✈️ From Paris-Postcards
These are postcards I picked out during my first trip to Paris in September 2025.
Holding the real, tangible paper instantly brings back all those memories...what I ate, where I went, and the feeling of that long awaited trip. Beyond just being souvenirs, they are precious keepsakes that capture the memories shared with family and even a glimpse of the new sides of myself I discovered along the way.
😷 Mask-Covid 19
This mask symbolizes the difficult, uncertain times we all went through during the pandemic. For about three years, masks were an everyday reality that brought a sense of collective anxiety and caution. Looking back, getting through those challenging years deeply changed me, teaching me resilience and bringing my family and friends even closer together.
🎧 My broken-Airpods
These are my absolute must-haves for everyday life. While I don't keep them in all day to protect my ears, I always pop them on the moment I step onto the subway. They completely block out the loud (train/people) noise and fill my time with music and podcasts, serving as my go to companion that helps me get through my routine with a sense of calm.
🐾 Chai Fur Keychain
Last year, our first cat, Chai, crossed the rainbow bridge. To keep him close and always remember him, our family made these keychains containing a little bit of Chai's fur. It's a deeply meaningful object that makes me feel like Chai is still with me wherever I go.
What do these objects say about me?
Looking across my collection, these objects clearly reflect how I navigate the world. They show that I am someone who deeply values tangible, real world experiences through my postcards, someone who has been shaped and strengthened by unprecedented times through my mask, and someone who relies on personal rhythms and comforts to find calm in a busy city through my AirPods. Above all, they reveal that my life is anchored in deep emotional bonds with my family, friends, and pets represented by my cat keychain. Together, they capture my simple desire to hold onto physical traces of warmth in a fast-moving world.
Before settling on a final direction, I brainstormed a few different concepts through quick sketches, ranging from a layered stack structure and a puzzle like lock box to an analog envelope and a hollowed magazine archive. Putting these ideas on paper really helped me figure out how the physical form could best spark curiosity and shape the discovery experience.
Exploration 1:
For my first low-fi prototype exploration, I wanted to create a book or magazine archive to capture that authentic archival feel. I tried cutting out the pages inside, but I quickly realized it was nearly impossible to do cleanly without proper book-binding or cutting tools. Plus, the book I had on hand was too small to fit all the items comfortably. Because of these fabrication hurdles, I ended up moving away from this initial approach.
Exploration 2:
For my second exploration, I experimented with a layered cardboard box designed to house the objects across different levels. The core concept was a sliding mechanism where each layer of cut cardboard reveals a new object as you pull or slide through it. I wanted to evoke a sense of 'memory strata' as if peeling back physical layers to uncover moments along a timeline, turning the discovery of each item into a journey through time.
However, I decided not to move forward with this direction. I started with a relatively small scale, but the objects turned out to be too large compared to the cut cardboard layers. More importantly, I realized that cardboard lacks the structural strength needed to support sliding mechanisms without bending or wearing down. Since a time capsule needs to be durable, long-lasting, and capable of protecting its contents over time, I felt that a cardboard based structure would easily break down and fail to endure. Because of these durability concerns, I chose to pivot to another idea.
Final Concept:
For my final prototype, I decided to use a magazine from October 2026 as the outer cover and structure. By wrapping the time capsule in an actual publication from this exact moment, the object itself quietly captures the context of the present era.
But beneath that ordinary, public surface lies a deeply private archive. Inside the hollowed box, I added an extra layer of thin black cardboard directly over the items. This layer acts as a gentle barrier that prevents the contents from being seen immediately upon opening. It requires an intentional action to lift and push, symbolizing that our most precious memories and personal histories are things we protect closely beneath the surface, keeping them safe and hidden away from the world until the right moment comes.
From Paris postcards and my AirPods to a face mask and my chai's keychain... all these pieces of my everyday life are tucked right inside this October 2026 magazine. On the surface, it just looks like an ordinary magazine, but safe inside are the most genuine moments of my time.