A letter with no envelope.
A monthly interactive letter for Iranians living abroad, bringing a little piece of home to wherever they are. I write, design, and build each issue, learning from readers as Homay evolves.
Two letters, two experiments.
See how Homay evolved from its first digital issue to a little journey through Rasht.
Open either letter to read it exactly as readers got it, in Persian.
A monthly mail club for Iranians abroad: a small, familiar piece of home.
I was a digital nomad in Southeast Asia, and my readers lived across many countries.
A digital letter first: two issues, a survey after each, and 10 of 11 November readers want the next one.
It started long before Homay.
I’ve always loved making things. Stories, photographs, visuals: anything that could turn an idea into something people could experience.
Years later, product design gave me a way to connect those interests. And with AI making experimentation more accessible, I finally had the chance to bring them together in something of my own.
Then I came across mail clubs: a letter, cards and small surprises that arrive every month. I loved the idea of making something people look forward to. And I knew who I wanted to write to: Iranians living abroad, for whom a small, familiar piece of home might mean something.
The dream met reality.
My first idea was a physical mail club: a real envelope every month, with something familiar from home inside.
But I was living as a digital nomad in Southeast Asia, and the people I wanted to write to were spread across many countries. Printing, packaging and international shipping would add cost and complexity before I knew whether anyone wanted the letter at all.
Where Iranian-born migrants live, 2024 Share of all Iranian-born migrants
- United States24.9%
- Germany16.4%
- Canada11.8%
- Türkiye11.5%
- United Kingdom7.2%
- Sweden5.1%
- Australia5.1%
- Other destinations18.0%
So instead of investing in physical production before testing the idea, I started with a digital version. The physical mail club is still a long-term possibility, not a promise.
What if I could preserve the feeling of receiving a letter, while using everything digital can offer?
I didn’t want a PDF pretending to be paper. I wanted to understand what makes a letter special, then use the screen to recreate it, and go further.
A letter gives
- Anticipation
- Discovery
- Intimacy
- Something to hold
Digital adds
- Exploring and personal choices
- Music and ambient sound
- Small games and surprises
- Links to films, songs, podcasts
- Taking part and giving feedback
- Reaching any country at once
Each issue mixes three kinds of things: something to discover, something to play, and a way to connect. Break the seal to find a real one of each from November.
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The first letter was an experiment.
The first issue went out in October 2026. I deliberately started small: publish something real, find a first group of readers, and learn whether the experience resonated at all.
What 17 readers said
October reader survey · 17 responses, not every question answered by everyone · Oct 20–26, 2026
Readers described a mood more than the content. In the written comments, music came up more than anything else. A small first group, not a representative sample, but enough to show what worked and where reading got harder.
“More than the content itself, I loved the atmosphere it created.”
Reader, translated from Persian“The way it made me feel was so beautiful... a feeling of being part of something, a sense of connection.”
Reader, written in EnglishOne month later, a different letter.
For November I tried a new direction: one issue, one Iranian city. The first was Rasht, a rainy city in the north known for its food and its fish market.
Not a tourist guide, but a small, personal visit: regional music and ambient sound, a local phrase, a recipe, stories and facts, films and a podcast, games and a quiz.
From notebook to issue
November started on paper. I mapped everything Rasht could offer, dropped the monthly occasions, and narrowed the map to a numbered list of stops before designing a screen.
October → November
What I observed in October, what I changed, and why. These are responses to feedback, not proven improvements; chapter 6 has what readers said next.
Reading
9 of 17 discover similar content on Instagram or Telegram
Phone-first layout, big tap targets
Fit where readers already discover things
Content
Readers wanted more depth
One city, ten stops
Depth over headlines
Navigation
3 of 17 couldn’t find sections
Contents page and travel index
Easy to find and revisit
Participation
Missions felt like paperwork
Five hidden stamps to find
Play, not tasks
Sound
Music came up most in comments
Rain, wood fire and Gilaki songs
Sound carries a place
Still writing the next chapter.
November ended with a survey asking readers to compare the two issues. 9 of 11 liked November more, 1 saw no difference and 1 preferred October. Encouraging early feedback from a small group, not proof that the redesign works.
November favourites Top four sections readers named, out of 11; several answers allowed
- Photo story8/11
- Rasht music and sounds7/11
- A phrase in Rashti7/11
- Kaka recipe6/11
want the next letter after November; one isn’t sure yet. After October, it was 16 of 16 who answered.
What I’m still learning
- Which content resonates most, beyond two issues?
- Which countries my readers are actually in. The sign-up asks, so I can start answering this.
- Which formats make people come back?
- How can readers take a bigger part?
- Is there enough lasting interest for a physical version?
Open questions, not completed research.
Could it sustain itself?
Readers pay for future issues or extra experiences.
A membership built around culture, shared interests and taking part.
A few carefully chosen partners that fit the readers and the project.
Business hypotheses, not existing revenue.
The physical mail club hasn’t gone away. I may explore it once I understand the readers, where they live, and what production and shipping would take. Until then, the digital letter isn’t a placeholder; it’s a product with its own strengths.
Homay started with a physical letter I couldn’t send. Going digital didn’t make the idea smaller. It gave me new ways to tell stories, connect with readers and keep experimenting. I’m still figuring out what Homay can become, and that’s part of why I love building it.