c arly dintaman • senior seminar & thesis • spring 2010 professors norman Fryman & robert rabinovitz • parsons the new school for design
rediscovering the art of letter writing
Sincerely rediscovering the art of letter writing
C arly Dintaman
“
Memory will slip; a letter will keep. -welsh
p rov e r b
”
Table of Contents
Introduction Abstract The Story
1 3-4
Problem Statement
5-6
Preliminary Research Mindmapping Timelines
7-10 11-16
Understanding the Situation Media Statistics Significance of Medium Emotion Technology
17-18 19-22 23-32 33-34 35-40
Existing Solutions Case Studies
41-56
Fieldwork Expert Interviews Surveys Observations Key Insights Prototyping Brainstorming Sketching Developing
57-64 65-68 69-70 71-80
81-86 87-88 89-90
Solution Products Materials Naming & Logo
91-92 93-98 99-100 101-102
Implementation Distribution Methods Business Plan
103-108 109-114
Closing Acknowledgements Sources Endnotes Images
115
117-118 119-120
introduction
Abstract
The handwritten letter, once a prominent form of communication, has become somewhat of a lost art as the use of technology becomes the main means of communication in many areas of the world. No matter how instantaneous and convenient, though, these electronic media fail to convey emotion and intention as the pen and choice of writing surface once did in a letter. The decline of letter writing reveals how this fast-paced, ‘efficient’ era has led to a lack of sincerity, community, civility, and appreciation for simple, special things. Some of our most fundamental needs - love, connection, acceptance, attention, appreciation - seem to be in decline today. Technology must be able to coexist with these needs, though, and we must be willing to admit that we require them and find ways to create and receive them. With the attention and care that is necessary to send a missive, rediscovering letter writing could lead to more meaningful connections and a rediscovery of civility and humanity in itself. Through research, it is evident that people value letters and would like to write more but are often intimidated or discouraged. Therefore, a solution may be in something that is unintimidating, quick, easy, and convenient. Sincerely offers a solution with its unique product mix and distribution methods. Products include a stationery collection that banishes the blank page with general prompts to get the mind going. These would be distributed through books with tear-out pages and digital Mail Kiosks placed in areas where people wait and have time to spare, such as airports and train stations. Other letter writing accoutrements, including envelopes, pens, stamps, and writing tips would also be available to make the process convenient. Sincerely is for everyone and aims to encourage letter writing as simple, accessible, fun, and vital to maintaining meaningful relationships.
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introduction
The Story
2
1
Once upon a time, people received correspondence by post.
Children were taught penmanship in school.
Handwritten letters were the main means of communication. Correspondence imparted the sender’s character and emotion.
5
4
Now, we receive mail on our cell phones, via text or email.
3
Children are taught typing in school.
Email is the main means of communication. Correspondence usually appears the same from person to person, often with black type on a white screen
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Problem Statement
The handwritten letter, once a prominent form of communication, is now considered a lost art as digital technology, such as e-mail and cell phones, becomes the prominent means of communication in many areas of the world, especially developed nations. No matter how instantaneous and convenient, though, these electronic media fail to convey emotion and intention as the pen and choice of writing surface once did in a letter. The decline of letter writing reveals how this technological, fast-paced, efficient era has led to a lack of sincerity, community, civility, and appreciation for simple, special things. Traditional stationary stores still operate today, offering products for writing and sending hand-written letters via post but not necessarily the encouragement; whether it is intimidation, expensive prices, or an overwhelming amount of product, there is something holding the everyday person away. Pen pal internet sites offer the opportunity to connect with people who want to write and receive letters but fall short with an unprofessional appearance and a lack of screening systems to create a trustworthy network. E-cards attempt to merge card-sending with technology but fail as an insincere gesture.
Our most fundamental needs are love, connection, acceptance, attention, and appreciation—the very things that technology seems to be pushing out of our lives, the things that handwritten letters once supported. There needs to be a shift back to some of those things that were once the foundation of our societies and relationships; as Hadley Read, author and economist, states,
“We have developed communications systems to permit man on earth to talk with man on the moon. Yet mother often cannot talk with daughter, father to son, black to white, labor with management, or democracy with communism.� Technology must be able to coexist with our fundamental needs, and we must be willing to admit that we require them, slow down, and find ways to create and receive them. Rediscovering the art of letter writing could lead to more meaningful connections between both strangers and loved ones and a rediscovery of civility and humanity in itself.
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p r e l i m i n a ry r e s e a r c h
Mindmapping e a r ly s tag e s
1.
3. STATIONARY
LETTER WRITING
STATIONARY
BEAUTY
BEAUTY LINGERIE
SUSTAINABILITY
LINGERIE
CIVILITY
CIVILITY
LETTER WRITING
CHARM
CHARM
SUSTAINABILITY MUSEUMS
MUSEUMS
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
2.
HUMAN BEHAVIOR
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
4. CIVILITY/ CHARM
CIVILITY/ CHARM CHARM AFFECT ON SOCIETY
CHARM
AFFECT ON SOCIETY
LETTER WRITING VALUES
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
LETTER WRITING
VALUES TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
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p r e l i m i n a ry r e s e a r c h
Mindmapping l at e r s tag e s
brain is electrical, chemical, and psychological
GENERAL LANDSCAPE
who? schools?
apparent in all areas of life now
lack of family dinners
lack of communication/ interpersonal skills + effect on society
Interplay: the process of interpersonal communication, Adler
how we communicate differently using technology
roots in technology?
old-fashioned letter writing
Are we talking more but saying less?
less sincerity/ civility, and chemistry between people today
why such a special, unusual thing?
throwback to time of more civility
LETTER WRITING STATIONARY more everyday?
make good design accessible to everyone
Arts & Crafts Movement
appealing to investors
create stationary line
stationary
The Importance of Civility, Bogorad
http://www.exten sion.iastate.edu/m t/civility/2009/09/
emotions and intentions come through pen and choice of writing surface
senses, tangibility, smell, touch
canchronicle.com/ articles/view/3346
knitting http://www.gath er.com/viewArtic le.action?articleI d=28147497671 7006
http://media.www .thespartandaily.c om/media/storag e/paper852/news/ 2009/05/04/News /OldFashioned.Let http://www.essort ment.com/lifestyl e/lostartletter_sdf p.htm http://www.ameri
is anyone trying to bring it back?
look at families
Selecting a topic for research began by brainstorming areas of interest and narrowing them down. As seen on the previous pages, I continually re-mapped my ideas, expanding upon them and finding both a central idea of beauty and charm and a deep interest in letter writing. I realized that many of my ideas following this involved technology and how it is affecting society and values today. I made a digital version (seen to the right) in order to better organize and further develop my thoughts.
e-cards
facebook (connection)
Handbook of interpersonal communication, Knapp, 591
document own letter writing and people’s responses and effects on relationships
http://www.thefr eelibrary.com/Te chnology+resha pes+the+ways+ we+communicat e-a013248832
stationary stores
corruption
80-90% communication is non-verbal
what is the void? parallel letterwriting/ stationary w/society’s interaction, conduct, civility
look back in time at all arts and when gaps started
do both increase/ decrease together?
look at a day in the life of dif people of dif age groups and how they communicate
VALUES SOCIETY
look at where we are now and where we used to be
‘evolving’ via technology - is it for the best? is it an actual improvement?
as more of our needs are met, we desire more meaning and beauty
what are people looking for?
look at human behavior & what we care about, what’s lost
how emotions come across via technology
personalized?
simple, personal, special
what do we value?
uniqueness
tradition/ heirloom
trend now towards customization, individualization
http://www.mb.co m.ph/articles/219 730/finding-and-losing-love-facebook
impersonal/ insincerity
http://www.wired. com/techbiz/peo ple/magazine/16-11/pl_brown
can technology evolve w/emotions?
CHARM CIVILITY CHARM
WHAT CREATES VALUE FOR HUMAN INTERACTION/ GROWTH?
http://answers.ya hoo.com/question /index?qid=20060 618210748AAV3k DL&cp=3n
nothing graceful or charming about email
evolution of technology separating emotions
“Design Thinking” Tim Brown
printing press
look at current events, important times in history, crises, & see how we communicated
question technology
where is civility/charm?
holding up “masks”
clash of technology and emotions
inexpensive yet luxurious, special?
is convenience, fast-pace, efficiency really better/ more important?
inspire/ make people want to write notes
look at effects of neglecting charm, failing to slow down, etc. http://www.boxes andarrows.com/vi ew/personalizatio n_is_not_technol ogy_using_web_ personalization_t
using technology and mass production Zazzle to personalize (sneakers)
does it have the same effect/value?
losing friendships through facebook
preserving stale, old relationships via facebook
stationary kit w/stamps?
difficulty of young designers finding success/ respect/ money
can we use technology to re-introduce old-fashioned things, ideas, values?
look at both ludite and mass-production
Kindle
halting difficult, yet necessary, change
can technology & old fashioned thrive together?
could tech improve/bolster the old-fashioned? (handwrite letters but not rely solely on it for communication)
is technology as effective as we think?
is technology as appropriate is some areas as in others?
TECHNOLOGY v. OLD-FASHIONED
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Timeline p r e h i s to r i c to
9th
c e n t u ry a d
before 800 AD printing invented, China 7
3100 BC Sumerian cuneiform
(inscriptions with stylus on clay tablets)
11
Ice Ages (after 2500 BC) Pictographic communication in use
1000 BC Phoenician alphabet
c. 2nd cent. BC paper invented,
8
3100-3000 BC
China
Hieroglyphic inscriptions 6
(chiseled into stone or painted on papyrus with reed brush)
12
9
10
late 7th, early 8th century AD the quill
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Timeline 15 t h c e n t u r y
a d to p r e s e n t
2004
1940s
17
Electric computer
1870s
25
Postcards
1440
1997
1867
13
Typewriter
AOL Instant Messenger
22
Gutenberg printing press
1938
Ballpoint pen
18 16
1876 Electric telephone,
15
Telegraph & Morse Code
1803
1846
Beginning of fax development
Metal nib pen
21
Bell
1840s
24
23
1930s
1980s
Wordprocessors
Telex
1897
1970s
Fountain pen 19
20
Modern fax machines & early e-mail
14
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Timeline r e s i s ta n c e s to ‘ n e w ’ t e c h n o l o g i e s
With the arrival of new technology, there is often resistance. Kitty Burns Florey , author of Script and Scrbble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, describes how even the fountain pen was slow to be received, as writers, including Dickens, clung to their quills. Florey writes, “One can imagine people complaining that the new invention was cold, unnatural, newfangled, and gimmicky, with a tendency to tear the paper if you weren’t careful—just as, a bit later, some writers resisted first the typewriter and then the computer.” 1
1870s Postcards
2004
3
1997
-a woman at the turn of 20th century, referring to the postcard
1867
1440
“there is no standard nowadays of elegant letter1940s writing, as there used to be in computer our time. It is a sort Electric of go as you please development, and the result is atrocious.”
AOL Instant Messenger
Typewriter
Gutenberg printing press
“there was a nunly Ballpoint pen prejudice against them [ballpoint pens] as newfangled nonsense,” 1938
1876 Electric telephone, Bell
1840s 1803
Telegraph & Morse Code
“OurMetal desire to outstrip nib pen Time has been fatal to more things than love. We have minimized and condensed our emotions… We have destroyed the memory of yesterday with the worries of tomorrow.”
