Dear Remains

Three questions to the project team

What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The project focuses on life context in which users experience high stress. From a UX perspective, the key challenge was to provide support without adding additional pressure. Early concepts included multiple interaction layers and emotionally expressive elements. However, interviews and usability testing showed that when users are under emotional stress, complex content becomes harder to process and can even lead to avoidance of use.
Based on these insights, we refocused on users’ most essential needs, simplified the user flow, and clarified key functions. The final solution offers a calm and easy-to-understand user path while maintaining flexibility for users, prioritizing emotional safety and clarity over feature richness.

What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
Our highlights of the project was how the user perspective directly challenged our initial design assumptions. At the beginning, we believed that richer interactions and stronger emotional expression would help users feel more supported. However, through conversations with users, we gradually realized that this approach of “adding more expression” could sometimes make users feel uneasy.
This insight led us to understand that meaningful support does not necessarily come from more content, but often from restraint, openness. The low point of the project came when we decided to remove design elements we were deeply invested in. Although this decision was not easy, it significantly improved the clarity and comfort of the overall experience.

Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
In the next five years, we aim to continue deepening our practice in UX design, with a stronger focus on responsible and human-centered design. This project has strengthened our understanding of restraint, clarity, and emotional safety, and these principles will continue to guide our future design decisions.
Regarding the project itself, we see potential for further development through deeper research and collaboration with professionals from related fields. Rather than evolving into a feature-heavy solution, the project is better suited to gradually becoming a focused and thoughtfully scoped product, offering targeted support to bereaved families during the process of sorting and engaging with personal belongings.