Winner of the 2025 MS Capstone Project Award
Letters from the Microworld is a mail service storytelling experience that I created for my MS Design capstone at Stanford University. Unfolding over the course of 12 days, the epistolary story was told through a series of six comics and six interactive miniatures. Every other day, participants opened a new envelope, containing a Riso printed comic and map to a hidden miniature post box themed to each episode. Each post box featured special effects and interactive components meant to evoke a sense of wonder and interpersonal connection. Learn more about how I created Letters from the Microworld here.
Episode 1 (Year 1 Fall)
Episode 1 explored the theme of achievement. The post box, hidden on a wall of the post office, could be activated by shining a flashlight through a slot on the base. In addition, participants were given a star sticker to leave on the miniature.
Episode 2 (Year 1 Winter)
Episode 2 explored loneliness and belonging. Participants were given a code to access a drawer on the post box, which was hidden on a billboard near Green Library. The drawer contained a small booklet (not pictured) in which participants were asked to share a memory of loneliness and a memory of belonging from their time at Stanford.
Episode 3 (Year 1 Spring)
Episode 3 explored the theme of comparison. The post box, mounted to a lamp post by Memorial Church, could be activated by shining a black light on the surface. Participants were also invited to leave their mark by placing a glow in the dark googly eye on the miniature.
Episode 4 (Year 2 Fall)
The theme of Episode 4 was home. Hidden next to Memorial Auditorium, the post box invited participants to take part in a pet rock exchange. They were first instructed to find and decorate a rock found in a place of personal meaning. Then, they dropped their rock off inside the post box, taking the pet rock that was previously left behind.
Episode 5 (Year 2 Winter)
Episode 5 explored the topic of burnout. The post box, which was hidden next to Terman Fountain, could be activated by shining a flashlight through a slot on the base. In addition, participants were given a small tuft of miniature grass to stick onto the miniature.
Episode 6 (Year 2 Spring)
The theme of the last episode was transience. Participants were asked to write a postcard to another participant, recommending a bucket list to make the most of the time they have left at school. The postcards were dropped off inside the post box to be stamped and mailed.
