I'll Meet You at the Rainbow Bridge

Levitia Patricia

Advisor: Daniel Shiffman, Alexander Porter

An evocative web-based virtual world designed to help individuals navigate the often-underestimated pain of pet loss.

Project Website Presentation
A white dog with a cute brown marking waits eagerly by the Rainbow Bridge, accompanied by a group of guide by its side

Abstract

"I'll Meet You at the Rainbow Bridge" aspires to guide the solitary path of pet loss toward a shared journey of remembrance and healing. Born from a personal story of loss, this virtual sanctuary invites individuals to celebrate the lives of their beloved pets within a serene world. By merging the tangible act of memorialization with the realms of digital space, this project envisions a world where the grief of pet loss is shared, understood, and hopefully, a little easier to bear.

Technical Details

- Development: React Three Fiber
- 3D Modeling, Animation & Environment Prototyping: Blender and Unity
- UI Design: Figma

Research/Context

Pets are family and having to let them go is a challenging emotion to navigate. For one, unlike other types of grief, societal norms often dictate that people ought to swiftly return to their routine following the loss of a pet, dismissing the depth of their grief. Yet, studies show that the sorrow felt from the passing of a pet mirrors the intensity of other forms of grief, with an increasing number of individuals turning to therapy for support. Inspired by the comforting concept of the Rainbow Bridge—a symbolic place of serene beauty where pets and their guardians reunite in joy—this web-based virtual world is intended for anyone who has lost a pet(s) at any juncture in their lives. Recognizing that grief is not a linear process, this thesis hopes to provide comfort to anyone in this situation irrespective of the temporal proximity to the event, and enable individuals to commemorate their departed companions by fostering a sense of solace derived from a community bound by shared experiences.

Further Reading

The Dog Mountain, Vermont
https://www.dogmt.com/Dog-Chapel.html

Pet Loss: Understanding Disenfranchised Grief, Memorial Use, and Posttraumatic Growth
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621545

The ‘Rainbow Bridge’ has comforted millions of pet parents. Who wrote it?https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2023/02/the-rainbow-bridge-has-comforted-millions-of-pet-parents-who-wrote-it)