Tutorial
I started the week with a really useful tutorial with Celine. I think before this I was quite confused about where to go next and what my next step would be - I've done all this research and started with ideas but I was at a bit of a loss. After much discussion about where my project was going, I realised I need to do five things over the next couple of weeks:
Create an action plan
Clarify my role in this project (designer, facilitator etc)
Review research and clarify question
Develop and define a method for design experimentation
Experiment through design - assess and analyse these methods
Action Plan
My Role
My initial role in this project will be as designer and illustrator. I want to develop methods that help me in my grieving process that I can then adapt to help others too. I am currently unsure of what guise this will be - whether it is a zine with my stories accompanied by one someone can fill in themselves, a workshop, a podcast etc.
Research Review and Clarification of Question
After conducting research I have decided to focus on exploring grief through illustrations. This is because:
During my interview with Gary Andrews he mentioned how he used drawing as a ritual to process his own grief. This is a really interesting idea - illustration is a way of storytelling and this has come up time and time again during my research phase.
Storytelling was cited in the 2021 study Facilitating grief: An exploration of the function of funerals and rituals in relation to grief reactions by Huibertha B. Mitima-Verloop, Trudy T. M. Mooren & Boelen, P as being more helpful to people grieving than going to an actual counsellor.
The two main design projects I have been inspired by are for sarah by Peony Gent and Where? by Simon Moreton. Both use illustration as an effective way of telling stories about the person they loved and lost.
Sophie Calle supported this idea that storytelling is important to the grieving process with the book that accompanied her installation Rachel, Monique. In the book she uses mixed media and handwriting to show her late mothers life in a positive celebratory way.
I want to steer clear of anything that has heavy admin as death is engulfed by admin. Researching the process after someone dies showed me this.
My research has been integral in delving deeper into the subject of grief and gaining a deeper understanding of the subject at hand. I want this newly developed ritual to be about using creativity to celebrate someones life and what they meant to you. I don't want it to be about feeling the absence of someone (although this inevitably happens) I want it to be about what you had when they were here. Gary Andrews put this beautifully when he said ""I've tried to practice what I call positive grieving. Which is basically yes you've had a loss but rather than bemoaning what you don't have I try and celebrate what I did have. I'm lucky, I had 19 years of perfection with this amazing woman and so many people don't get that". I was really inspired by this and am keen to work this into my final outcome.
Current Question
How can I use space and storytelling to transform rituals of grief in the UK for current, more secular times?
Question Development
How can I use storytelling through illustration to develop new rituals of grief in the UK?
How can I use storytelling through illustration to develop a new celebratory ritual of grief in the UK?
How can I use storytelling through illustration to develop a new creative and celebratory ritual of grief in the UK?
How can I develop a new ritual of grief in the UK that celebrates someones life creatively through illustration and storytelling?
Can illustration and storytelling be used to create a new ritual of grief in the UK to celebrate the life of the person lost?
After talking to Celine and asking for advice, she advised me not to use the phrase "how can I..." so my new and improved research question is:
How can storytelling and illustration enable celebratory rituals of grief in the UK?
Design Development
After resetting the process in the last phase I want to be clear about my three main objectives for this project.
Create Ritual - The concept of my project remains the same - to help create a ritual for people processing grief. Being prescriptive is not important in this project - I want to provide something that people can use in their own way and in their own time to create a new, personal ritual. People grieve in their own personal way and I want to respect that in this project.
Give Light - Light was a key theme when researching religious attitudes to death and grief. It has been used as a symbol of remembrance and I want to honour in my project. Light is referred to throughout history and literature and the beauty of light is something I want to harness.
Hold memories - Much of my design research and religious research pointed to storytelling as an important part of the grieving process. Whether that is through talking, writing drawing or another form it is key
in understanding and expressing feeling. I want to carry this theme throughout my project as a way to stay connected with the person lost.
I decided to develop my book as object idea. Above you can see my initial thoughts on how the book would be constructed. It would be accordion bound to represent the circular nature of life and death. The pages would be blank for people to add their memories/stories/photos/drawings to and would then transform into an object.
