One of the biggest challenges facing the design community is the point of contact between ourselves, & a growing mass of electronic data. Of all the accoutrements of modern living, the wallet or purse is one of the few items we keep with us at most times, & use on an almost daily basis. Few other personal possessions contain quite so much information about the owner. Conventional cash is giving way to electronic currency, although hard cash continues to have its uses. Electronic processors make manipulating information effortless, but the old-fashioned paper & pen offer immediacy & the business card offers convenience. A wallet of rubber is designed in leaf form, allowing compartments & functions (Electronic cash handling, personal digital assistants, communication tools etc) to be added or removed. The flexible nature of this design allows the owner to customise & update this accessory according to taste, requirements, & available technology. Optional tactile controls would provide Infra red or cellular links, giving the user a portable, personalised interface. Approximate dimensions (Closed) 110 x 90 x 20mm. Rubber, with its unique qualities would make an ideal point of contact between physical & virtual, giving warmth to the touch & tactile feedback. As an item to be carried on the person it has the flexibility to mould around the user, and to yield rather than fracture when subjected to the inevitable knocks of daily life.
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