design
On Making Things Worth Keeping
Most souvenirs are forgettable by design. They're made quickly, to a price point, in quantity — and they communicate exactly that.
But occasionally you encounter one that's different. Something small that earns its place on a shelf for years, that gets picked up and looked at again. What makes the difference?
It's not about price
Expensive isn't the same as good. Some of the best keepsakes are cheap — a postcard, a coin, a small printed card. Price is just one lever; it's usually not the right one to pull first.
It's about specificity
A keepsake works when it refers to something real. Not "travel" or "nature" or "friendship" in the abstract, but a specific city, a particular coastline, a shared joke that requires knowing both people.
The more specific the reference, the more powerful the object — but only for the people for whom it's specific. This is a feature. Mass appeal and keepsake value are opposites.
The material carries weight
Objects communicate through their materials before anyone reads a word. Something printed on thin paper says something different than the same image on 300gsm card. Something that fits in a palm says something different than something that requires a shelf.
The right material makes the object feel already at home in the world.
These are the questions we start with before designing anything. Not "what will this look like?" but "what should this feel like to hold, and why would anyone keep it?"