A wallet is more than just a wallet

“Good art is in the wallet of the beholder”-Kathy Lette

This is my ideal wallet. The color is gold because for me, gold symbolizes power, luck and strength. It has always been an alluring color for me because for some reason there is something about me that loves sparkly things. As for the contents, you may mistake me for being a narcissist because there is a press powder and a lip tint but I chose to be honest rather than fake the contents. It also reflects one of my passion which is make up, and explains why I tend to carry them around wherever I go.

But this is not all about me, for the following pages will be all about Miss Eunice Tomacder, and her ideal wallet.

Her story will unfold as we unravel the details of her wallet, every content has a connection to her, well shall we find out?

Her wallet looks aesthetically pleasing because the flesh color looks fresh, would you look at that rhyme hehe. Okay moving on, The pockets are also divided in a way that it is convenient for her especially for her cards, photos, receipts and and money that should be inserted neatly.

1 interview

Her wallet contains:

Money- she said that money is for buying the necessities personally and for her family.

Id- she always put her Id on her wallet for identification and in case of emergency or whenever she lost my wallet somewhere the person can identify the owner of the lost wallet.

Lucky charms- she also puts lucky charms such as bay leafs on her wallet because her mom and aunties have this superstitions about putting one on wallets to attract money.

Pictures- Eunice also includes pictures of her loved ones on her wallet.

Receipts- for her to keep track of her expenses.

Memory card- she is an aspiring photographer and that explains why she always carry a spare memory card around.

She also stated , “I always carry a wallet with me whenever I go out, it is because I never know when I have to pay, spend or be in need of money. The wallet is the most important thing I need inside of any bag I use because my wallet contains my information and my savings.”

2 Dig deeper

Basing on the contents of her wallet, she appears to be superstitious, which is not a bad thing, because each one of us has our own beliefs. It indirectly shows how she respects the opinions of her aunties and of course her mom who believes in those lucky charms. She is also a sweet and a loving person to her loved one’s as reflected on her act of keeping their pictures in her wallet.

As you can see also on the bottom-left part of her wallet there is a bible verse about faith derived from the book of Matthew. Honestly, I was not a church-goer and I don’t usually join church activities. But we were invited by Eunice in their church “Christ the King”, and surprisingly I enjoyed the sessions every time we were there. The songs and the dances were entertaining, also the youth leaders and pastors spoke volume about their experiences leading them to a life closer to God. And after attending their church for at least twice a month, that is where I saw how dedicated Eunice in serving God. There were times when she would not join us after classes because she has to attend band practices for the youth sessions because she is a singer in their band. And that is how I would support the fact that she included a bible verse in her ideal wallet not just for show but because she really wants to keep the faith wherever she goes.

3 Goals and Wishes

I was also lucky enough to be partnered with Eunice because she is actually my friend and that why I know and witnessed firsthand how she aspires to be a photographer. She actually used me once as her model for her page “Freeze the seconds” and I could tell that she really knows what she is doing. The pictures came out great and well what can I say, those were the perks of having photographer friends, to have great pictures whenever I’m with them.

She is actually a shifter from Architecture but now she is chasing what her heart is really telling her to follow, which is photography. And of course there is nothing more that a photographer wants than to show the world the stories that she captured using the lenses of her camera.

Insights

Basing on her wallet contents, the Eunice is greatly influenced by her family, as seen on her lucky charms that she got from her mom and aunts’ superstitious belief in wealth, and the way she treasures them and have them serve as a driving force by putting their photographs in her wallet. She gives off a sweet silent and shy type vibe but at the same time, radiates a an aura that makes her a little bit mysterious that makes you want to know about her more. Actually she is like her wallet, looking from the outside she may seem quiet and reserved but when you open it, she is so much more. We were actually not close during the first few weeks of classes because for some reason, she always seemed like the person who wants to mind her own business in her own world. But after being grouped together and finally opened up, I was actually ecstatic that we had the same taste in music and other things and that she is also bubbly only to a few selected people whom she feels comfortable with.

Explain

Take a stand with a point of view

Generate alternatives to test

Elaborate

Share solutions and capture feedbacks

The solutions presented were:

a) initiate small talks

b) be active in the class group chats to establish virtual connection and eventually face to face

c) attend study groups and group hang-outs

d) connect with people you share same interest with

e) talk to experts such as counselors or guidance

Feedbacks

According to Eunice, the first option which is “initiate small talks” and the second option which is to be virtually establishing connection which leads to face to face closeness does not sound right for her. Because she does not want or she is not comfortable talking to and she thinks that some may not be interested to talk to her. She also admits that she does not have the confidence to start conversations.

Iterate based on feedbacks

The solution that sounds like the best suggestion for her is the fourth proposed alternative which is connecting with people that she shares interests with because she said that she would gain additional knowledge from them and she also feels like it is her safe space where she can be comfortable.

Build your solution

The prototype that I presented to Eunice is a poster which features the official student publication of Saint Louis University because it is the group where she can practice her photography skills and at the same time serve the school in telling the stories of the students through her photography. The emails that can be contacted is included on the infographic so she can reach out to them whenever she feels to try her luck and pursue her first step of coming out of her shell and finally associate herself with the people who shares the same interest as her.

Share your solution and get feedback

Key 3 Questions

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

After seeing her previous preference when it comes to complexity of design, I saw how she vouches for simplicity but at the same time clarity that is why I designed the prototype in a way that she can already get what the poster means as the necessary information are already in the poster.

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

My final design solely depended on her opinions and what she really wanted out of the suggestions that she was presented with. I also minded a lot of things such as her opinion to the design and asking myself, would this be appealing to her? would she be persuaded if she saw this? would this prototype convince her to go for the suggestion and achieve the goal which is, for her to join the org of her interest.

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

The interview itself is challenging, because my partner is busy and sometimes her feedback is a little delayed but I can commend her effort to answer the queries and give the specific feedbacks being asked from her. We may be friends but still, I can not just assume her feedback on the prototype designs that I made because I am not her. And that is why I had to wait for her and know what she thinks about the matter.

Takeaway

Upon reaching the end of this activity, I really did learn a lot about the importance of communication in doing something. In achieving a task, for it to be completed, it is almost inevitable to create revisions and changes for it to be exactly how it was envisioned. I also realized that one’s preference for trivial things such as colors or shapes really do vary depending on their experiences and keen taste and that, one’s definition of simple can be different from another and that we must accept it.