The Gist
Identify a living person whose knowledge, advice, or input would be valuable to understanding your topic. Design a package to send in the mail to that person – your goal is to connect with him or her and receive a meaningful response.
- What do you hope to gain from this person?
- Are you sending a gift? An invitation? A lesson? An invoice?
- Packaging! How does the recipient open your package? Is there a narrative to how it is experienced?
- How do you want your recipient to respond? Should you include correspondence materials?
Parameters
- Design specifically for the person you are contacting.
- Your designs must be mailable. A list of postal regulations is available at USPS Postal Explorer.
- You must include a way to be contacted.
- You must produce two copies of your final designs and mail one of them.
Process
Students researched what people send in the mail and why, then shared findings. A shortlist of candidates to whom it would be good to send a package was made, then one person was chosen. Next, students wrestled with the navigation issues inherent to a 3-D object and created a cohesive “mailer” of sorts. Mail was sent in the beginning of 2007.
Results
