OPPORTUNITY SPACE
The Bling Book
A MODULAR JEWELRY STORAGE SYSTEM FOR TRAVELERS
The Bling Book is a customizable, compact case designed to securely store and protect jewelry during travel, addressing issues of tangling, damage, and inconvenience. I identified an unmet need and applied a user-focused iterative design process, creating a product to address it.
SKILLS
Human Centered Design
Product Development
Prototyping
Design Research
Jewelry pieces are often delicate, prone to tangling, or easily damaged when packed in conventional travel cases. Across over 40 user interviews, 82% of respondents reported experiencing jewelry tangling during travel with existing solutions like rolls and boxes.
Key User Personas
Business Travelers
Tourists
College Students
CONCEPT GENERATION
I brainstormed several preliminary ideas to present to users for feedback.
OVERVIEW
I developed a list of requirements for the final prototype based background patent, existing solution research, and user interviews.
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
“The thing i like about the wallet is it feels very familiar, you’re immediately like ‘Oh yes, a wallet you could put your jewelry in.’”
INITIAL PROTOTYPING AND TESTING
I developed the top three concepts into low fidelity prototypes and conducted user testing.
100% of tested users understood exactly how to open, pack, and use the “accordion wallet”. It takes advantage of a common conceptual model to ensure a small learning curve and quick packing process.
FINAL PROTOTYPE DESIGN
I developed a working prototype to showcase the key features and functionality of The Bling Book. It features 4 main components:
A hard exterior shell for protection and durability
Interchangeable inserts to provide optimal storage for all jewelry types
Transparent pockets to allow visibility into each pocket without opening them
Foam dividers to protect jewelry from rubbing and keep each piece in place
REFLECTION
The importance considering the user through every step of the design process shined through in this project. I incorporated user feedback and testing into every project phase from developing user personas and journey maps, through conducting three separate rounds of user testing.
Making design decisions solely based on what I thought was best wasn’t enough. In engineering design, every choice must be justified. I learned that numbers and calculations aren’t the only proper means of justification, and that real life qualitative feedback is just as valuable.
“The hard case feels nice, feels very secure. I know I can throw my bag around and it would stay in place.”
“I love that its customizable! I don’t really wear bracelets so I could leave a pocket empty or even bring two earring/ring inserts.”
“I like to be able to know what I’m pulling out and not have to guess and check until I find what I want.”