This would represent the idea that the person you have lost is still here with you - reflecting the research I conducted into religion and secular beliefs after death. While secular people tend not to believe in life after death, this would be a way of having the continuing presence of the person lost, having not only a look of memories but also something that turns into an object for the home. It would be there but also not intrusive.
Comparing this to my idea about a memory screen I think this would be less likely to cause dwelling over the death as it is. a less invasive presence. It would also reflect the interview I conducted with Gary Andrews where he discussed the fact that everyone mourns in a different way. This idea would allow people to grieve in their own way but also in a structured way, creating rituals around the object that fit in with their family or personal journey.
These are the first few ideas I had regarding what the object could be. I have used symbols of memorial found in other religious rituals - for example a candle/light and a clock representing the passage of time. I have also looked at photo frames and keepsake bowls to tie in with non religious remembrance.
Currently my favoured ideas are the lamp and the candle. The lamp is more practical as it can be used for longer and in a safer situation.
Before I develop this idea any further I want to evaluate it against the three criteria I set out at the start of the ideation.
Create Ritual
The presence of this item in the home will serve as a reminder of the person you lost and keep the bond going after death. Using the object for its intended purpose could encourage individual rituals that would maintain the bond between person and deceased. Both filling in the book and using it as an object can act as a link between the bereaved and the deceased.
Give Light
The inclusion of light in these ideas is paramount to connecting this to my research into religion. Light has a lot of meaning when remembering someone lost and some of these ideas include light as a main element.
Hold Memories
The book allows the person or family to tell the story of the lost persons life which research showed as one of the best ways to process grief [8]. The presence of an object in the home may also prompt someone to tell stories long after they have completed the book.
The book as object could be either a solo exercise or something a family fills in together. While its main purpose isn't to build a community, it can be used as a tool to do so. I could also think about running workshops to help people get started with this book as some people may be at a bit of a loss if they aren't naturally creative.
Summary so far...
I am so pleased I took a step back and returned to the research stage in the last few weeks because I don't think I would have come up with this idea otherwise. Looking at religious ceremonies and traditions really helped me identify what was missing in secular grief rituals and design this object around that.
Overall I am happy with how this project is going, I think the book as object fulfils my criteria and I think it would be a great way of helping people process grief and create secular rituals to help them do it. The next step is to figure out how this would be constructed.
Models
I decided the next step was to mock up my design by making sketch models to work out how this would work.
The first stage was to make the accordion book. I quickly realised that I need to add a binding to the spine in order for the book to fold out in the circular way I need.
Staples were the first thing I tried but they only allowed for the book to open up to a semi circle which isn't what I am going for. I need to look at perfect binding rather than staple binding.
I mocked up perfect binding by gluing each accordion page into a spine for the book. This worked really well and I got the 360 book opening I was aiming for.
I really like the look of this and think it would serve really well as both a book to contain memories and the base of a lamp for example. It not only functions as a way to tell stories and collect memories but also as a beautiful object for the home. The next step is to see how a lamp or candle etc would fit into this.
I have definitely got the ratios wrong on this one as the lamp is way too small. It's also quote a traditional lamp and I want to design something that people want in their home - a beautiful object to represent the life of the person lost.
This was a much better sketch model to show my design. The sketch model phase has been invaluable and I think it has given me really good standing for further development. The next stage is to look deeper into this design and the function of the book as object.
Making sketch models and dong the above exploded drawing really helped me to explore this idea in three dimensions, although it did bring up more questions than answers it was invaluable in the design process. I really feel like my core idea is solid. I presented it to some of my peers from different cohorts (who I met in Berlin on the study trip) to get some feedback. Some quotes from this are:
I love the idea of having something so personal on display but people wouldn't know what was inside
I think people would really benefit from using it and having it around the house.
I feel like the light element could be a really powerful element when processing grief.
It was really encouraging to get such positive feedback. It has also made me think carefully about the configuration of the lamp. In this design, the main object seems to be the lamp shade whereas I want it to be the book. The memories of the person lost really should be the main focus of the object.
By moving the light source to the central pole of the lamp it allows the book to be attached at the top and act as the light source. The light symbolises the idea that the deceased person is still there, an ever present but non intrusive presence in the bereaved persons life.
