Product Design
SoulDice
Dec 11th, 2024
Project Overview
Context: SoulDice is a keepsake urn. This is solo passion project turned real product, selected for the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute's Startup Accelerator Program and now available on the market. Link to Shopify
Challenge: How might we create a cost-efficient, spiritually resonant urn for young adults coping with loss in order to offer meaningful memorialization without financial strain?
Date: April 16th 2024 - Present
Team: Solo Project
Responsibility: Concept Development, Idea Sketching, 3D Modeling, Pattern Design, Packaging Design, User Research, Customer Discovery, Factory Communication.
Initial Idea & Context
When my grandfather died, I felt profound sadness. Memorials weren't enough, so I created Soul Dice. This six-sided die lets you ask questions to departed loved ones, with each face providing meaningful answers and creating a tangible connection.
Research Methodology
Customer Discovery
Goal: Interview participants about their opinions on current urn market offerings to identify unmet customer needs.
Participants: 25 individuals across 3 age groups (college students, working professionals, and retirees) who have experienced loss of a loved one in recent years.
Location: Washington Square Park and NYU campus.
Market Research
Goal: Evaluate competitive landscape of urn companies to identify market opportunities and positioning.
Paper Research
Goal: Investigate contemporary urn designs, materials, and cultural significance.
Time Span: 3 weeks
Methodology: Reviewed 10 research papers on urn materials, traditions, focusing on spiritual beliefs and memorial practices.
Research Insights
Customer Discovery
Our interview shows younger customers (18-25) strongly favor customization, especially through pictures and QR codes. However, they have the lowest budget ($139 average) for personalization. This reveals an opportunity for affordable, tech-forward customization options targeting this demographic.
Customization Preference
Customization
Yes
63.7%
No
36.3%
Customization Style
Name
Picture
QR Code
Other
10
8
6
4
2
0
18-25
30-50
50-70
3
7
6
4
1
2
3
1
4
2
2
1
(Multiple Choice)
Respondents were allowed to select multiple preferences during the interview.
Average budget for Customization
Max Amount
500$
400$
300$
200$
100$
0
18-25
30-50
50-70
139
289
453
Market Research
Through Researching 18 Urn companies, we found that basic urns typically cost under $200, mid-range designs run a few hundred, and premium custom urns can exceed $500.
Basic Customized Urns
Mass Production
$150
Engrave name dates printed photo
brass, wood, aluminum.
Estimated Cost (Vendor)
~$50
per unit (varies by material)
Mid-Range Customized Urns
individually crafted
$359
custom shapes, color images
Marble, hardwood
Estimated Cost (Vendor)
~$100
per unit (varies by material)
Highly Customized Urns
Fully bespoke, artisan-made
$500+
Fully bespoke shapes
Ceramic, glass, exotic woods
Estimated Cost (Vendor)
$100+
per unit (varies by material)
Paper Research: Mediumship
Scientific Inquiry:
Rigorous mediumship research reflects our deep longing to explore life beyond death.
(Sommer)
Psychology’s Need:
Studying trance mediumship is essential for understanding human consciousness.
(Paraphrase: William James via Sommer)
Empowerment & Independence:
Spiritualism catalyzed women's rights and economic independence in 19th‑century America.
Persona
Design Opportunity
Many young adults want meaningful, personalized urns but can’t afford high-end options, revealing a gap in the market for affordable, emotionally resonant memorial products.
Problem statement (TL;DR): Young adults (ages 18–25) strongly value personalized urns, but have the lowest budget for customization (avg. $139). Current market offerings are either low-cost with limited personalization or high-end and financially inaccessible. This gap reveals a need for affordable, emotionally resonant urns that offer meaningful customization without premium pricing.
Opportunity Statement
How might we create a cost-efficient, spiritually resonant urn for young adults coping with loss in order to offer meaningful memorialization without financial strain?
Design Philosophy
I have an opportunity to reimagine urns as more than static containers — to create living reflections of the person they honor.
When meaning comes from presence, customization is no longer decoration — it becomes a continuation of who they were.
User Mapping
Design Ideation
Initial Skethces
I want to design a D6 dice where each side features a symbolic pattern representing different meanings, allowing users to roll it for guidance, reflection, or decision-making.
Design Prototyping
Dice Pattern Design
Blender Modeling
Rhino3d Modeling
Contracted Professional Modeling agency to produce a workable model.
Package Design
I used Poppy flower as an design element in the packaging.
Final Product
Dice
Package
Appendix
Credits & Acknowledgments
Maneo-Urn social media: Muhan Liu
Rhino3d Modeling: Yedi Headlight LLC
Reference:
Environmental Risk Study:
Mordhorst, A., Zimmermann, I., Fleige, H., & Horn, R. (2022). Environmental risk of (heavy) metal release from urns into cemetery soils. Science of the Total Environment, 817, 152952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152952
Death Rituals After Child Death:
Brooten, D., Youngblut, J. M., Charles, D., Roche, R., Hidalgo, I., & Malkawi, F. (2016). Death rituals reported by White, Black, and Hispanic parents following the ICU death of an infant or child. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 31, 132–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2015.10.017American Death Practices and DIY Funerals:
Dawdy, S. L. (2022, May 12). From green burials to DIY funerals, how death in America is changing.