Objective
Although the original form successfully collected the necessary information, it did not feel connected to the playful direction of the project. It also made story contribution feel like a research survey rather than a meaningful act of preservation. The objective of this redesign was to keep the required data collection while presenting it as an expressive and approachable postcard-making activity.
Process Breakdown
Writing the Story
The first stage focuses only on writing. Contributors can enter any family memory they want, but starting from an empty text box can be difficult. I therefore added a “Hint me!” function that produces a random prompt. The prompt is optional, and contributors can request another one or ignore it completely.
Decorating and Categorising
In the second stage, the contributor decorates the postcard through the same categories used by the archive. They choose how close they feel to their family, select between one and three narrative focuses, and identify the overall tone of the story. A live preview shows how these choices affect the appearance of the postcard.
Using Decoration as Metadata
Although the process appears decorative, these selections also generate the metadata used to organise the archive. This means that categorisation is not separated into a long technical form but is integrated into the visual creation of the postcard.
Reviewing the Contribution
The final stage presents the completed story and selected categories for review. Contributors can check the information, add any required contextual details, confirm consent and submit the story. The story is then sent for moderation rather than appearing publicly immediately.
Clarifying Consent
The playful design cannot hide the fact that contributors are sharing personal material. I therefore kept the consent statement and publication information direct, so users understand how the story may be displayed and that it will be reviewed before becoming public.
Key Takeaways
- Dividing the submission into writing, decoration and review made the process feel less administrative without removing necessary information.
- The postcard decoration successfully performs two roles at once: personal expression for the contributor and structured categorisation for the archive.
Reflection
- This version feels much more connected to the tone and purpose of the overall project.
- The optional prompt was important because it provides support without controlling what contributors are allowed to remember.
- The review and consent stage remains deliberately straightforward because ethical clarity is more important than maintaining the metaphor at every moment.