The next step will be to look at how this would be constructed and possible packaging ideas. I also thought about how the person would receive this and I like the idea of it coming in a box with the lamp stand, the pole and the book. The box could be repurposed as a memory box and also have personalisation on it. Each element will be personalised so if, for example, the book was elsewhere, the lamp would still have an engraved dedication to the person lost.
Packaging
I really like the idea of the object coming as a flat pack in a beautiful box that can then be used as a memory box after the light and book are removed. Each part will be personalised with the name of the deceased which will be chosen by the bereaved person buying the object.
I then wanted to look at more realistic mock ups to test whether this would be an attractive object people would want to have in their homes.
I think the first one is quite old fashioned however I really like the second and third. The wooden stands are a symbol of nature and the circle of life to echo the circular form of the boo. This natural look will not only work with a wide range of interior decoration styles but also add a calming presence in the home.
I then wanted to look at more realistic mock ups to test whether this would be an attractive object people would want to have in their homes.
Summary of section
At this point, with such a developed idea I wanted to test this against other ideas. I want to make sure I have a robust idea that creates ritual, gives light and holds memories.
My next step is to look at the composition of a book to see how I can utilise this to create a more pared back simple design. To start, I went through my bookcase and chose my favourite books - not based on content, purely on design. See below:
Oliver Twist
This book has a beautiful soft cover which is embossed with the repeat clock pattern. It feels really nice to hold and the cloth cover makes it feel like a part of the home. The cover also makes the book more durable which is important in the project because I want the object to last a long time.
The pattern is beautiful and subtly hints at the content inside. I love the monotone style which I think is simple but really effective. The pages on the inside are really smooth which I don't think is the texture I want to go for. The beginning and end pages are the same dark blue colour as the embossed print which works really well to show the definite start and end to the book.
2. Fleabag The Scriptures
I love the gold leaf text on this design and the fact that it is on a cloth cover is even better. I think this looks really simple yet really well designed. I want my design to be simple in the same way - overcomplicating the design would be a mistake because the most important part of this is the content people will put inside.
The beginning and end pages are bring pink in direct contrast with the navy cover. This works well in this book however I do not think it would be the right way to go with my design - it seems a bit frivolous and light hearted. While I don't want my design to be too sombre, I also need it to be respectful. The pages are more sketchbook texture, a bit rougher which I really like - I think it lends itself to being drawn on and sketched in far more than smooth paper.
3. Hamnet
I've always thought Hamnet was a beautiful book from its bright red cover to the gold embossed illustrations. It is cloth so it has the same durability as Oliver Twist and will last longer. I love the simple title down the spine and the continuation of the gold leaf design across the back. It feels nice to hold and comforting.
The beginning and end pages are gold leaf patterned too. While beautiful I think this design is quite ostentatious and not suitable for this project. The cloth cover however is something I have identified as a possibility.
4. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Again this is a cloth covered book with gold leaf embossing. It is a simple, classical design on an olive green background. The pages are smooth, almost like a bible which I don't think will work for this but the cover design is beautiful. The beginning and end pager are lightly patterned with the gold leaf.
Summary of Book Research
Looking at these books has been really useful as it has made me think about what I like and what I don't like about the design of these books. A common theme throughout this is the idea of a cloth cover - it feels comforting and almost like a soft furnishing making it feel like it belongs as an object in the home. I also really liked the gold leaf effect, I think it ads an extra layer of texture to the book.
Physical Study
From this I will look at the physical composition of a book to see how I can use this to design a simple yet effective book as object.
I decided to go back to basics - keeping the idea of a book in mind, I mapped out the average daily routine. This way I can see possibilities for where a ritual could fit into someone’s normal day.
I identified the bedroom and the hallway as the main areas people visit every day and may have time or be reminded to complete the ritual.
Summary
While this development was helpful it has helped me realise that this is not the right route. It feels like I am focussing more on the object than the three clear objectives I set myself which were:
Create ritual
Hold memories
Give light
For the purposes of further development I am going to put the book idea to one side and focus on something which will meet my three objectives outside of this idea.
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