and preferences. I also learned that even the things we own have stories and can reflect who we are as individuals. Lastly, I enjoyed getting to know Andrea through this simple wallet activity. The activity allowed me to have a deeper understanding of who Andrea is and why she acts the way that she does.