1846
Beginning of fax development
1897
Fountain pen
-Kitty Burns Florey
1930s
4
1980s
Wordprocessors
Telex
1970s
Modern fax machines & early e-mail
2
-1901 English newspaper referrring to telegraph
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Media
P.S. I Love You (2007) A series of letters from the main character’s deceased husband (written before his death from a terminal illness) guide her through her grief and rediscovering herself.
l e t t e r w r i t i n g i n m ov i e s
Letter writing has been a popular topic in the media in the past and continues as such to this day, especially in recent and upcoming feature films, even as the act of writing letters is disappearing now. Interestingly, many of these movies are romantic dramas, perhaps illustrating the sentimental nature that letters can have.
28
Dear John (2010) A soldier falls in love with a college student while he is on leave. When he is deployed again, they keep their relationship going with the help of handwritten letters.
The Shop Around The Corner (1940) Two workers in a gift shop can hardly stand each other, but are actually falling in love together through the mail as anonymous pen-pals (later re-made into “You’ve Got Mail” in 1998).
29
26
Letters to Juliet (2010) An American girl on vacation in Italy visits the Verona courtyard of Shakespeare’s fictional Juliet where thousands of letters are left and usually answered by the “secretaries of Juliet.” When she finds an unanswered letter to Juliet, the main character goes on a quest to find the lovers referenced in the letter. 5
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948) A concert pianist receives a letter from a mysterious woman, who he has actually known throughout the years but forgotten, that reveals her undying love she has had for him despite his arrogance.
27
30
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d i g i ta l t e c h n o l o g y
3.2
Households With a Computer and Internet Use: 1984 to 2007
6
Billion of e-mail users expected by 2011.
70% Percent of a worker’s day estimated sending and receiving an average of two hundred
e-mail messages in 2009. 7
1:45
40% Average time (in minutes and seconds) it took people to respond to an e-
Percent alerts that provoked a reaction in just
7
seconds in the same study. 8
77
30%
Households with Internet use at home
20% 10%
07 20
03 20
00 20
97 19
93 19
“‘agree that e-mail downtime causes major stress at work.’ ” 9
0%
89
Percent of office workers and company owners who, in a survey done in England,
50
Households with computer at home
50%
mail pop-alert on their computer in a recent study.
70
60%
19
40
Households With a Computer and Internet Use: 1984 to 2007
19 84
u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Statistics
based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau
Percent of time we misunderstand e-mails, according to a survey in the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology.10
61.7
Percent of 117,840,000 households with Internet use at home in October 2007, 11
according to the U.S. Census Buereau.
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p o s ta l s e r v i c e
2,500
British post office branches affected by closures in 2008 due to a
4 million a week.
deficit of ÂŁ
12
12.4
Percentage decline of the U.S. Postal Service’s mail volume in 2009. 13
USPS Mail Volume: USPS Volume:FY2004 FY2004totoFY2009 FY2009
220 210 Mail Piece (Billions)
200 190 180 170
09 20
08 20
07 20
06 20
05 20
04
160
20
u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Statistics
based on data from the U.S. Postal Service, Annual Reports 2004-2009
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
The Significance of Medium d i g i ta l v . h a n d w r i t t e n
“subtleties—
EMOTION, MEMORY, TEXTURE, PERFUME, HISTORY, CHANCE— are all ironed out in a digital interface, digital files do
Consider the difference that the mediums of email and a handwritten letter have on the same sentence below.
“E-mail is cool, a nice, safe message that could be about a business deal or a romantic evening.”15
not age as paper does, it has none of the sincerity of the physical object. And although those stacks of paper on your desk seem to have no defined purpose other than to record data, they in fact record so much more, the movements of sunlight and shadow, the damp ring of coffee, the time you have left it inactive, how much you value it.”
The same message handwritten, though, is mysterious, compelling, and likely to be passionate. 16
14
–leah
harrison bailey
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
The Significance of Medium the letter as an object
A consistent theme found throughout research for this project is the significance of a correspondence’s medium. In handwritten letters, it begins with the actual implements and materials, such as pens and paper. In The Story of Writing, Donald Jackson, speaking of traditional writing tools, says, “The feel of them in my hands is sympathetic to the physical and mental act of writing—something a typewriter can never be.” 17 He continues to illustrate the importance of craft and writing, explaining:
“
“When we make things with
our hands we put into them energy which comes from our innermost self. When we see and feel objects which were made by craftsmen long dead I believe we can still sense their energy lying beneath each brush-stroke or sweep of the pen, and we can respond to this energy as much as to the object’s surface beauty or ingenuity of design. When we ourselves write we not only communicate information by the choice and sequence of words; we also reveal something of our inner spirit with every tremor of the hand. So those marks which remain to us from the beginnings of man’s experiments with the alphabet not only provide us with physical evidence of his ingenuity and skill, but like handwriting of a friend they are an intimate link with his heart and mind. The story of 18 letter-forms is the story of people themselves.
”
31
Adams
33
32
Dickinson
Hawthorne
William Merrill Decker furthers this idea in Epistolary Practices by revealing the significance of the letter as an object that passes from the sender’s hand to the recipient, which is completely absent in email. Using examples from history, Decker shows how In reply to the receipt of a letter from Sophia Peabody, Nathaniel Hawthorne responds first to its power as an artifact with the message of secondary concern, writing “‘Belovedest, I have folded it to my heart, and ever and anon it sends a thrill through me; for thou has steeped it with thy love—it seems as if thy head were leaning against my breast.’” 19 Thus, “the letter becomes identified with its sender and/ or recipient: ‘Here you are, your Christmas letter!’ 20 writes Henry Adams to Elizabeth Cameron (italics added)…‘I kiss my paper here for you,’ Emily Dickinson writes Elizabeth Holland, ‘… would it were cheeks instead’” 21 (italics added).
the letter actually became an embodiment of the writer.
Decker explains how handwriting was also viewed as a bodily extension of the sender, often connoting his or her health with the writing’s steadiness. To a recovering friend, Margaret Fuller writes, “‘I rejoice to think from the tone of your letter…and still more the appearance of your hand-writing that you must be better.’ 22 Writing Emerson in 1870, Thomas Carlyle equates his friend’s handwriting with his presence: “‘Three days ago I at last received your Letter…Indeed it is quite strangely interesting to see face to face my old Emerson again, not a feature of him changed, whom I have known all the best part of my life.’”23 This passage also illustrates how letters once imitated—or provided “the written equivalent of—conversation between two individuals physically present to one another.” 24 (continued on next page)
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
The Significance of Medium the letter as identity
moral and social significance.”
Penmanship has also been “invested with Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America, Cathy N. Davidson writes,
25
In
“A fine hand, the writing masters all insisted, not only proclaimed a fine character, but also improved one’s prospects in life.” Furthermore, Kitty Burns Florey, in Script and Scribble, explains 26
how uncial script was developed in monasteries in order to edge out Roman Capital Script (just as Christianity was edging out paganism)27 , the latter of which was used by pagan writers including Virgil, Cicero, and Ceasar, and was considered “sullied…and unsuitable for Church writings.” 28 Italic writing became popular with educated writers at the end of the 15th and 16th centuries because “it was more in tune with the humanistic ideals of the Renaissance, part of the turning away from the barbaric extremes of Gothic sensibility.”29 Similarly, “Puritans and 30 other reformers in England and America” thought European scripts too elaborate, baroque, and “seductively gorgeous,” 31 so the “plain and easy script”32 copperplate was developed as an alternative for these post-Renaissance shifts to morality.
34
Roman Square Capital
35
Uncial Script
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
The Significance of Medium the letter as identity
Florey recalls how her mother’s penmanship “was lucid, swift-flowing, expressive…like the rhythmic, vigorous handwriting of a singer,” 33 which her mother, in fact, was. Likewise, she describes her father’s handwriting as “very much like him: smart, handsome, and rather dashing.” 34
36
38
Indeed, the experts too say that handwriting can say a lot about a person. Graphology is the analyses of handwriting based on the belief that
“[h]ow you craft words can indicate more than 5,000 personality traits.” 35
Real Simple, for example, presented graphologist Kathi McKnight’s analyses of handwriting based on the phrase “She sells seashells by the seashore” in cursive.
37
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
The Significance of Medium the letter as an archive
&
t e ac h e r
Letters are undoubtedly valuable as archive documents. Malcolm Jones, Newsweek journalist, tells how historians depend on written records—of “land transactions, births and death records, weather records, government documents”36 —because it helps piece together the past. Jones states,
“The decline in letter writing constitutes a cultural shift so vast that in the future, historians may divide time not between B.C. and A.D. but between the eras when people wrote letters and when they did not.” He describes how historians are 37
now also studying letters of unknowns, rather than the grand historical figures, as “the letters those people left behind are invaluable evidence of how life was once lived. We know what our ancestors ate, how they dressed, what they dreamed about love and what they thought about warfare, all from their letters. Without that correspondence, the guesswork mounts.” 38 Jones explains how even though there is email and text messaging, most of it is “here today and deleted tomorrow” 39 and that although digital records like television, camera phones, and You Tube seem to capture every second of daily life, the mass of information is too great: “The problem is not that there is not enough information about what we think or how we live. The problem is sifting through that sea of data.” 40
39
Jones also describes how letters uncover new insights into the writer that are unavailable elsewhere. He tells how Abraham Lincoln’s letters reveal a “more unbuttoned personality…less shackled by thoughts of how history would read his words…He was, in a word, human.” 41 Jones also indicates how Lincoln’s “correspondence proves that the more one writes…the more relaxed the writer becomes, the more at ease he or she is in the act of writing and the more able to fully express thought and emotion.” 42 He encourages that with enough writing experience,
“you begin to put your essential self on paper whether you mean to or not. No other form of communication yet invented seems to encourage or support that revelatory intimacy.” 43
The letter as an archive is a theme that continues into the next section on emotion and people’s connections with letters from the past.
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Emotion o b s e r vat i o n s
40
“
I have a stash of cards and letters written in his [Dad’s] quick, spiky script that’s as much like him as his image in photographs. If they didn’t exist, my world would be a poorer one. - k i t t y
”
44
41
42
“
Over the five years of their engagement, my grandparents were geographically separated because of their work…over this five-year period, my grandfather would sit down at his Royal typewriter every night and type/ write letters to my grandmother. He wrote about his day and mostly about his feelings for her. I was recently privy to only a few of these hundreds of letters. When he was alive, I remember that my grandfather was not overtly demonstrative physically, in fact very stiff when giving a hug.Yet these letters were so romantic in nature (uncomfortably so for those of us outside of their relationship) that I did not believe it was my grandfather who wrote these beautiful and heartfelt missives. She wrote back to him in long hand and there are just as many letters.
Our family has matched up their correspondence and it details a beautiful and articulate relationship.
”
45
-jennifer
“
Just before her sixth birthday, Elena....was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 135 days to live. She lived 255 days, passing away in
After her death, Elena’s parents, Brooke and Keith, found hundreds of notes from Elena hidden around the house — in between CD cases, 2007.
between bookshelves, in dresser drawers, in backpacks….”
