The Wallet Project & Gift-Giving Project • Two widely-used and beloved tools from the d.school archive.

A fast-paced introduction to the design process.

Download resources

The Wallet Project and the Gift-Giving Project are two classic activities from the early days at the d.school. 

They have been contributed to, modified, stretched, and evolved by many d.school collaborators. Both are fast pace exercises that will guide you through an introductory design process where participants will get to experience five modes: empathy for others, defining a problem, ideating, prototyping, and testing solutions.  

For each activity, participants pair up and interview one another, come to a point of view of how they might design for their partner, ideate, and prototype a solution for their partner. 

How does it work?

Print the downloadable worksheets (one-sided on 11"x17" or A3 paper) and give one per student. 

The Wallet Project opens up a lot issues around identity, money, possessions, memories, security, loved ones, and more. The Gift-Giving Project brings up issues of duty, love, purchasing, holidays, remembering, honoring others, etc. You do not have to use the example topics; if you’d rather, pick a new topic in which there is a lot to learn by talking to someone. 

Translated versions

These activities have been translated into many different languages. 

BASQUE

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Garazi Azanza Mtz. de Luco for translation!

BULGARIAN

The Wallet Project

The Wallet Project Facilitator Guide

Thanks to Elina Zheleva for translation!

CATALAN

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Pere Juarez Vives for translation!

The Wallet Project

Thanks to Ramon Gomà (Innovaforum) & Teia Guix (Co-emprèn) for translation!

CHINESE

The Wallet Project

The Wallet Project Facilitator Guide

Thanks to Shui Linlin for translation!

CZECH

The Gift Giving Project

The Wallet Project

Thanks to 'clarity lab' for translation!

DUTCH

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Jetse Goris & Monique Taverne of Wenckebach Instituut UMCG for the translation!

SPANISH

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Sergio Majluf for translation!

The Wallet Project

Thanks to Teia Guix (Co-emprèn) & Ramon Gomà (Innovaforum) for translation!

FRENCH

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Chantal Lapp and Stephanie Kasten for translation!

GERMAN

The Gift Giving Project

The Wallet Project

Bootleg Deck

Thanks to Daniel Bartel, Christian Thurnes, & Mirjam Kyas for translation!

JAPANESE

The Gift Giving Project

The Wallet Project

Thanks to Takanori Kashino for translation!

KOREAN

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Junpyo Park for translation!

PORTUGUESE

The Gift Giving Project

Thanks to Paula Morais for the translation!

Challenges & Ideas Resources

Thanks to Soraya Lacerda for the translation!


How can I share these materials?

You are free to share these materials with attribution to the d.school. We follow the general principles of the Creative Commons license-these materials are for non-commercial share-alike use, which means that you're not charging to facilitate the a workshop based solely on d.school materials.

 

LICENSE: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE 4.0 INTERNATIONAL