e-mail antidote

Over the last period of time I have been receiving mail. Real mail. Snail mail. Real letters from real people. 

I know some people that I would call letter artists, whenever I receive a letter from them, they have clearly spend considerable time writing me something that makes sense, and decorating the letter with illustrations and clippings. Impressive and one of the only reasons I look forward to my birthday every year.

But lately I have also been receiving real letters from people, institutes and companies that want my attention. It's very different from e-mail. It's so much more tangible. First of all, you might find your own name and address in handwriting as well as maybe a real stamp on the envelope! Then there is the un-packing or opening experience, you have to tear or cut through the paper to open the letter. Inside you find carefully curated, tactile paper-sorts, finely handwritten with a real pen, or typed in type-faces originating from a pre-computer era. It causes an emotional reaction; I feel nostalgia of those passed days when messages where passed on with care. When they where sincere and really meant for me. Me only. I'm touched.

Invitation from the Future Laboratory for their Luxury Forum

Catalogue from Fattoria la Villa

This makes me think that this is the opportunity that internet and mail-order companies like Amazon and Yoox could grab. Because there is nothing more un-personal to receive than your book-order from Amazon. There is a huge opportunity for them to connect with their consumers in a highly personal way by just paying a little bit more attention to the way they package and ship their goods. Make it personal, make people feel that they are receiving something from their best friend Amazon, instead of just a big anonymous internet company; Amazon. Then for sure they will remember you.

Open conversations on web 2.0

Kids seem to be behaving in virtual spaces in a way that is difficult for older generations to understand. On MySpace.com or on blogs an entire generation of teenagers are sharing with the public what we used to write in secret in a diary or only share with our closets friends. Today’s teenagers seem to perceive the internet space in a completely different way compared to older generations. The language is different and the rules of conduct are different. The older generation thinks of the internet as a public space whereas it seems that the young generation see the internet as one big platform where you can express yourself without (almost) any limitation. Internet probably creates a sort of anonymity and informality that inspires unrestrained behavior.


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