“It just felt like a little hug from her, like she was telling us she was looking over us.
”
46
“
Right now Grandpa is writing his/our memoirs. His mother...kept all our letters [to her]. My parents
You can imagine the wonderful source these letters are now; our emotions upon the birth of each of our children; the cute and wonderful things they did and said growing up, etc...There are so many things we read in those letters that we had forgotten all about but the memories came flooding back. had kept a lot too.
”
I think the world will be poorer, for the lack of the ‘friendly letter.’ -ann
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Technology questioning
There is no doubt that technology is and has been helpful in a myriad of ways. Even in regards to writing, the quill, versatile and flexible, made penmanship that much easier and individual. Technology has made it possible to publish volumes of letters in fine detail for the world to see, especially over the course of the twentieth century. In the exhibit Control: Print, a collaboration between Royal College of Art (RCA) and Parsons The New School for Design, designers contemplate the future of design, craft, and technology. In the exhibit’s accompanying publication, Leah Harrison Bailey, contributor for RCA, states that as technology marches forward at an ever-increasing pace, maybe “if we could stop the march for a moment, maybe we could find the time to ask the question ‘why’.” 47 Bailey reveals,
“Through our research, beyond the statistics, the theory, the new innovations, it is the question ‘why’ that we have come to see as acutely important.” 48
Questioning technology is especially imperative as it permeates more and more of everyday life. It seems society has been taught to accept technological advancements, though, without inquiry. Bailey reveals, “Our future as society is inextricably linked with the advance of technology, we are more and more reliant on new technologies in our daily lives, from email to facebook, and how we communicate our personal lives 49 is molded and guided by the platforms offered to us.”
43
44
Bailey describes society’s approach to technology historically, citing Ron Eglash’s Appropriating Technology: Vernacular Science and Social Power, in which the author “discusses the theme of technology as progress; that 50 This goes back to “Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson’s assertion that ‘If stoves and printing presses could improve, so could societies.’” 51 But what is advancement really?
we believe, as a society, we are progressing because technology is advancing.” “The ultimate form of progress, is learning to decide what is working and what is not; and working at this pace, e-mailing at this frantic rate, is pleasing very few of us. It is John Freeman, in The Tyranny of E-mail, writes
encroaching on parts of our lives that should be separate or sacred, altering our minds and our ability to know our world, encouraging a further distancing from our bodies and our natures and 52 our communities.
We can change this; we have to change it.”
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Technology questioning
Proponents for email often cite its speed, “sustainability,” and efficiency. Some condemn letters for wasting paper, yet forget the charm that even a scrap or re-used piece of material can have on a missive. Furthermore, many letters are kept and cherished, neither discarded nor added to our landfills. In his review of John Freeman’s The Tyranny of E-mail in The New York Times, Ben Yagoda extols e-mail as “cleansing agents for prose,” 53 holding that the medium inhibits wordiness. Whether this is valid or not—one could also say that the ease of keyboarding actually encourages rambling—the main question is if efficiency is necessarily a good thing. In Cradle to Cradle, William McDonough and Michael Braungart recognize the value of efficiency in certain situations but also doubt it, citing “efficient” apartment complexes that have collapsed or considering the idea of an efficient Nazi, “a terrifying thing.” 54 On a further note, they state, “efficiency isn’t much fun.”1055
In a society dominated by efficiency, “[b]eauty, creativity, fantasy, enjoyment, inspiration, and poetry would fall by the wayside, creating an unappealing world indeed.” They imagine what a fully efficient world would look like, with an 56
In her 2001 article “Dr. Daedalus, “ Lauren Slater considers the ethical conflict of radical plastic surgery, like the wings that her interviewee Dr. Joe Rosen is proposing. In her questioning of technology’s rapid advancement, Slater presents the ideas of Robert Lifton, psychiatrist and author, who presents Proteus, the mythological shape-shifter, as a symbol for humans today. On Lifton’s concept, Slater writes:
“Lacking traditions, supportive institutions, a set of historically rooted symbols, we have lost any sense of coherence and connection. Today it is not uncommon for a human being to shift belief systems several times in a lifetime…We are Catholics, Buddhists, reborn, unborn, artists, and dot-commers until the dot drops out of the com and it all comes crashing down. We move on. We remarry. Our protean abilities clearly have their upsides. We are flexible and creative. But the downside is, there is no psychic stability, no substantive self, nothing really meaty and authentic. We sense this about ourselves.
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Italian dinner in the form of a pill and Van Gogh using only one color, also wondering, “And what about efficient sex?”1257
We know we are superficial, all breadth and no depth…In our ability to be everything, are we also nothing?” 58
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Is digital communication enabling this superficial phenomenon?
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u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n
Technology studies
It is fairly obvious that technology and, specifically, the Internet, have become major factors in social interaction. In Mark Knapp’s and John Augustine Daly’s Handbook of Interpersonal Communication, the authors cover an entire chapter on “Computer-Mediated Communication [CMC] and Relationships.” 59 They present a number of theoretical studies conducted on the subject, revealing how the results often conflict with one another and are controversial. However, they stress that the one conclusive fact “is that the impact of Internet communication on personal relationships is a central issue in technology research” 60 and that no matter what the nature of the results, they prove that “the Internet is a profoundly social medium.” 61 Knapp and Daly present studies that support different sides of the Internet, both as a “dehu manizing and destructive”62 influence and as “a source of meaningful relationships, social sup port, therapeutic engagement, and identity growth.”63 One such study that supports the former is Robert Kraut and colleagues’ 1998 findings that “Internet use in a sample of 93 families had resulted in small but significant increases in loneliness, social isolation, and depression over a 2-year period,” 64 leading the researches to conclude that “on-line relationships do not sustain social support, and the substitution of on-line relationships for stronger, off-line relationships led to these negative outcomes.” 65 These results were both praised and criticized. Critiques included factors such as the lack of a control group in the study, and unavoidable conflicting evidence was based on “surprisingly close friendships, rapidly escalating romances, and inexplicably cohesive groups forming on-line” 66 during the Internet’s upsurge in the 1990s. In his 1996 research, J.B. 67 Walther labeled these effects as which differ from face-to-face interaction in not only the increased level of interpersonal communication of the former, but also Computer-Mediated Communication’s user’s reliance on the 68 ability to “enhance self-presentation”10 and “inflate perceptions of others”1169 through nonvisual computer-mediated communication. Thus, many online relationships do not carry over in person, due to “inaccurate guesses and violated expectations.”1270 Furthermore, Knapp and Daly call attention to the fact that positive hyperpersonal effects have received the most attention even though , centered mostly around negative 71 13 interpretations by recipients, are just as possible. In addition, J.W. Turner stresses that all forms of interaction have their place and that although “the hyperpersonal perspective may ‘help us to understand how CMC enables close relationships to develop and flourish, most relationships do not occur in a vacuum but in the context of a network of supportive relationships inside and outside the virtual community. It is these other relationships, the needs of participants,
“‘hyperpersonal communication’”
“‘hypernegative’”effects
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and the common…experience of [the community] that appear to interact with and cumulatively influence the development of hyperpersonal relationships.’”1472 Furthermore, Parks and Floyd conducted a study in 1996 that found the common occurrence of relationships, both romantic and platonic, forming through online social networks. Interestingly, they also found that after meeting through these online groups, “almost all partners augmented their communication with other media, including direct, dyadic e-mail (98%), the telephone 73 (35%), and postal exchanges (28%).”15 Knapp and Daly state,
start on-line rarely stay there.”
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“relationships that
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Knapp and Daly conclude that although it is widely common “for people to use the Internet as one among many channels for communication with work partners, social partners, and family members… ”1775 They stress that while studies are delving into these areas of research, most have “yet to aspire to the theoretically elegant propositions that can explain and predict how these combinations [of communication] affect interaction and long-term 76 relationship development,”18 the domain having not yet “evolved beyond descriptive research.”1977 They can conclude, however, that the effects of Computer-Mediated Communication “depend not on bandwidth alone, but on the interactions of media characteristics with social contexts, relational goals, salient norms, and temporal frames that promote or inhibit the strategic use of 78 CMC in relationally supportive or detrimental ways.”20
[h]ow this technology affects such relationships is not well understood.
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existing solutions
Case Study 1 i n t e r pa l s
pros Large network: over 300,000 online members from over 120 countries Easily searchable: easy to find people with similar interests with a lot of activity on the site Language Exchange section: allows someone to find a correspondent based on the language she speaks and the language she wants to learn No fee: makes it much easier for people to sign up
cons
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ov e rv i e w InterPals is a website forum that provides opportunities for people to find e-mail and postal pals from around the world. The site was started in 1998 by a 13 year-old student from Tacoma, Washington and quickly grew in popularity, leading to its updated page design. Their mission has remained unchanged, though, “to help people find penpals and friends over the Internet for free.” 79 InterPals champions themselves as “by far the largest and most popular free pen pal site on the web.”80 Indeed, there are many other pen pal sites on the internet; including Penpals Now!, 81 which is a similar idea to InterPals but with a smaller network and less professional page design, but InterPals stands out as the most attractive option with its image and global network.
No fee: makes it possible for anyone to join, including those who are looking for something other than a pen pal Electronic messaging focus: many people use the site mostly to message others electronically Lack of screening system: Even though contact with members requires registration, it is possible for any unregistered viewer to see full profiles of all members Flashy advertisement: distract attention and cheapen image of site SPAM messages and harassment / lack of innocence and simplicity of letter writing: Five minutes after confirming my account, I received three messages. One included a lengthy “love” confession from a male stranger. This somewhat confirmed the warnings of reviewers who caution to watch out for harassment and con men and women looking to defraud people. One reviewer stated that she had repeatedly reported harassment and inappropriate activity on InterPals but that no action was taken. 82
va l u e The idea of creating a network for people to find pen pals is inspiring. It’s interesting to think of using technology, the Internet specifically, which has previously pushed letter writing to the side, in order to bring it back.
