2025 | Special Topic

Outbox

About

In today’s fast-paced digital world, communication is often reduced to quick messages that feel fleeting and impersonal.

Outbox is an interactive writing experience that reimagines letter writing in a contemporary digital format. It has casual and approachable, using playful prompts and a guided flow to make starting a letter feel effortless.

Role UX/UI, Prototyping

Timeline 8 weeks

Practice Academic, Individual Project

Tools Figma, Illustrator, Rive, VS Code

Explore the process ↓

Challenge

Epistolary communication is communication through letters and personal written messages. I’ve always been drawn to how intentional and personal it feels compared to the fast-paced communication we’re used to online. It's a huge passion and hobby of mine, and it made me curious if others still do it?

Problem

Explore how people engage with epistolary communication in a digital-first world, and identify opportunities to make the experience feel more approachable and engaging.

Solution

Create a writing experience that helps people ease into personal expression through guidance and interaction.

DISCOVER

TLD;DR

Through academic research, theme across papers a common I found was that:

MAIN INSIGHT FROM RESEARCH

There is a generational shift in communication; traditional practices are dying out

DEFINE

But I know there are people that want to, they just...don’t

So I asked questions in hopes to learn more about: maybe any memorable messages, rituals/motivations, what they talk about, and preferred mediums of communications.

Synthesising interview responses

I noticed two things about this audience:

Habits

They likes to write letters but rarely do; usually only for birthdays, goodbyes, or special occasions.

Viewed as very formal and serious.

Structure

Rely on familiar formats when writing letters, providing guidance.

They type a draft before committing to writing.

These people are creative individuals who enjoy writing letters but find traditional formats too formal or uninspiring.

HOW MIGHT WE...

Support people to express themselves through guided, low-pressure writing experiences in a familiar space

CLARIFY

And then I got stuck.

I had a difficult time coming up with the solution. I initially wanted to build a website, but it felt a bit ironic for a project encouraging more intentional, physical-feeling writing.

I took inspiration from online experiences and this became a turning point. Instead of forcing a fixed solution, I started thinking about how an experience could feel more like guidance than output.

From there, the focus shifted:

Solution

A core experience that prioritises reflection and guidance (e.g. through prompts) through an interactive website

Now

Keep it casual, delightful and lighthearted
Encourages small, honest reflections
Keep it in a familiar space (online)

CONCEPTUALISE

Initial wireframes to figure out the flow and structure of the experience

Lofi prototype

Experimenting with Rive to create micro-interactions

OUTCOME

A coded website that The idea gives you playful, casual prompts that make writing feel easy and kind of enjoyable. You can write to someone else or yourself, and the flow is simple and relaxed, like you’re just having a little reflective moment.

REFLECTION

Learning from users, not assumptions

Outbox taught me the value of testing ideas early rather than becoming attached to a single direction. Throughout the project, I often found myself stuck on concepts that felt interesting to me but didn't always resonate with users. User testing helped me move past these creative roadblocks, challenge my assumptions, and make more informed design decisions. It reinforced that strong outcomes come from iteration and feedback, not from getting the right idea on the first try.

A guided way into writing