The Ideal Wallet

ENGAGE: MY IDEAL WALLET

My ideal wallet is a three-fold wallet designed to solve struggles and problems that I have experienced in the past.

Contents and features of My Ideal Wallet:

• Waterproof
• Pocket fit for paper bills
• Closed and opened by a magnetic flap
• See-through pocket — Serves as an ID window for easy access.
• Pockets w/ Label or tabs — This will be used for cards, receipts, and money. The label will be customizable, meaning I can change it by writing on it depending on what I have in that wallet and what I want to be distinguished.
• Glow in the dark thread and flower magnet — Since I prefer to put my wallet inside my bag instead of in my pockets, the glow in the dark feature will help me quickly find my wallet inside my bag (especially during nighttime) or even when I have misplaced it somewhere in the house.
• Pen holder/Pencil — I’ve always preferred to write or draw things down whenever an idea comes up, and you never know when you need to write something down.
• Notebook/sketchpad — this small notebook can be used as a to-do list, grocery list, a place where I can write down ideas, or just to doodle on when I’m bored.
• Coin Pocket — A pocket for coins located at the back of the wallet for easy access.

ENGAGE: THE INTERVIEW

In the interview with John Emerson, his ideal wallet is a mix between a traditional men’s brown leather wallet and a modern technological one.

It contains separate compartments for bills, coins, IDs, and credit cards. Describing a simple wallet that we mostly see and use. But as he tells me, there is more than meets the eye. Underneath the leather is a small device that acts as GPS. This is helpful in certain situations as it can connect to a cell phone and functions as a tracking device. The wallet is also imprinted with a QR code containing the owner’s contact information.

He continues by adding a trusty pen holder for whenever he needs to write something down.

ENGAGE: DIGGING DEEPER

After further questions and observations, John chose a simple brown leather wallet because it is accessible and easy to navigate without complicated designs. It is enough to organize his things and also gives him security with additional technological features.

We even dug deeper into why he chose to add these features despite being a contrast to the traditional theme of his wallet. When asked why he decided to add the GPS tracker, he says he often experiences misplacing his wallet and, worse, even lost it or had gotten stolen.

He also mentioned that he prefers not to have pictures and sentimental items in his wallet. He says he values his privacy and prefers photos to be in the safety of his phone’s gallery.

Overall, the wallet’s features serve as a solution to John’s experiences and problems he encounters. His ideal wallet is the epitome of security in simplicity.

ENGAGE: GOALS

John’s goal is to have a wallet equipped with features that help bring order to his daily transactions and activities. He also aims to bring out a solution to his previous experiences that involves losing his wallet. Overall, the goal is to achieve a simple but practical wallet that fits right in his pocket.

ENGAGE: INSIGHTS

John’s ideal wallet reflects his personality and values. His preference for practicality shows how he prioritizes the important, and the focus on security shows how he wants to ensure safety for his belongings and himself. These all project to how he wants to be a responsible and organized person.

EXPLAIN: POINT OF VIEW

After gathering my insights, I can conclude that John needs a wallet to help him achieve his goal of being an organized and responsible individual. A wallet that allows him to avoid past bad experiences and a wallet that assures him of accessibility and security.

EXPLAIN: IDEA GENERATION (RADICAL WAYS)

Problem: John needs a wallet that keeps his belongings organized and safe. A wallet that he can track, helping him avoid and solve problems he encountered in the past.

ELABORATE: PRESENTING THE SOLUTION AND FEEDBACK

After presenting my design to John, I received positive feedback. John particularly liked the chain feature that I added to his wallet and the ID window. He says the chain feature would protect him even more against pickpockets. He mentioned how I captured his vision for his wallet and loved the simplicity and minimalist design. After this, I was then given the “go” signal to continue with the final prototype.

REITERATE (NEW SOLUTION)

Despite John’s contentment with the wallet, I decided to make a small change. Instead of having only one ID window, I changed it to two. The additional is located underneath the front window. It is accessed by pulling the flap which extends the window. My reasoning for this is so John can put two kinds of IDs in the window for easy viewing.

PROTOTYPE

The final prototype shows the different angles of the wallet and its features.

WHAT WORKED?

With John’s feedback, the final design of the wallet captured what he envisioned for his wallet. My suggestions and added features also worked in his favor.

What could be improved?

John did not wish for any further improvements and was satisfied with the final prototype.

QUESTIONS…

John did not have further questions regarding the design, for as he said, the presentation already answered his questions.

IDEAS

For other ideas, a fingerprint scanner to add security and to add more colors for the aesthetics.

ASSESSMENT OF THE DESIGNING PROCESS

1. How did talking to your interviewee inform/influence your design?

Speaking to the interviewee helped form the initial idea of the design. Knowing his preferences, dislikes, and goals helped me determine how to develop the final design.

2. How did testing and getting feedback impact your final design?

Communicating with John during the finalization of the design helped reassure me if I was on the right track. Although John didn’t suggest any more changes, his positive feedback with the ID window gave me an idea to add more to that feature. Knowing what he loved about the design helped me improve certain features.

3. What was the most challenging part of the process for you?

The most challenging part of the process for me was illustrating the final prototype of the wallet. I first wanted to make a 3D illustration of the wallet, but considering my lack of experience in that field, I had a hard time using the different software and instead opted for a more simple approach which is a 2D illustration.