Sana Rao is a poet and product designer who has a tendency to focus on how technology can help us communicate in more authentic and meaningful ways. She currently works at Twitter and lives in San Francisco. Recently, I talked to her about her coasters.

Sana, these coasters look like they’re of special places, tell us more about them
They are! Each one is a reminder of a place I’ve been, special moments in my life. I’m glad I took a little bit of care in what I printed, it makes this Coastermatic set very meaningful to me.

The coaster with the ivy (above) was taken outside a study hall in Princeton, NJ. I was on a long weekend trip with friends, and no one was around at the school. There was a tree that was dropping golden flowers everywhere. It was so beautiful, it looked like a fairy tale. I even wrote a poem about it.

I took the one with bougainvillea when I was looking for an apartment in San Francisco. On this day, I’d just been to one that was awful. I’d visited so many places that weren’t right or were too expensive I was worried I’d never find a place. Then I visited this one, saw the bougainvillea - and I knew it was the one! A few moments later, I met who would be my new housemate and got the apartment that day.

This coaster is of an old fort in India that’s been converted to a hotel. It was a secret weekend trip where we spent the evening drinking tea amongst peacocks and levitating flowers.

How do you use your coasters?
I keep one next in my room, for night time tea. Then a couple are in the living room, and I have one at work. I don’t notice the coaster images all the time, but when I do they’re like a portal to that day. A physical timehop.

Thanks so much Sana!

 

Feeling inspired?
Make a special coaster set of your own today! 

Written by Tash Wong