Sissi Lu Inc
Do Not X Ray Pouch
Designed a sleek travel pouch that empowers film photographers to navigate airport security with confidence— now stocked in 300+ stores across North America after a sold out launch.
Project type: UX-Led Physical Product
Role: Lead Designer
Stakeholders: Company founder, manufacturer
Duration: 3 months
The Problem
For photographers traveling with film, airport security can feel daunting — built for laptops and phones, not light sensitives rolls of film.
Photographers need a clear, credible way to request film hand checks without delays, language barriers or risking damage to their work.
The Goal
Design a sleek, credible tool that empowers photographers to request hand checks quickly and confidently — across languages and airport protocols — without compromising their film.
User Research & Insights
To understand the challenges photographers face while traveling with film, I leveraged Sissi Lu’s Instagram platform. With an audience of over 100,000 people - a large portion of those being analog photographers around the world - I conducted polls and collected qualitative insights that explore how photographers currently travel with film and the challenges they face.
Instagram Poll Results
I received responses from 800+ participants globally, the majority of whom identified as active analog photographers.
77% of respondents use basic ziplock bags or keep film loose when traveling.
50% of respondents said worrying about x-ray damage was their top concern.
64% of photographers experienced communication or credibility issues.
Most photographers travel with between 6-10 rolls of film.
In Their Own Words
“I know I’m allowed to ask for a hand check, but it feels like I’m slowing everyone down.”
“I was flying out of Heathrow and asked for a hand check, but the staff kept pointing to a sign saying anything under 800 ISO was fine. I felt like I had to let it go through and sure enough, some of my film came back fogged.”
“I had no clue how to say ‘ISO’ or ‘light-sensitive’ in French. Google Translate wasn’t helpful.”
Based on my research, I identified three Jobs to Be Done that guided the design direction:
“I need a quick and effective way to ask airport security for a hand check, so I can protect my film from the x ray machine without holding up the queue.”
“I need a professional and credible way to alert airport security that my film requires a hand check, so I’m taken seriously and not pressured into risking damage to my work.”
“I need a simple way to request a hand check in multiple languages when traveling abroad, since technical requests like this are difficult to translate even with apps.”
Design Exploration
I explored a number of possible solutions, evaluating each using an Impact/Effort Matrix.
I landed on the pouch as my design solution because it’s…
Professional
Communicates seriousness and legitimacy.
All-in-one
Keeps film organised and easily accessible.
Lightweight
Doesn’t add bulk or weight to carry-ons.
Complementary
Can house info cards and stickers.