WENDY HO

Experiential Designer_


Creative
Tech_


Technology + Design to Reframe Perspective.
At the Intersection of Spatial, Digital Media, and Emerging Tech


 






01 TRAVARLOG
My-Duties
  • End-to-End Execution
  • Product Design
  • UI/UX
  • Interaction Design
Tools
  • Figma
  • Swift/SwiftUI


Overview




TravARlog brings nostalgia for the koukan-nikki to modern technology by pairing an iOS app with a postcard. Through mixed reality, the app helps creators build and preserve memories in a virtual environment. Meanwhile, the recipient receives a tangible 'Key' in the form of a unique physical postcard that unlocks the sender's thoughtfully curated augmented reality.

What is “Koukan-nikki” ?
"Koukan-nikki" translates to "Exchange Diary" in English. Exchange diaries were a popular trend in the 1990s, where people shared a notebook, taking turns to write their thoughts, comments, and experiences. This practice fostered a deep sense of connection—one that feels increasingly rare in today’s digital age.


Problem


These days, I feel like social media makes everything feel less real. The more we use it, the more it pulls us away from real experiences. It reminds me of when I used to write in exchange diaries as a kid. There was something special about sharing thoughts like that. It felt personal and honest. I keep thinking, what if there were a way to bring that feeling back by blending real life with the digital experience in a way that means something? 


Solustion



I want to recreate the feeling of losing my notebook key while I was participated in echange diary with a group of friends back in 2006. It was a small moment, but it held a deep sense of nostalgia and showed how fragile memories can be. In this project, a physical postcard acts as a unique key that unlocks a shared virtual world. What makes it special is that only the sender and receiver can access this immersive digital space, created through their tangible postcard exchange.



DESIGN PRINCIPLE AND GOALS
  • Meaningful Presence: Design strong sense of place by integrating spatial audio, scale, and location-aware storytelling that helps users feel grounded in their environment
  • Memory as Experience: Intergrated AR to let users relive or reshape past moments
  • Contextual Simplicity: Deliver only the most relevant visual and interactive elements based on the user's location and activity, reducing cognitive load and increasing clarity
  • Accessible Interaction: Ensure interactions are intuitive and welcoming to all users, whether they are tech-savvy or new to AR. Prioritize smooth navigation and simple input gestures
  • Physical and Digital Harmony: Blend physical surroundings with digital content in a way that feels natural and enhances spatial awareness, encouraging embodied engagement




Process

USER JOURNEY


USER TESTING
User testing showed that AR transformed passive viewing into an active and immersive experience. Participants shared that walking through the real world while discovering virtual items made the stories feel more tangible and personal, almost like stepping inside someone’s memory. Instead of just reading or watching, they were exploring.

Users also reported higher engagement with the AR version compared to traditional interfaces. Many stayed in the experience longer and described it as more like a journey than an app. The spatial storytelling encouraged curiosity, as people moved through physical space to unlock layered digital content. This created a unique intersection memory and interaction.

LO-FI WIREFRAME









Let’s Keep Memories Alive Together!


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