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existing solutions
Case Study 2 stitch ‘n bitch
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Stitch ‘n Bitch is a term for knitting groups that goes back to World War II, but when knitting had become a “lost art” by the early 21st century, Debbie Stoller, founder of feminist magazine BUST, resuscitated the concept with her own group in New York that eventually led to more such groups all over the world. In 2003 she published her own instructional knitting book, its popularity leading to a handful of further books by Stoller. Stoller recalls that knitting was once done out of necessity, a way to cloth people or save money, rather than the hobby it has become. She describes her own relationship with the craft, from her abandonment of it during the feminist movement in the 1970s as a typical housewife activity that simply took too long to her unplanned reunion with knitting several decades later in 1999 during a long train ride, when she found it relaxing, comfortable, and a meaningful connection not only to her “mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, but also to the women who lived centuries before me, the women who had developed the craft, the women who had known…the incredible satisfaction and sense of serenity that could come from [knitting].” 83 With her strong beliefs, Stoller set out, as she describes, “to do everything in my power to raise knitting’s visibility and value in the culture.” 84 She went on to organize a Stitch ‘n Bitch group in New York as an open forum for anyone interested in learning to knit, she espoused its relaxing and satisfying impact to anyone who would listen, she wrote about it in BUST. Stoller describes how difficult her mission was at first, as knitting had became such an “arcane activity that doing it in public almost always elicited a response,” 85 but how she began seeing women everywhere knitting and Stitch ‘n Bitches popping up all over the world. Stoller describes how, interestingly, the people knitting now are not only elderly women, but also “college students, indie rockers, middleaged Brooklynites, theater people, and sissy girls proudly asserting their sissiness.” 86 She says the reasons include a mix of “pragmatism, politics, and the desire to be fashionable,” 87 including those who are reclaiming and giving value to the “‘lost domestic arts,’ ”88 others who are freeing themselves from “what they see to be an exploitative corporate culture,” 89 and others who want to make fashionable items for cheaper than buying them. (continued on next page)
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existing solutions
Case Study 2 (continued) Understanding the Problem: case study s t i t c h ‘ n b i t c h (continued)
similarities
(with letter writing)
“Lost arts” Both were once important parts of life that were forgotten largely due to the convenience of new options. Demand (and teach) patience Both are relatively time consuming and require patience and practice. “Obsolete” but with the potential for popularity Neither knitting nor letter writing are necessarily needed as they once were for day-to-day living anymore, but knitting has found its way back as a hobby. Strong links to the past and present Knitting provides a connection to others participating in the craft and those in the past who practiced it as well. Letters are significant not only with their potential for connecting people in the present, but also those that survive as archive documents and as connections to the past. Stress relievers: Ways to slow down and take the mind off of current stresses Tangibility: Both have a certain tangibility that is lost in mass-manufacture and technological ‘upgrades.’ Convenience: Both are portable and lightweight, perfect for an urban hobby.
differences
va l u e Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘n Bitch story gives letter writing hope as a “lost art” that, although no longer necessary for survival, has been found again as a celebrated craft and hobby. While writing in solitude is certainly important for many in drafting meaningful correspondence, letter writing groups could still become a reality much like book clubs or scrap booking clubs, where people come together to share ideas and stories and supplies (in regards to the latter group). Like knitting, though, such an effort will only be successful if it truly appeals to people. Stoller describes that countless people responded to her new obsession by asking, “Can you teach me too?” 90 There was a fervent desire in many that needed a bit encouragement and guidance to be fully realized. I believe that this is the case with letter writing. In her book, Stoller states,
“In an age when so many of us sit in front of computers all day long, we may feel the desire to create, to touch, to make something tactile with our hands.” 91
How strikingly applicable to letter writing as well.
(to letter writing)
Gender specificity While knitting is seen as particularly feminine—Stoller even recalls how her gay male friends who would cross dress through the streets were too embarrassed to knit in public —letter writing is not associated as being limited to women; in fact, historically it was largely a male act as letter writing began for business reasons, which were conducted by men, who were also more often literate than females. Varied requirements In general, letter writing requires less physical dexterity than knitting and more thought. Therefore, each craft may appeal to different types of people. Popularity Knitting has made its way back into the hearts of the public while letter writing is still struggling.
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existing solutions
Case Study 3 hallmark e-c ards
pros Abundance of designs: allows for selection more appropriate to personal preferences and occassion Electronic special additions: freedom to feature multiple images in a slideshow video, where traditional cards are limited Room for message: allows for certain amount of personalization Brand equity: established as a well-known brand that often connotes quality, so recipients may appreciate its e-cards more than a lesser-known e-card brand that could have been free
cons
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ov e rv i e w The market for online greeting cards is at about $1.35 billion annually, according to Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer. “Just under 30 million people visited e-card sites in May [2008] alone. Of the top five flower-and-gifts retail Websites, Hallmark Cards clocked in third with $93 million in online sales in 2007.”92 Hallmark electronic greeting cards allows its members to choose from an array of digital designs, including many that are interactive and accompanied by sound, to send via e-mail. It requires users to sign up and pay either 99 cents per card or a membership fee of $9.99 per year.
Fee: The requirement to sign up and pay for e-cards may discourage people from using the service. Although the fees could allow Hallmark to offer more designs, it is questionable whether the recipient will know the difference between an e-card that was sent for free and one that was paid for, whereas the question is non-existent in traditional greeting cards. Tangibility lost: The object that passes between two people as in a greeting card is non-existent in an e-card; the envelope which shrouds a greeting card in mystery is missing, nor is there an opportunity for a handwritten message. It is also unlikely that the recipient will print out the e-card since it will require resources from themselves, and the “charm” of multiple images in many of the e-cards with videos would be lost. Therefore, an e-card is much more likely to be lost in a sea of e-mail. Questionable validity: Fraudulent e-mails masquerading as legitimate e-cards, often asking recipients for personal information, have been circulating the web, and often misuse the Hallmark name. This taints the nature of the electronic greeting card, as even a legitimate one must be met with care. It also diminishes the value of the Hallmark brand.
va l u e E-cards make the attempt to merge technology and traditional handwritten mail. They fail to live up to an equation of an actual greeting card but may be more effective and thoughtful than an ordinary e-mail.
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existing solutions
Case Study 4 h o w to w r i t e a l o v e l e t t e r
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cons
Barrie Dolnick and Ron Baack wrote an entire book in 2000 on how to write a love letter. The authors insist that the love letter still has its place today, even in this rushed society. They recount how important letters have been throughout history and even more important in preserving that history, encouraging readers to write letters as a way of preserving a legacy. Dolnick and Baack focus on how to convey affections sincerely on paper and even through e-mail, although they constantly warn of how electronic mediums can water down words. They go through the different forms that love letters can take, whether it’s for platonic friendship, family relations, flirtation, serious romance, or special occasions. The authors stress the importance of each person finding his or her own romantic voice that is appropriate for his or her character.
Reaches only certain audience Few people will be likely to pick up this book unless they are already interested in letter writing; those who are too lazy or busy to write a letter are unlikely to take the time to get this book and read through it.
pros Gender inclusive Written by a man and woman, this book is written for both genders, offering varied tips for each. Negate excuses The authors admit the daunting nature of writing a love letter, as people fear whether they can live up to what they write, or whether they can write as well as they can talk or touch, or whether they even have the time for such a thing, but they dismiss these concerns as “excuses from the fearful, timid, and lazy people who don’t want to make the effort.” 93 Encouraging Dolnick and Baack constantly reiterate how important letters are for conveying thoughts and feelings and preserving history: “Love letters are keepsakes, a legacy…an emotional archive.” 94 Versatile Guidance is presented for all types of writers—from shy girls and guys to the ladies’ man. Easy, approachable read The book is relatively short and is written in a casual style that is easy to read quickly.
va l u e How to Write a Love Letter is significant in its endless insistence on the importance of written words. It acknowledges the changes that have taken place recently with the increased influence of technology, and reassures the reader that letter writing is still needed, maybe now more than ever. Dolnick and Baack caution against the reliance on e-mail for letters of love. In writing on the impact of little notes of surprise, they state, 95 They allow that electronic means may be used for some romantic correspondence but warn not to use Emoticons, spelling shortcuts, bright colors, and loud fonts because “[i]t’s just not sexy or appropriate.” 96 Most importantly, though, the fact that a book like this must now be written to teach people how to write down their thoughts and feelings—something that most people used to do frequently—is admittance in itself to negative interference technology is having on society. The authors state, “Ye Olden Times might have been more conducive to effusive, romantic love and the written word…but there really is no lack of desire today, just (maybe) a lack of skill.” 97
“E-mail cheats your loved one of the dramatic effect a real note can have.”
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existing solutions
Case Study 5 duane reade mail kiosks
ov e rv i e w Four Duane Reade stores in New York City now have a Mail Kiosk that allows customers to weigh letters, packages, etc. and purchase postage that is printed from the machine. Packaging materials are also available alongside, as well as a Duane Reade mailbox.
pros Convenient Positioned next to the ATM in Duane Reade, the Mail Kiosk is accessible and quick, especially compared to waiting in line at the post office. Easy-to-use The touch-screen guide is relatively straightforward and simple.
cons Not widespread Most Duane Reades do not have a Mail Kiosk, and their website mentions nothing of it, so it does not look like they will be spreading anytime soon. Limited supplies Supplies for packages are available but not for simple letters, such as single envelopes, so it is more conducive to sending larger items. Cluttered The area around the kiosk is sometimes messy and unattractive.
va l u e Since one of the biggest complaints about letter writing is that it is inconvenient, the idea of a kiosk or vending-machine for mail paraphernalia could offer a solution. A machine that offers everything, though, including paper, pens, envelopes, stamps, etc., would go a step further. Placing these kiosks everywhere and in strategic areas, such as airports and trains stations where people are always waiting, would make the idea more complete and effective.
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existing solutions
Case Study 6 send out c ards
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va l u e
SendOutCards offers an online solution for sending greeting cards. With a membership, one simply chooses her card online, types a message, and selects where she would like to send it. SendOutCards prints it, stuffs it, and mails it. There is even an option to create a personal font based on one’s handwriting and signature. Custom photograph cards can also be designed.
SendOutCards is a step up from the e-card by offering a tangible product, but it falls short because the important aspect of both sender and receiver handling the material card is absent. The idea is inspiring, though, by using technology to facilitate a tangible outcome.
pros Convenient Once a customer has become a member, sending cards can be quick and easy. Decent quality The cards are printed well and the ability to use personal photographs adds a special touch.
cons Poorly-designed website The website is confusing, difficult to navigate, and may discourage people from using the service. High up-front costs There are three levels of membership, ranging from $99 to $398, that are on top of the actual cost of sending the cards. More business-oriented The main component of SendOutCards is their entrepreneur system that encourages people to become distributors of the service. Lack of human contact Although tangible cards are sent, they do not come from the sender’s own hand, which is one of the major values contained in a material letter or card. Although personal fonts and signatures can be made, they are still printed rather than written by the sender himself.
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existing solutions
Case Study 7 knock knock
pros Funny, casual With the use of wit and bold colors, the products are not intimidating and may even encourage people to write things down. Well-designed The overall style is simple, straightforward, and easy to follow. Affordable and accessible Notepads and related items range from about $5.50 to $8.50, making them not the investment that finer stationary can be, and they are available in about 5,000 stores nationwide, from Kate’s Paperie to Urban Outfitters, and online. Encourages writing down instead of electronic Formats often use ‘electronic language’ that could be found in an e-mail, thereby offering a direct translation of electronic media to a tangible form. Lack of blank page Prompts and lines get the mind going. Bilik states, “‘The blank page is too scary…We like to make people feel better about themselves.’ ” 98
cons
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More of a novelty gift The overt playfulness, bold fonts and colors, and lack of a serious tone make the products more appropriate as gift items rather than for everyday use. They also speak to a certain type of person who enjoys their blatant humor. Lack of variety within each pack Each notepad or pack contains between 50-700 sheets of the same design. The lack of variety could result in boredom with the product.
ov e rv i e w Knock Knock is a product design company, founded in January 2002 by Jen Bilik, that is infusing once-dull paper and office supplies with wit, humor, and fun design. Many of their products are designed as notepads and sticky notes, with unexpected sayings like “I DIDN’T REALIZE YOU WERE COOL UNTIL” and “USELESS INFO” often followed by notebook-like lines, sometimes with prompts for the date, time, etc. and checkboxes with choices related to the headline. It certainly encourages writing things on paper by making it casual, fun, and like a game.
va l u e Knock Knock takes an interesting spin on writing supplies, making it more fun and encouraging. The products become more of conversation pieces than the types of things one might use everyday for functional communication to another person, though. This idea of banishing the blank page is key, but it could be done in different, more subtle ways as well.
