Couple send ‘real’ greeting cards
Husband and wife start app amid the pandemic
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – During a year when many feel disconnected and technology is the only thing keeping people together, Jenny Sich’s app Cardlet is rekindling relationships.
Using the Cardlet app, senders can mail high-quality, physical greeting cards with AR surprises and voice messages. Recipients scan the cards and make the “magic” cards come to life right on their screen.
Sich and her husband, Matt, Cardlet’s Chief Technology Officer, worked on the greeting card delivery service for nearly a year and a half before releasing the app in May. Although there are other apps like Cardlet available, the Siches’ invention offers features and options designed to make every moment – even in 2020 – special.
“We’re delivering joy and happiness through these cards worldwide,” Matt said. “Knowing that we’re helping create these little moments is just so powerful for us and it really motivates us.”
Creating Cardlet
Jenny married Matt and moved to Knoxville from New Jersey a few years ago. As a new mom, she found herself missing her friends and family back home and “very emotional.” On top of it all, she forgot to send her dad a card on Father’s Day.
“That really got to me because I just appreciated him more than ever in that moment as a parent myself,” Jenny said.
She told her husband, who has a background in app development, that something needed to change.
“Jenny brings up this idea, and it was perfect timing because I was just so excited coming back from the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference and really wanted to build something of my own,” Matt said.
They got to work building the app, creating card designs and picking paper for printing. There were a lot of moving parts for new parents to handle all at once, so Matt called in reinforcements from his cousin Brandon Kirk who owns a printing company in Columbia, Tennessee.
Together the three family members made Cardlet, but not without some final tweaks to the technology. Jenny didn’t want to release the app without it being perfect first.
“Cardlet wouldn’t be where it is if it weren’t for that push from Jenny,” Matt said.
How the ‘magic’ works
Cardlet is made to make card-giving easier and more enjoyable for everyone. It starts with the sender, who downloads the app and chooses a design to mail. The Siches and Engle have loaded the app full of designs for almost every holiday, feelings like sympathy and love and for those fighting the pandemic on the frontlines.
Once senders choose a card, they’re directed to a page to add the recipients name and address. Cardlet guarantees each card to be delivered by a certain date, as long as it’s within two to four days with the exception of weekends and holidays.
From there, the Siches and Engle do all the work. Each card is made to order and cut and creased by hand in Knoxville. Cardlet uses matte cardstock paper that is heavier than the industry standard to ensure recipients recieve a card they can cherish for a long time.
Cardlet updates the sender every step of the way from printing to mailing. The Siches know timing is everything when it comes to delivery, so each card always arrives on time.
Finally, a recipient opens the card, which is sealed with a Cardlet sticker instructing them to download the app. The custom message inside is printed to look like handwriting, but the most personal touch happens when recipients scan the card. Cards sing, dance and even talk, depending on the sender’s selection and customization.
“The whole AR experience really does feel like magic when you take your phone and tap it to the card and it can be experienced,” Matt said.
“AR technology enriches the tradition of card giving to make people feel connected in a way they couldn’t before,” Jenny continued.
The interactive displays and sounds are available on Apple and Android devices and can be opened without the app. Recipients can scan the card as many times as they like to experience the AR and recorded voice elements, they can save the card to Cardlet’s Memory Box, a digital collection of Cardlet deliveries.
Bringing people together amid a pandemic
The Siches didn’t expect to release
Cardlet amid a global pandemic when people are encouraged to stay home and away from others, but the situation worked in their favor to some extent.
“I don’t want to say that the pandemic has helped us, but there has not been a better time and a more important time to send your loved ones a greeting card with your voice included and an AR experience,” Jenny said. “It’s just the best way we can be together for now, so our customers have really appreciated that.”
COVID-19 affected parts of Cardlet’s business model including delivery times, making the first few months a challenge for the Siches. Ultimately, they have been able to work out the kinks and are anticipating adding many new features in 2021.
“Upon launching this app, we were able to learn that things change and we have to change with it and adapt and do it quickly,” Jenny said.
“In the end, I think it helped us improve the app overall,” Matt finished.
What’s to come in 2021
This year was just the beginning for Cardlet. After launching during a pandemic and problem-solving the app’s operations, the Siches are excited to make card giving better from ordering to opening.
“This year was really about setting our base,” Matt said. “2021 is when we really get to have some fun.”
They are working to add more customization options so senders can use their own photos, handwriting and more. They’re also hoping to build features into the app that make sending cards easier like links for friends and family to fill in their own mailing information. “We want to use technology in a way that amplifies the experience,” Jenny said.