Print Publication design
What We Carry With Us is a collection of moments that invite us to connect with the people around us, discovering their stories through keychains. I started this project to understand the people around me better. To feel grateful for what we have, and understand what we might take for granted. May this journey through vulnerability foster not just understanding, but new friendships, unexpected love, and warm smiles exchanged in hallways. Thank you for your open heart. We need more people like you in this world.
The project scope lasted 4 months.
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Home
This is a book about connection. Over 4 months, I challenged myself to be the sole interviewer, editor, and designer for this publication. Those represented in this project are former strangers, friends, and family. 12 gracious individuals made the final cut. The majority of interviews were conducted in an improvised manner to maintain an authentic connection with each interviewee. Oftentimes, I asked a starter question like such:
What’s the most meaningful thing you’ve ever lost? What did it teach you?
The questions all pointed to the core concept of: “What do we hold closest, and what do we need to learn to let go of?” This big question is knowingly difficult to respond to, especially when in conversation with a stranger. Through the interview process, it became evident that we are often connected in both obvious and inadvertent ways; however, it takes some curiosity and compassion from both parties to arrive at an equal space.
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Preliminary construction
A core concept for this book surrounded the idea of transparency. I headed into interviews with pure curiosity. I wanted to know how each person lived, and if I already knew, what else could I learn about them in the process? The vellum overlay outlined where each key came from, what car they drove, and any special memories attached to keychain items. This idea was eventually scrapped due to an accumulation of too much information. This forced me into a new direction. How can I tell this story of human connection, without telling you everything I’ve got? What can the viewer infer for themselves?
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From beginning to end, this magazine challenged. It was my responsibility to convey the authenticity of each interview, whilst intentionally deciding what wasn’t valuable to include. After the fact, I realized I had completed my own mission: deciding what to keep and what I needed to leave behind. As a designer, it’s frustrating when an idea doesn’t pan out how you hoped it would, but in the process, my idea evolved and became something far more interesting than I previously imagined it could be.
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The production of What We Carry With Us was made possible through an academic grant with Appalachian State University. 45 copies were printed, sold, and disseminated at the Omnium Gatherum Senior Design Show.
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The entirety of the interviews and the 68 editorial pages was solely conceptualized and completed by me. The final interview was my personal experience creating this publication, as well as my lived vulnerabilities. What I took away upon completion was that I had let go of the initial form of this magazine. I let the interviewees guide the content, and learned the importance of asking questions with curated depth. Talk to a stranger. Learn something new about the people who raised you. The stories are what keep us human.
Amalie McCracken
2026
amaliemcc@gmail.com
+19197487800
Linkedin
Based in London, UK.
Empathy,
observation,
& connection.