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f i e l d wo r k
Expert Interview school counselor
ly n n s o m m e r , Guidance Counselor, Garden Spot Middle School, New Holland, PA
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about 30% of our school population do not have computers at home, so I see it as very inconvenient for some of our students. In their case, they need to
Lynn Sommer, seventh grade school counselor, gave some insights into what is being encouraged and seen in schools in regards to writing and computer use.
“More and more I see teachers asking students to type their assignments…
Of cursive writing in her district, she says, “It is still taught (Grades 3 and 4)- but is no longer required that students use it through grade 6. At one time, a student could choose after grade 6 if they wanted to print or do cursive. What I notice now, is
go to the public library to find a computer and printer. Our school library now offers thumb drives for students to check out to help with this.”
we have middle school students who can’t READ cursive if...teachers use cursive on the chalk board.”
Sommer continues, concerning keyboarding, “in our district, elementary students use the computer keyboard for math assessments and writing assignments. However, they don’t have any formal training for keyboarding in elementary school. The formal keyboarding training comes in grade 7. But research does tell us that a child’s hands are large enough for formal keyboarding training by grade 3. That is when I think it should be taught so that kids develop proper skills for future efficiency.” She also has observed some letter writing efforts in the district: “I’m aware that all our 4th graders have a ‘pen pal’ from the retirement community. The students handwrite letters- but I don’t know if they are to use cursive or not…[O]ur 7th grader reading teacher, has our ‘lower functioning’ readers take on a pen pal (Staff member) where they need to guess who the pen pal is by the questions they ask in each letter.
When asked if Sommer has noticed computer-related issues with her faculty, she responded, “Yesterday I had a conversation with a teacher, who was frustrated by all the lengthy emails from administrators…he said email is good for sending information, but is not for communicating. He thinks when folks try to communicate, at work, through email, that there is a strong chance there will be communication errors. “I see most staff members take their laptops to meetings, and during the meeting they are checking their email etc…It really changes the climate of the meeting. And I know for a fact that some of the folks at the meeting are emailing others at the meeting (during the meeting) about their opinion on what someone has just said at the meeting. This can be very and create an “undertow”…
disrespectful
“I see staff members use email to pass responsibility on to others…and I see many folks spend work time on person “surfing” and emails. One thing that has helped with this is that our [administrator] [w]ill every now and then check the email/computer activity of a staff member and then at times there has been discipline.”
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Expert Interview d o c to r / p s y c h ot h e r a p i s t
supporting research
d r . pat r i c i a j oa n a u s t i n , Psychotherapist, Specializing in Jungian Analysis, Dream Work, Cognitive Therapy, and Stress Management
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Among her many areas of specialty, Dr. Austin has worked in stress management and relationship counseling for over forty years. When presented with the subject of letter writing versus email, one of Dr. Austin’s immediate responses was that
our most important needs are “love, connection, acceptance, attention, and appreciation” and that email does not serve these needs effectively. She stated, “There is nothing charming or graceful about email,”
Leo Buscaglia, known as the “Love Doctor,” writes about the importance of communication in maintaining relationships in Loving Each Other: The Challenge of Human Relationships. He writes, “Communication…is by all indication the skill most essential for creating and maintaining loving relationships.” 99
going on to describe how a lack of civility today has its roots in technology. She revealed the complexity of human interaction, how 80-95% of communication is nonverbal, and that, for example, in a letter the words are only a part of the message, as the pen and choice of paper strongly convey emotions and intentions. Dr. Austin explained how imbuing stationary with one’s own personality shows appreciation and uniqueness that cannot be found within the text on a computer screen.
In “The Measurement of Affectionate Communication,” Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman provide evidence on the importance of affection in human social interaction with support from researchers and clinicians. It cites
Relating this to her work with couples, Dr. Austin described the core of the problem that she has found between men and women in relationships: in general, she stated, “women need attention paid and men don’t know how to do it.” She revealed that attention can be as simple as a single flower or a hidden note, that women cherish these gestures but that men often do not realize the importance of such simple acts. Dr. Austin also explained how people today, especially men, have difficulty writing down their feelings on paper. This has inspired me to consider developing a product or service that helps people get their words down and encourages writing, perhaps, more specifically, targeted toward men.
explains that researchers have “stressed the importance of affection and warmth in therapeutic interventions, and others have indicated that affection plays a critical role in developmental psychological processes.” 100 The authors define “communication of affection” as “an individual’s intentional and overt enactment or expression of feelings of closeness, care, and fondness for another.” 101
“
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. -william
james
”
love and affection as one of six fundamental human needs and
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f i e l d wo r k
Expert Interview supporting research
“ Self-actualization Esteem Love/Belonging Safety Physiological
self-esteem, esteem from others, confidence, respect
taking the time to write is a form of attention. The work of love [in a letter] is attention.
affection, friendship, family, sexual intimacy
-survey
achieving individual potential
”
pa r t i c i pa n t
security, removal from danger food, water, health, sleep
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, developed in the 1940s, has been a central model for understanding human behavior. Today the hierarchy is usually presented in a triangle of five levels ascending upward. When one level of needs is satisfied for someone, it ceases to be their motivation, so motivation is thus encouraged by the remaining unmet needs. The top three levels of the hierarchy include the needs of love, affection, acceptance, connection, etc. as found in other areas of research.
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Australia’s Post Campaign
In Understanding Human Behavior, Mary Elizabeth Milliken devotes entire chapters to “The Need for Self-Approval,” “The Need for Acceptance,” and “Emotions and Behavior” based on Maslow’s Hierarchy. Referencing a study by two psychologists at the Menninger Institute on the relationship between belonging and motivation, the author recognizes that
the need to belong is more than an urge, a fundamental human need “as essential and basic as the need for food or the drive for self-preservation.” 102
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Expert Interview m u s e u m c u r ato r
supporting research
b e at r i c e h u l s b e r g , Museum Curator, Community and Domestic Life Collections The State Museum of Pennsylvania
“
no one really keeps e-mail.You don’t print them out and stuff them into that box beneath the bed where there’s a motley collection of items of no value to anyone but you. Because no matter how moving the sentiment or how well crafted the words, an e-mail is just an e-mail–a flurry of keystrokes on a computer, sent and received instantaneously. Pffft.
”
104
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As curator of the Community and Domestic Life Collection at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Beatrice Hulsberg cares for “more than thirty-eight thousand artifacts from the eighteenth century through the twentieth century.”103 From spools of thread to the Inaugural gowns of Pennsylvania’s First Ladies, the collection features a wide variety of objects. Interestingly, letters are also part of the accumulation according to Hulsberg. Although exhibition space is extremely limited and letters–in addition to the majority of the collection–are not displayed, they hold an important place in the museum. Hulsberg recalls that letters have accompanied several acquisitions of other objects–usually all from the same family and time period–to the musem. She states,
“The letters help to put the related artifacts in context and to round out the image of the family and history.” She explains that the missives make it possible to understand the correlated
objects in more dimensions, making them that much more interesting and understandable. Epistolary artifacts are often helpful clues as well in piecing together the history of other artifacts. Letters are part of the patchwork, literally, as Hulsberg presents a quilt, circa 1868, featuring a hexagonal pattern of colorful fabric pieces, each framing a fragment of a letter in the center. Besides the wonder that such a piece has remained intact, the quilt is amazing as a tangible metaphor of the value and beauty of letters and the history they hold.
-mark
h e a ly , g q
John Freeman writes, “Family histories depend to a large degree on letters; they create a sense of continuity, tell us things loved ones could not share–or had forgotten–in their lifetime, and are
one of our last remaining physical contacts with the presence of our ancestors. There is nothing quite as posthumously intimate as handwriting. It’s why we rummage. Letters that emerge from the dust of attics and lockboxes are like ; they preserve the concerns and worries of our loved ones at the moment they were written.” 105 Freeman presents the concerns of Doris Kearns Goodwin, biographer of Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon Johnson, and the Kennedys, who says that “compared to handwritten letters in the old days, in which the writers often poured their most intimate thoughts,
capsules
time
the more staccato form of e-mail will be nowhere near as valuable. There is
also the fear that when a couple breaks up, for instance, they will simply delete whole files, which was less likely when handwritten letters were retained in old boxes and stored in attics for generations.”106
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Surveys ov e rv i e w
Completing this brief survey with greatly help me with my thesis project on letter writing! Feel free to add in additional comments or personal anecdotes. It can also be absolutely anonymous. Thank you so much!
1. Age:
c under
2. Gender:
c
18
c18-24
male
c
c 25-34
c 35-44
c 45-54
c 55-64
c 65-74
female
3. What are your top two ways of communication during a typical day? c email
c online
c text
c 75+
messaging
social network
c cell-phone
c fax
c letters
call
c land-line
call
c video
chat
c online
instant messaging
c other___________
4. Why do you use these ways more than others? (you may select more than one answer) c convenience
c cost
c habit
c other___________
5. How often do you send hand-written mail or a card via post? c every
day
c weekly c monthly
c 1-6
times a year
c never c other___________
6. How often do you receive hand-written mail or a card via post? c every
day
c weekly c monthly
c 1-6
times a year
c never c other___________
7. Do you wish you would receive/send more letters/cards? c yes
c no
c indifferent
Why or why not?___________________________________________________________________
8. Are there any situations where you think it is inappropriate to communicate electronically? c wedding
invitations
c birthday
wishes
c thank-you’s
c baby
announcement
c other___________
Why?______________________________________________________________________________
9. Would you have rather received this survey electronically? c yes
c no
c indifferent
Why or why not?___________________________________________________________________
10. Further comments welcome on back g Kindly return to:
CARLY DINTAMAN 200 Water Street, Apt. 326 New York, NY 10038
I developed a survey intended for everyday people in order to find out how they are communicating and how letter writing comes into play (if at all). In the spirit of this research, I sent out half of the surveys (25) via post (as seen in the photo above) and the other half (25) electronically. I thought it would be interesting to see how many people responded in each group and what the quality of the responses were. In general, I received the fastest answers with the electronic version (18 total) but received more answers with the letter version (46 total). It seemed that a few people were inspired to make copies of the survey and send them on. Interestingly, though, in general, the quality of answers was higher in the electronic version, as people seemed apt to type more in the open spaces than those writing by hand.
or email a copy to: carlydintaman@gmail.com
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f i e l d wo r k
Surveys r e s u lt s
Do you wish you would send/receive more letters/cards? Do you wish you would send/receive more letters/cards?
How often do you send handwritten mail or a card via post? How often do you send hand-written mail or a card via post?
indifferent other
yes
never 1-6 times a year monthly weekly everyday
no 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
How often do you receive handwritten mail or a card via post?
there anywhere situations where you it think it is appropriate to Are there any Are situations you think is inappropriate to communicate eletronically?communicate electronically?
