Gifts I want

October 2011

My birthday was a few weeks ago, and I was excited to find a black matte Wantful envelop amongst the bills and junk in yesterday’s mail. I was excited because I have been following the development of Wantful since its inception and because I’m not that great at receiving gifts since I have a very specific taste and a particular relationship with stuff – tangible or intangible. While I have had a few conversations with John and team about the idea, the design, and the products, experiencing the service for real was super exciting. Here’s a few notes and thoughts.

While everyone talks about the “out of the box experience” or “first 15 seconds”, it’s rarely done right, let alone thoughtfully. As you pull the ‘pull tab’ to open the envelop, it reveals the following message: Sixteen things you never knew you always wanted. Lovely design detail to set the tone of the experience.

The booklet is protected by a handmade Japanese washi which feels great in hand.

Inside is a square book with a simple message on the fullbleed cover:

For Raphael, From John.

The first spread shows a personal message and brief instructions on how to get the item you like most. Short and sweet.

The book contains a collection of sixteen carefully selected gifts for me to chose from. As I started flipping through the pages, I couldn’t help myself judging whether it was a right fit or not. It kinda of went like this: yes, spot on, what were you thinking, maybe, nice!, etc. All in all, there’s probably ten things I want and three I really really want. It’s pretty good considering they launched a few days ago and that I’m super difficult!

The experience of receiving a Wantful gift is awesome, but creating a collection for someone is also pretty great. Have a go.

Feel like replying to something? @grignani.

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