WHAT IS YOUR THESIS QUESTION?

What are the optimal ways in which we, the living can maintain a positive dialog with those who have past in a constructive manner?

How can we help the living avoid negative forms of ideation, and grief, but also keep the memory of those who have past alive in an insightful manner?

 

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU? / WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS WITH THIS PROJECT? / WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO MAKE?

(Why) is this important to you?

I’ve had rather intimate experiences over the past 6-ish years with the loss of a number of family members, family associates, and mentors. Those experiences have all served to make me a more well rounded person, but the process was incredibly painful. As a result I’ve had questions of “legacy”, “coping”, and “familial memories” develop within myself. So I’m using this amazing environment at Tisch to explore these themes.

(What) are your goals with this project?

I wanted to take this opportunity to attempt to put something into the world that could possibly help re-contextualize the grieving process for people at a higher risk of losing loved ones in a positive, compassionate manner. I would prefer a solution that actually works, it needs to be very, very easy to use, and it needs to tap into the areas of human perception that register things like comfort, companionship, & love.

(What) do you plan to make?

[History]

The initial concept was a tool to automate, and replicate interactions with a person who passed away by creating a portable Memex that had the features of shareability, ease of use, and MVP-centric features. However, with my research revealing very close, pre-existing pseudo implementations of my original concept I’ve found my self having to pivot.

The next pivot was tying media inputs that the surviving user complied from a variety of sources (Audio, Visual, Pictures, Texts, ect…) into a basic service that could replace those media “relics” based on the user’s project feelings or a user defined schedule.

There was also the companion “creature” that could be loaded with a “personality file” to have limited outputs to help comfort the user in the guise of that loved one.

[Current]

However, the scale of these could be… huge… and we don’t have another year to work on these projects in program.

So I‘ve been looping back around to my original research, and the emphasis on voice from my test survey data. I think it would be possible to create a digital fabrication that lets users call the host, and leave a set timed message that speaks of the impact of the person who passed away (…or whatever they want). So that ultimately digital shrines could be compiled, linked to, and shared with others.

They would not necessarily have to “be” of that person so long as they help to comfort, and speak to their lives and memories.

 

INFLUENCES OR INSPIRATION?

[Non Eternal Citation] – My first implementation of the Bear-Voice Remembrance Project

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11023-017-9445-2 – The Political Economy of Death in the Age of Information: A Critical Approach to the Digital Afterlife Industry

https://storycorps.org/participate/great-questions/ – StoryCorp Mobile Application

https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/10/18/139457/digital-version-after-death/ – MIT Technology Review: “Digital immortality How your life’s data means a version of you could live forever” [Thanks Christina!]

https://dsi.sva.edu/project/friends-with-death/ – Friends With Death: A Thesis project by Luciana Rodrigues [Thanks Nicoletta!]

https://www.insidehook.com/feature/advice/interview-death-doula-alua-arthur-living-compassionately – What a Death Doula Can Teach Us About Living More Compassionately

https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/retreat/files/abram_the_spell_of_the_sensuous_perception.pdf – The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World [Thanks Maria!]

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clubhouse-drop-in-audio-chat/id1503133294 – Clubhouse: Drop In Audio Chat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_(telephony) – Party line (telephony) Definition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memex – Memex Definition

 

HOW DO YOU ENVISION REALIZING THIS PROJECT?

Research and lots of testing with elements of fast failure are very much key because I need to know if issues come up in the creation process quickly so I can pivot, or make any necessary adjustments.

I also intend to continue my research as I move along in the process because it has continually informed the refinement of my concept, and I’ve learned that between the feedback, offered resources, and scope broadening process that research is core to all of this.

 

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS (approx 2-3 sentences each)

What are your areas of strength?

My broad exposure to technology underpinnings helps to backup the concepts that I create, and my

What areas do you think you need to work on?

I’ve tended towards generalism in my past life, and this means I have a wide breadth of knowledge. However, it also means that I can become overwhelmed by the unforeseen depths of an implementation and my vision can be out of scope at that time as a result.

Technologies you want to explore in depth?

Figma – Both as a drafting tool for mobile/desktop design, and as a means of realizing those designs without having to removed one’s self from that tool too much.

Skillshare – I want to use this service to help bridge any design gaps that come up along the way.

App Design – I’m not sure which platform to focus on but that depends upon how the migration of “Figma to Platform” process works out…

Twilio – This API can be used for voice communications in many applications.

Tags

#always4ever #neverreallygone #shrine-y #legacy