How often do you receive hand-written mail or a card via post?
other
wedding invitations
never
bithday wishes
1-6 times a year
thank-you’s monthly weekly
baby announcements
everyday
other 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
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f i e l d wo r k
Observations s tat i o n a r y s to r e s
Special thanks to colleagues Meredith Hughes and Sarah Garza for their assistance with observations, interviews, and the subsequent key insights presented on this page and those following.
insights
Men shop at Kate’s, usually for home office supplies which are often leather-covered.
s to r e s v i s i t e d :
Men do buy stationary, which is usually . A popular color is .
Arthur’s Stationary 13 East 13th Street New York, NY 10003 Kate’s Paperie Soho 72 Spring Street New York, NY 10012 Kate’s Paperie West Village 8 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011
plain green
People do still come in to buy single sheets of paper and single envelopes to write letters, but they are
most often of a certain age group: 40 or 50+ years old.
Jam Paper 153 3rd Avenue New York, NY 10003 Paper Presentation 23 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 Print Icon 7 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
Most men in the store seemed to be with women counterparts, making choices for , probably for wedding stationary.
printing
custom
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f i e l d wo r k
Key Insights letters seem ‘riskier’ than texts
“
You take a big risk when you write out how you feel about a girl. Most guys aren’t that prepared to take that risk.
”
57
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Key Insights e a s i e r to c o m m u n i c at e v i a t e x t m e s s ag e
“
Texts are usually written in the heat of the moment or when you’re drunk. It takes much more thought and effort to write out a letter and get an envelope and postage stamp and mail it.
”
58
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f i e l d wo r k
Key Insights letters require more thought
“
When you’re doing an email, I don’t write like I would in a letter. I have to be in a certain frame of mind. Email is more bullet points . . . not flowing like a letter would be.
”
59
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f i e l d wo r k
Key Insights wa i t i n g i n s p i r e s c o r r e s p o n d i n g
“
When I do have time to write I usually don’t have the energy to sit down and focus on it. The times I want to write are when I’m standing in lines or waiting somewhere.
”
60
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f i e l d wo r k
Key Insights s ta r t i n g i s t h e h a r d e s t pa r t
“
I don’t even know where to start...what paper to use, where to find the right size envelope or stamps...
”
61
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p r otot y p i n g
Brainstorming personas
I came up with a range of personas of people - from a 25 year-old student to a 72 year-old retiree - whose lives might benefit from letter writing. I picked out similar words of what these people might want in order to establish some key terms which helped me continue to brainstorm.
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wo r d c l o u d
With key terms in mind, I created a word cloud of what I wanted my solution to be and to do.
Surprise
Touching
Tangible Lighthearted
Personal Special Handwritten Fun
Connecting New Nostalgic
Small Affordable
Quick
Attractive
Meaningful
Effortless
Simple
Non-chalant
Romantic
Oldfashioned
Tactile
p r otot y p i n g
Brainstorming
Different
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p r otot y p i n g
Brainstorming possible solutions
Through research and observations, I constantly brainstormed possible solutions, grouped together ideas, and picked out patterns. The most omnipresent thought that I had was to create a product that would
eliminate the blank page (and therefore some of the intimidating nature of writing) and to
place the final result in convenient locations, such as where people wait (airports, train stations, lines, etc.).
card ‘kits’
post-it s k e tc h e s
tear-off cards
personalized s t i c k y n ot e s
pa c k a g i n g
sticky n ot e s with prompts
My brainstorming began to take the form of sketches of personalized sticky notes, ad-lib inspired stationary, and tear-off cards with one side for the sender and the other for the recipient to return back.
s k e tc h e s
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p r otot y p i n g
Sketching s to r y b oa r d s
As I became more focused on a few specific ideas for a solution, I drew up storyboards of how people might interact with my solution.
but doesn’t always know what he’s feeling and sometimes feels unappreciated...
Jerry loves samantha.
he would do anything for her and assumes she knows this... i mean he sends her sweet text messages all the time!
Just a little note here and there would mean the world to sandra...but the romance and surprise of it would be gone if she has to ask Jim
one day she sees a new vending machine by the check-out at a store and finds it sells different stationary that looks fun and easy to use
But he still doesn’t feel like he’s living up to samantha’s romantic expectations like the sappy movies she loves.
one day while he’s bored waiting in the airport he sees a strange-looking vending machine and finds it’s full of things to write letters with: paper envelopes pens stamps etc.
She buys a pack of sticky-notes with different phrases on them writes a note to Jim on the top one and leaves the stack on his desk.
the next morning sandra finds a sweet note on the bathroom mirror from Jim who has already left for work.
he decides to try one particular type of fill-innthe-blank stationary that he thinks is witty and that samantha might too.
He has fun quickly filling it out and convenietly drops it off in the mailbox attached to the machine.
it makes her morning, and she writes one back to Jim that she hides in his briefcase that night.
The hidden notes continue to go back and forth. sandra and Jim feel more connected, even when they barely see each other during the week!
a few days later he gets an elated call from Samantha who is gushing over this sweet and humorous letter and is writing one back!
Jerry knows he’s done well and it won’t be the last time!
sandra loves Jim..
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p r otot y p i n g
Developing p h y s i c a l p r otot y p e s
&
f e e d b ac k
Meanwhile, I developed a multitude of prototypes that I printed and handed out for feedback.
sandra love
world to sandr of it w
phrases on them wr top one and leave
it makes her morning,
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s i n c e r e ly
Do you know?...
r e m e m b e r t h a t t i m e ?. . .
Dear
Hey
,
Guess what!...
!
Dear
It feels like it’s been forever since
I was just thinking about that time
,
Dear
Thank you so much for . I just wanted to tell
and
,
I’m sorry that
! I miss
. I never told you this, but
Just thought you should know...
. I wish
you that
.
.
and
.
. It made me feel
I’ve just been
. It makes me want to
I hope you know
. I think
in
I would love to
.
the future. What do you think?
soon.
.
Again, I really appreciate
I really hope that
!
.
Love / Best / Sincerely,
Love / Best / Sincerely,
Love / Best / Sincerely,
Love / Best / Sincerely, P.S. You looked amazing in that I saw you
when
P.S. Please tell me if
!
.
hers
yours
his
After multiple stages of prototyping, gathering feedback, re-working my ideas and designs, I developed finalized solutions: Sincerely is a line of stationary in three different forms, which banish the blank page, encourage thoughts and writing, and are distributed strategically to make letter writing more convenient and appealing.
I love you because...
✂
✂
✂
mine
his
solution
The Solution
hers
✂
hers
his
solution
Products n ot e - i t ’ s
One solution includes sticky notes that feature various one-line prompts to get the mind working. That, and the smaller size of the surface is meant to make writing less intimidating and more casual and everyday.
(actual size)
r e m e m b e r t h a t t i m e ?. . .
sandra love
4.3”
Do you know?...
Guess what!...
ning,
3.9” Just thought you should know...
I love you because...
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solution
Products lines
(actual size)
Another product takes the idea of the one-line prompt further, giving, literally, multiple lines (words to lead off followed by lines to write on) in order to make the writing process simpler. This style, inspired by the AdLib, also has a quirky, game-like feeling to it, which could encourage those who think writing is risky or scary with its casual, fun approach. It might seem scripted, but people’s use of the prototypes revealed that the same lines can go many different ways.
Dear
,
I was just thinking about that time . I never told you this, but sandra love
.
It made me feel
. It makes me want to in
7.1” Dear
,
the future. What do you think? I’m sorry that . I wish
Hey
!
It feels like it’s been. forever since ! I miss
Dear
,
Love / Best / Sincerely,
and
I hope you know
Thank. you so much for
.
. I just wanted to tell
I’ve just been
you that . I think
Love / Best / Sincerely,
I really hope that
and .
.
I would love to .
soon.
Again, I really appreciate !
P.S. Please tell me if
P.S. You looked amazing in that
when
. Love / Best / Sincerely,
Love / Best / Sincerely,
I saw you
!
ning,
5”
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(actual size)
A third concept encourages the recipient of the letter to send one back (or on to another person). Each 2-send features a side for the initial sender to write a message and another side, separated by a dotted ‘scissor line,’ is for the receiver. With gender specific labels, all types of relationships are included.
yours sandra love
his
6.5”
✂
hers ✂
his
solution
Products 2- s e n d s
✂
his ✂
mine
hers
ning,
5”
hers
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solution
Products m at e r i a l s
All paper used for stationary will be recycled. Two different types - white felt paper and brown kraft paper - will be used. 4 Bar-sized envelopes will be used, as they are the smallest evelopes able to be sent via post. This will not only avoid waste but also contribute to the idea that these are small, simple, casual notes.
5(1/8)�
3(5/8)� sandra love
Bright White Dutch Felt 32 lb PCW: contains 100% Post Consumer Fiber FSC: Supporting responsible use of forest resources Acid/lignin Free Archival Paper
Natural Kraft Matte 32 lb 100% Recycled FSC: Supporting responsible use of forest resources Acid/lignin Free Archival Paper
d i n ta m a n
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solution
Products naming and logo
A colleague initially suggested the name Sincerely for this project, which I thought was fitting, but I continued to explore other options in order to make the best possible choice. Through brainstorming and research I was able to see what was already being used and the deeper meanings behind many of the words I was interested in. Eventually it came down to about four favorite choices. I explored these typographically and realized that nothing would be more appropriate than my own personal handwriting as a logo and that ‘Sincerely’ captured the entire purpose and thinking of my project - to connect more deeply with others and bring civility back sandra love into our lives.
Final logo:
Placement: small, on the back of each piece of stationary
Secondary, typographic logo:
Sincerely
The secondary logo is useful for small print situations where the primary logo becomes illegible and also for situations where the typographic version is deemed more appropriate.
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vending kiosks
Touch screen to begin
What would you like to do?
write a letter
START
buy envelopes
buy postage
sandra love
buy pens/pencils
MAIL KIOSK
GO BACK
CANCEL
Select stationary type
Select occasion
just because
lines
special occasion
stickies
Dear Dear
,
I was just thinking about that time I was just thinking about that time
thank you
you this, but
care & concern
you this, but
. I never told
. I never told
ess
.
.
at!..
wh
Gu
. It made me feel
It made me feel
tear-offs
i thought of you because...
,
hers
Inspired by the Duane Reade mail kiosks and the insight that times of waiting can inspire writing or corresponding with others, one method of distribution for the Sincerely line could be an electronic mail kiosk placed in airports, train stations, and near check-out lines. It would hold all of the Sincerely stationary along with envelopes, pens, postage, even writing tips, and a mailbox in order to make writing a one-stop, convenient act.
mine
i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Distribution Method 1
. It makes me want to
. It makes me want to
in
in think? the future. What do you the future. What do you think?
Love / Best / Sincerely, Love / Best / Sincerely,
2 ,
you this, but
Dear
. I never told .
It made me feel
TOTAL:
6
,
Dear
I was just thinking about that time
It made me feel
. I never told .
in the future. What do you think?
I saw you
when !
I was just thinking about that time
in
in
Love / Best / Sincerely,
!
P.S. You looked amazing in that I saw you
CONTINUE
Mailbox
2 lines: $7.00 2 envelopes: $3.00
$7.00
pens/pencils
when !
GO BACK
CANCEL
How would you like to pay?
cash
TOTAL:
6
$7.00
the future. What do you think?
Love / Best / Sincerely,
when
5
postage
. It makes me want to
Love /
I saw you
CANCEL
.
Best / Sincerely,
P.S. You looked amazing in that
2
. I never told
It made me feel
the future. What do you think?
matching envelopes
2 lines: $7.00
,
you this, but
. It makes me want to
GO BACK
CANCEL
Do you need anything else?
5
you this, but
. It makes me want to
P.S. You looked amazing in that
!
✂
GO BACK
Select choice & quantity
I was just thinking about that time
when
!
other
congratulations
Dear
when I saw you
yours
I saw you
✂
his
P.S. You looked amazing in that P.S. You looked amazing in that
birthday
writing tips
CONTINUE
GO BACK
CANCEL
Please swipe card & enter pin
TOTAL: 2 lines: $7.00 2 envelopes: $3.00
debit
$7.00
TOTAL: 2 lines: $7.00 2 envelopes: $3.00
$10.00
credit
GO BACK
CANCEL
GO BACK
CANCEL
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i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Distribution Method 1 vending kiosks: systems
map
This systems map shows the basic steps that one would take to connect to another through the Sincerely Mail Kiosk and that it is for anyone - from family to coworkers.
sandra love
friends SELECT.
RETRIEVE.
WRITE.
SEND.
MAIL KIOSK
family Hey
!
been forev It feels like it’s
! and
y
He I’ve just been . I think
ls like
it’s
en
be
forev and
It fee . that I really hope
k
. I thin en
I’ve
just
be
.
Mailbox
t
pe
lly ho
tha
I rea
Mailbox
loves
colleagues
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A second distribution method could be through specialized books with tear-out pages. One book could feature all thankyou’s or casual hello’s in different formats and phrases, thus overcoming the problem of having to use up a set of 25 identical cards, which obviously cannot be sent to sandra love the same person more than once. The books would also include envelopes, stamps, and writing tips / phrases.
For reminiscing... Dear
For sending and sending again...
For catching up...
,
Hey
I was just thinking about that time
!
yours
i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Distribution Method 2 tear-out books
It feels like it’s been forever since
. I never told you this, but
! I miss and
.
It made me feel
. It makes me want to
.
I’ve just been
in
. I think
the future. What do you think?
.
✂
Hello!
I really hope that
Love / Best / Sincerely,
.
Love / Best / Sincerely,
P.S. You looked amazing in that
when
I saw you
!
mine
For those times when reaching out by e-mail just isn’t enough
For those times when just a quick note will do... (just peel and stick)
For those times when just a quick note will do to reminisce... (just peel and stick)
CARLY DINTAMAN
Just thought you should know...
remember that time?...
J u s t t h o u g h t y o u s h o u l d k n o w. . .
Just thought you should know...
r e m e m b e r t h a t t i m e ?. . .
remember that time?...
For those times when just a quick note will do to share the news... (just peel and stick)
Guess what!...
Guess what!...
Guess what!...
Thanks! For those times when reaching out by e-mail just isn’t enough CARLY DINTAMAN
Special Occasions
For sending...
For help with a loss for words...
(just peel, stuff, and send)
For sending...
(just peel and send)
ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE
Kraft!
happy sad excited scared outgoing funny grumpy cheerful
carefree blissful lonely elated good better best bad
worst mediocre awful fantastic pretty ugly difficult comfortable
valuable worthless useful important lovely amazing surprising unusual
For those times when reaching out by e-mail just isn’t enough CARLY DINTAMAN WORDS TO DENOTE INTENT
For those times when reaching out by e-mail just isn’t enough CARLY DINTAMAN
dote on think the world of enraptured enchanted by pay mind to inspired by prefer have a weakness for
delight in be fond of treasure hold affection for captivated mesmerized fascinated by fancy
enjoy desire prize hold dear wrapped up in drawn to appreciate rapt
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i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Business Plan ov e rv i e w
e x e c u t i v e s u m m a ry
vision
What was once a creative hobby and interest for myself, as a former student of design and business, has become a passion and potential business venture. I have designed and produced my own handmade cards and invitations for years and have taken a special interest in the problematic decline of letter writing as I began noticing the paralleled regression of sincerity, civility, and connection around myself and others. After substantial research and creative development, I have devised a possible solution to encourage letter writing in the present day. sandra love
To assist in rediscovering the art of letter writing.
make the
Sincerely is a line of stationery that offers words and lines in order to . It is bundled with other letter writing and mailing products and is distributed in an innovative and strategic way through electronic Mail Kiosks and books placed in airports and other transportation centers in order to make letter writing , , , and . Because of its unique products and distribution methods, Sincerely sets itself apart from stationery competitors who mainly sell through retail stores and online. Aiming to bring back the art of letter writing, Sincerely markets itself to a broad audience, including both males and females, and it will begin in the United States, with the potential to expand internationally in the future.
process of writing a letter easier
convenient simple encouraging
fun
The greatest risk for Sincerely is that there will be continued resistance to writing letters and greater reliance on digital means of communication. The distribution method aims to mitigate this risk, though. There is also the risk of duplication of Sincerely’s products and methods, but patents and trademarks will be procured before launching the product, and with the United States Postal Service (USPS) and 3M would offer more protection and inimitability for Sincerely. Nonetheless, if copying became a threat to the company, it would be evidence to a growing popularity for letter writing, which is, after all, the main goal of Sincerely.
strategic partnerships
potential
m i s s i o n s tat e m e n t To reintroduce letter writing as simple, approachable, fun, and vital to maintaining meaningful connections. By through an innovative product line that offers prompts and thought-provoking words, Sincerely aims to make letter writing easier. By placing these products in strategic places and formats, Sincerely hopes to attract the everyday person to this lost art and make it that much more convenient. All of these activities will be carried out with sophisticated design and strategic marketing in order to make Sincerely a strong, recognizable brand.
banishing the blank page
market Sincerely’s market is extremely broad because part of the objective is to make letter writing accessible to a wider range of people today. Sincerely will start off in the United States, targeting males and females of the middle to upper classes, of all ages and ethnicities. These people may already write letters and be looking for a new format or more convenient method or they may communicate mostly electronically, possibly traveling frequently or constantly on-the-go. Sincerely will be able to satisfy both of these areas of the market by offering products that are both convenient and innovative.
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i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Business Plan ov e rv i e w
i n d u s t ry
m a r k e t i n g s t r at e g y
Sincerely falls within all of the following industries: Stationery and Office Supplies, Vending Machine, and Postal Service. The Stationery Industry is highly competitive, and many designers fight for shelf space in retail stores. Vending machines are also as popular as ever in this fast-paced era and are not limited to food anymore, offering things like high-priced electronics, DVDs, and jewelry. Sincerely will differentiate itself through its product mix that falls between the novel and plain offerings of stationery sandra designers love and stores. Above all, though, Sincerely will distinguish itself by its primary distribution method of electronically-operated vending Mail Kiosks and books that could be sold in both bookstores and stationery stores. While the Postal Service Industry is presently in decline, Sincerely’s method of providing everything needed to write and send a letter—including envelopes and stamps—in one place/format will encourage use of the post again.
Sincerely’s overall marketing strategy is to offer innovative, quality products in strategic locations and formats. Saturating the U.S. market will be of paramount importance in order to establish a strong brand image that is well-known and trusted. Strategic partnerships with USPS and/or 3M may be possible and would greatly enhance our brand identity and resources. In addition, widespread advertising would assist in informing customers about Sincerely and its offerings. At the same time, while it is important to be widespread, it will also be vital to maintain an image of quality, uniqueness, and creativity that does not become too mainstream, commercial, or diluted. Simple, memorable, well-placed, yet not overly-used advertising will assist in this goal.
strengths and core competencies
bundled product and method
Sincerely’s most competitive strength is its . By placing its products in places where people stay for relatively long periods of time—whether it be the book through a bookstore where people linger or the Mail Kiosks in lines, airports and train stations where people wait and are usually bored—Sincerely will attract more customers who would otherwise not have the time to stop to send a letter.
of distribution
s t r at e g i c pa r t n e r s h i p s USPS USPS has the capabilities of mail delivery across the United States, but is in a shaky financial state. According to the Postal Regulatory Commission and Kevin. R. Kosar, Analyst in the American National Government, “Federal postal law limits the USPS to selling postage stamps, stamped paper, cards, envelopes, philatelic services, and ancillary items…The USPS has said that it would like to increase its revenues by offering a broader range of nonpostal products and services, although it has not specified which ones.” Sincerely could offer a happy medium for USPS, as its products are within the legal limits of what USPS is allowed to sell, yet they are distinctively younger, updated, and more playful than what USPS is currently known for. Sincerely could help USPS freshen up its outdated, somewhat dull image, and USPS could offer Sincerely including investment, market research, capabilities, and goodwill in return.
substantial resources,
products and services Sincerely’s revenue model is through product sales. Products include the stationery line, which consists of three distinct forms— , , and —in addition to matching envelopes, pens, and stamps. The Sincerely stationery line in itself fulfills the unmet need of simple, meaningful correspondence, as it avoids both the blank page and any digital means of communication. These products and the way they are distributed continue to meet this need and go further to make it that much more convenient to correspond in an expressive way without resorting to the Internet or the phone. In this way, Sincerely has a competitive advantage over other stationery providers by offering more than just a pretty page. Sincerely also fills the gap of the male stationery market, as its products are .
Note-it’s Lines
2-Sends
not gender specific
3M 3M is the originator of the Post-it®, which is what inspired Sincerely’s sticky stacks of Note-it’s. However, Sincerely’s product offers a line extension for 3M, as it uses high quality, 100% recycled paper, as opposed to 3M’s thin, often bright and cheap Post-it® paper. The phrases and prompts that Sincerely prints on it’s Note-it’s are also unique and could be expanded, even into a personalized format. Sincerely would provide 3M with the idea, design, and distribution while 3M could give Sincerely substantial resources similar to those of USPS, including major clout.
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i m p l e m e n tat i o n
Business Plan ov e rv i e w
pricing Sincerely’s prices are based on a combination of competitive pricing and value-based pricing. The products must be somewhat in line with what other stationery sells for, but because they will be mainly placed away from competitors in places like airports and train stations where prices for merchandise are usually higher, Sincerely will be able to garner a higher price point, which can also be attributed to the value it adds by bundling postal supplies with the stationery. Because the stationery itself is relatively inexpensive sandra love to produce, the profit margins will be quite high. The following presents unit cost and pricing for each of the Sincerely stationery products: COST
R E TA I L
MARKUP
Lines
$0.40
$3.75
89%
2-Sends
$0.35
$3.25
89%
N o t e - i t ’s
(stack of 25)
$1.75
$7.95
78%
E nve l o p e s
$0.15
$1.00
85%
S i n c e r e ly book
$9.50
$29.95
68%
By purchasing supplies wholesale in bulk and producing the stationery in-house, the markup percentages of Sincerely’s products are quite high, which could result in greater profit, depending on the costs of distributing the products.
p r o m ot i o n Advertising: Print and digital (internet, television), used minimally, yet strategically and powerfully Percentage of budget for advertising will be determined once/if partnerships are procured Trade Shows: Used to find retailers for Sincerely book National Stationary Show, Javits Convention Center, New York, NY
Word of Mouth: Generated through extensive network of friends and professionals, by satisfied customers, and the appearance of Sincerely Mail Kiosks in airports, train stations, etc. Image: Sincerely aims to be seen as a form of , as simple, sleek, and sincere while slightly tongue-in-cheek and casual. It should appeal to both males and females with its clean design sensibility and general, unrestricted prompts. The digital Mail Kiosks help promote this idea of re-introducing the art of letter writing in a new way that coincides with society’s current way of life.
21st century
letter writing updated to the
Identity: Sincerely’s , coupled with clean Gill Sans Light text promotes the idea of the old (letter writing) combined with the new (the 21st century). Furthermore, because the handwritten logo is neither in script nor perfect penmanship, it connotes the message that letter writing can be laid back and that the personal touch of writing is the importance (many people are hesitant to write based on their lack of penmanship). The used along with the logo is strategic as a gender-neutral color that is also fresh and eye-catching. Furthermore, through fieldwork green came up as a color that many men selected for their stationery purchases. Accompanying colors of orange and navy blue will also be used throughout products, including the covers of various Sincerely books. The Sincerely logo will be used in advertising, on signage, and products, on which it will be placed on the back and small so that the stationery still has a mainly personal touch from the sender and doesn’t feel mass-produced.
handwritten logo
grass green color
financials The financials for Sincerely’s business will depend on the outcome of proposed partnerships with USPS and/or 3M. The unit cost and retail figures presented earlier could even change depending on partnerships, as the cost of goods sold would most likely go down with the increased buying power that would be procured through these partnerships. This would only result in greater markup percentages and greater profits.
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closing
Acknowledgments t h a n k yo u to ...
Robert Rabinovitz & Norman Fryman my patient and supportive professors who saw me and my project through to the end Meredith Hughes & Sarah Garza my amazing colleagues who helped me with observations, interviews, and finding the insights that were key to my solution
sandra l
Marc Sauriol my wise classmate who knew the name of my project before I did All survey participants, interviewees, and those who offered casual advice.
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sources
Endnotes 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 2 . 2 . 2 . 2 . 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 4 . 4 . 4 . 4 . 49. 0. 1. 2.
Kitty Burns Florey, Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting (Brooklyn, NY: Melville House Publishing, 2009), 49. Ben Yagoda, “Slow Down, Sign Off, Tune Out,” The New York Times Book Review, October 22, 2009, 9. Ibid. Kitty Burns Florey, 49. www.imbd.com John Freeman, The Tyranny of Email (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2009), Introduction. Ibid., 4. Ibid., 137. Ibid., 138. Ibid., 6. www.census.gov Freeman, 172 U.S. Postal Service, Annual Reports 2004-2009 in Kevin R. Kosar, “The U.S. Postal Service’s Financial Condition: Overview and Issues for Congress,” Congressional Research Service, January 19, 2010, 2. Leah Harrison Bailey, Control: Print, Parsons The New School for Design, 2009. Barrie Dolnick and Donald Baack, How to Write a Love Letter: Putting What’s in Your Heart on Paper (New York: Harmony Books, 2000), 18. Ibid. Donald Jackson, The Story of Writing (New York, NY: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc., 1981), 10. Ibid. Hawthorne, The Letters, 1813-1843, quoted in William Merrill Decker, Epistolary Practices: Letter Writing in America before Telecommunications (United States: The University of North Carolina Press, 1998), 39. The Letters of Henry Adams, Ed. J.C. Levenson, Ernest Samuels, Charles Vandersee, and Viola Hopkins Winner, (Harvard, MA: Cambridge University Press, 1982-88), 596, quoted in William Merrill Decker, 39-40. The Letters of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Thomas H. Johnson and Theodora Ward (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1960-82), 330, quoted in William Merrill Decker, 40. The Letters of Margaret Fuller, 303, quoted in William Merrill Decker, 40. The Correspondence of Emerson and Carlyle, Ed. Joseph Slater (New York: Columbia University Press, 1964), 561, quoted in William Merrill Decker, 40. William Merrill Decker, 40. Ibid., 249. Cathy N. Davidson, Revolution and the Word: The Rise of the Novel in America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1986), 68. Kitty Burns Florey, 28. Ibid. Ibid., 37. Ibid., 41. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 87. Ibid., 89. Amanda Armstrong, “What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?” Real Simple, 2009, http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/lifestrategies/handwriting-101-00000000015886/. Malcolm Jones, “The Good Word,” Newsweek, January 18, 2009, http://www.newsweek.com/id/180265. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Kitty Burns Florey, 89. Jennifer Hodge, “Are We Talking More But Saying Less?” Gather, October 18, 2005, http://www.gather.com/viewArticle. action?articleId=281474976717006#at. www.blogcatalog.com/blog/a-passion-for-letter-writing/ Leah Harrison Bailey, “The Social Life of Digital Print,” RCA/Print Digital (London: Royal College of Art, 2007). Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. John Freeman,192.
3. 4. . . . . 9. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 9 . 9 . 9 . 9 . 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 10 . 10 .
Ben Yagoda, 9. William McDonough and Michael Braungart, Cradle to Cradle (New York: North Point Press, 2002), 64-65. Ibid., 65. Ibid. Ibid. Lauren Slater, “Dr. Daedalus,” Harper’s, July 2001, 57. Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, Handbook of interpersonal communication (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2002), 529-63. Ibid. Ibid., 530. Ibid., 529. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 540. J.B. Walther, “Computer-mediated communication: Impersonal, interpersonal, and hyperpersonal interaction,” Communication Research, 1993, quoted in Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, 540. Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, 540. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 541. J.W. Turner, J.A. Grube, and J. Meyers, “Developing an optimal match within online communities: An exploration of CMC support communities and traditional support,” Journal of Communication, 51, 246 quoted in Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, 547. M.R. Parks and K. Floyd, “Making friends in cyberspace,” Journal of Communication, 46(1), 80-97, in Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, 547. Mark L. Knapp and John Augustine Daly, 549. Ibid., 556. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid.. www.interpals.net/about.php Ibid. www.penpalsnow.com www.xomreviews.com/interpals.net Debbie Stoller, Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook (New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2003), 9. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 10. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid., 7. Ibid., 11. Brian Braiker, “Would You Pay for it?” Newsweek, September 10, 2008, http://www.newsweek.com/id/158308. Barrie Dolnick and Donald Baack, 8. Ibid., 9. Ibid., 120. Ibid., 65 Ibid., 8-9. Amy Wallace, “The Wit That Breeds Wisdom,” The New York Times, March 19, 2010. Leo F. Buscaglia, Loving Each Other: The Challenge of Human Relationships (United States: The Random House Publishing Group, 1984), 53. Kory Floyd and Mark T. Morman, “The Measurement of Affectionate Communication,” Communication Quarterly, Spring 1998. Ibid. Mary Elizabeth Milliken, Understanding Human Behavior, (Clifton Park, NY: Thompson Learning, 1998), 92. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, “Collections: Community and Domestic Life,” The State Museum of Pennsylvania web site, http://www.statemuseumpa.org/domesticc.html. Mark Healy, “You Never Write!” GQ, December 2009. Freeman, 180. Doris Kearns Goodwin, quoted in Freeman, 180-81.
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Images
Any image not credited here is my own. 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 1 . 1 . 1 . 1 . 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 2 . 2 . 2 . 2 . 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 3 . 3 . 3 . 3 . 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 4 . 4 .
Thomas D. McAvoy, “Senator Lyndon B. Johnson at his mailbox on his ranch,” Texas, April 1960, Life, www.life.com. Donald Jackson, “A writing lesson in a London school in 1906,” The Story of Writing (New York, NY: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc., 1981), 13. The Cambridge Advocate, http://thecambridgeadvocate.com www.beyondrobson.com Jeff Maloney, “Elementary Children in Computer Class,” Photodisc, www.gettyimages.com. H. Breuil, “Bison with marks,” in Andrew Robinson, The Story of Writing: Alphabets, Hieroglyphs and Pictograms (London: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1995), 53. Donald Jackson, 19. “Section from funerary papyrus of Pawiaenadja, 1000-800 BC”, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Photo Dr. G. Murza, in Andrew Robinson, 102. Illustration from M. Dunand, Byblia Grammata, 1945, in Andrew Robinson, 164. Manila Paper, www.wikipedia.org. www.computersmiths.com/chineseinvention/movtype.htm Kitty Burns Florey, Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting (Brooklyn, NY: Melville House Publishing, 2009), 33. Michael Woods, The History of Communication (Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2006), 9. www.nibs.com Michael Woods, 15. http://www.abm.on.ca/restoration.htm http://thebsreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/dollar_postcard.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/1896_telephone.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ParkerPens.jpg http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/CDE/_TELEX.JPG http://ninfield.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/bic_cristal_ballpoint_pent.jpg www2.cit.cornell.edu/computer/history/Linke.html www.iee.et.tu-dresden.de/~kc-club/08/PCX/WORDSTAR.GIF www.aim.com www.facebook.com www.mkfilms.info/ www. flickr.com http://goldstars.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/ps-i-love-you1.jpg http://tengossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dear-john-movie-poster_a.jpg http://www.wildaboutmovies.com/images_7/LettersToJuliet265.jpg http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/ADAMS_HISTORY/hadams1875.jpg www.usm.maine.edu/~rabrams/Emily_Dickinson.jpg www.grimshaworigin.org/images/NorthAmerica/hawthorne1870-2.jpg www.textism.com/writing/03-Roman-lapidary-1st-c-AD.jpg www.discoverahobby.com/uncial.jpg Kitty Burns Florey, 87. Ibid., 89. Amanda Armstrong, “What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?” Real Simple, 2009, http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/lifestrategies/handwriting-101-00000000015886/. www.insertfishhere.com/images/ Kitty Burns Florey, book jacket. Jennifer Hodge, “Are We Talking More But Saying Less?” Gather, October 18, 2005, http://www.gather.com/viewArticle. action?articleId=281474976717006#at www.blogcatalog.com/blog/a-passion-for-letter-writing/ www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/images/photos/uploads/Ben-Franklin-2.jpg http://academics.triton.edu/faculty/fheitzman/jefferson.jpg Christopher Brand, illustration, in Ben Yagoda, “Slow Down, Sign Off, Tune Out,” The New York Times Book Review, October 22, 2009, 9. Matias Vigliano, illustration, in Scott Brown, “Scott Brown on Facebook Friendonomics,” Wired Magazine. October 20, 2008. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-11/pl_brown#.
4 . 4 . 49. 0. 1. 2. 3. 4. . . . . 9. 0. 1.
www.interpals.com Debbie Stoller, Stitch ‘n Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook (New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2003). www.hallmark.com www.coverbrowser.com/image/harmony-books/263-1.jpg . www.sendoutcards.com www.knockknock.biz www.ugrad.vcu.edu/images/main-photo/img-58.jpg http://blogs.nyu.edu/socialwork/ip/Psychotherapist-Dawn-Deve-001.jpg Australia’s Post Campaign, www.postletters.org. http://news.msu.edu/media/photo/2009/01/2e3a84e1-64da-481d-8e09-78a810be2f49.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/domcruz/sets/72157606396685588/ Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid.
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