Before I go any further with the design I want to test it against my research question which is:
How can we transform rituals of grief for current, more secular times?
Alternative Ideas
Holographic Record
I came across holographic records a while ago talking to the owner of my local record store. During my research I found that the most important things in this project are storytelling and the feeling that the person is still with us. After my initial idea of the book as object I wanted to test ideas in different directions.
Audio and visual are the two ways memories have been shown to embed. We remember the way things look, objects, songs and voices so why not try and combine these things into one ritual? This idea is to record stories and songs about the person lost onto a record which will have a holographic image on top relating to that person. The technology for this is relatively new and it still requires a light to shine over the top. I could also think about etching photos into the actual record so when it spins the image is clear and when it's still it just looks colourful.
Looking at the holographic record, although I do like it as a concept, I would rather this project was a bit less static. With the record you record onto it once then it is set, there is not an option for updating it or adding to it without getting another record. I want to make it more of a living archive that can be changed over time. I want to go back to the lamp idea and develop it further.
After a crit with Celine, it was mentioned that the lamp is a bit obvious and doesn't necessarily lend itself to a ritual. I want to take this feedback and work with it in order to develop my ideas further.
The lamp was a little too obvious and a candle is a running theme throughout the major religions I researched. I like the idea of having a candle sitting on top of a 'memory box' then encased so it's not too obvious unless you know. A big problem with this one however is the room to put the memories in would be quite small and it wouldn't be easy to access them again. I think this is a good development from the lamp however more development is needed.
I then came up with the idea of having a light/lamp/sculpture that would light up at a certain time everyday. The ritual when the light comes on would be to either write down memories and post them underneath or re read some of the previous ones. This would create a strong ritual and the timer could be set by the individual.
I like this idea because it has a strong ritual aspect and answers my brief better than previous ideas. I think this needs further development as I am still not happy with the memory recording aspect.
This idea was a little different and involved writing letters directly to the deceased. This came from Peony Gent's book for sarah where she writes like she is talking to her lost friend. I like this idea but ultimately I want people to be able to decide how they remember their lost person. I do not want to be prescriptive with this, I want to give people the freedom to create their own way of remembering.
I then had the idea of a sculpture with shapes hanging - when the light shines from above the shapes would create a name or date in shadow. The box would be set to come on at a certain time every day to encourage the person to record memories and think about their lost loved one. The name and light would act like a reminder and the book to record slots out from underneath.
To anyone else it would just look like a sculpture making it a personal experience for the user. I would also include a back light so they could use it without the name/date showing. I want people to be able to enjoy it without the constant reminder as well as create the ritual.
I really like this idea and I think it fulfils my three main design criteria -
Create ritual
Hold Memories
Give light
The next step is to mock up a model of this to test the idea further.
I think my first couple of models went well - it really shows the reality of the design and how it could be a beautiful object for someone to create a ritual around. I think the way the lettering is designed needs work - this is still a sketch model but I need to work out how I can get the shadows to form the letters.
Overall I am really happy with where this project is taking me. I absolutely could not have guessed the direction this was going to go in at the beginning. This shows me that I have used the research and design phases well and am on track to have a successful answer to my brief.
This then got me thinking about other sculpture like things that could also tell a story. I remembered looking at zoetropes when studying architecture.
I like the idea of a zoetrope because not only does it fulfil all three of my objectives but it has a history that really echoes what I am trying to create. The word zoetrope means wheel of life [1] - linking to the idea that the person can still be with us through memory when they are gone.
My idea is for a perforated casing to be attached to the zoetrope - rather than looking through the slits of a zoetrope, the light would be cast around the room. When the zoetrope is stationary you would be able to read the words and reflect on the person you lost. When the zoetrope is spinning, the words become blurred representing the continuation of memories of the person you lost and these memories being intertwined with who you are.
I need to do further development of this idea so the next step is to make a model. I want to test the idea of the perforated lettering and how this would then look when spinning.
My initial thought when making this model was just how fiddly cutting out the letters was. They are't too neat as this is a sketch model to test out the ideas. The letters in this model are far bigger than they would be on the final design but the theory behind it is there.
I really like this mock up. I think it illustrates my idea well and the text had the desired effect - it was readable in the shadows when it was lit and still and the words blurred into light when it was not.
Something I need to think about is whether I want to words to be visible when looking at the zoetrope or at the shadows. I think being readable in the shadows may be a better way to go - that way it just looks like an object with an abstract pattern when it is on the side not being used. This would mean the zoetrope wouldn't be a constant reminder when someone just glances at it, it would have to be used to be completely functional. This would help create the ritual.
The next stage is to experiment more with the idea of a zoetrope. Part of me thinks the perforated words may be a bit too literal so I want to test ideas other than this.
I decided to test the model with detachable photos and stories. The idea is people will be able t change out what content is in there, just by changing the paper. This means that the whole object would be personal and would allow people to record memories and slot these in. The ritual would come from spinning the zoetrope, reflecting on the life of the loved one and adding new memories to the slots.
While this is a very crude model it illustrates my design. Each section would be removable to enable you to add different memories to it. It is extremely personal and it could also change with time.
As you can see the model does work. Here is how it meets the three objectives:
Create ritual - The ritual would be entirely down to the person using it. Whenever they use the zoetrope this would class as ritual.
Hold memories - The slots around the zoetrope can hold the memories of the person lost. The bereaved can then look at them when they want and change them when they need.
Give light - The circular platform would give light enabling you to see the memories, photos and drawings in the slots. Then. when the zoetrope spins the pictures become blurred and the lights intertwines showing the complexity and constant movement of life.
To develop this idea further I am going to look at the way the memories are attached to this zoetrope and how I can make it more easily personalised and also not so on display all of the time.
I now need to test this idea through making.
I then tested the idea in a model. It worked exactly like I had hoped. The slots (represented by white card) will allow for images to be interchangeable and a therefore a dynamic, living archive.
The light illuminated the images representing a memorial candle and spinning the zoetrope represents the lost life still intertwined with yours. When the case is on, the light suggests the treasures inside while still protecting them.
Summary
The design development phase proved to be a long process as I went through several ideas developed to different extents. I started developing the idea of a book and lamp. This went through several phases before I decided to go back to the drawing board - the book as lamp was focussing more on the form of the object than the ideas behind it. This step proved to be pivotal in my development of this project.
The following stages including the light sculptures and initial zoetrope designs led me to the idea I will be carrying forward. By going back to my three objectives - to crate ritual, to give light and to hold stories - I was able to reset my thought process and focus on what was important, helping people to process their grief in a personal way.
The final zoetrope model was the idea I decided to pursue, not only does it fulfil my three clear objectives, I also think it is something people would want in their homes as well as not being prescriptive - the ritual can be personalised depending on the person. The zoetrope allows people to grieve privately or comunally, whatever feels right to them.
I was really pleased with the direction of this project - it was not an outcome I could have envisaged at the start which suggests to me my research, ideation and development have been successful in both allowing me to draw conclusions and create designs based on research and theory but also in allowing me the freedom to put emotion and sensation above all else.
For me, everything kept coming back to the Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari quote, “if philosophy deals with ideas and science deals with objectivity, art and design deal with sensation”. When people used this I wanted them to feel closer to the person they lost, surrounded by happy memories finding comfort in them and somehow make they feel more at peace.
With this idea I felt comfortable to move to the deliver phase of this project, focussing on the details, the way it feels and how it could be made.
References
[1] VFX Magazine. (2015). Wheel of Life - History. [Online]. VFX Magazine. Last Updated: 1 June 2015. Available at: https://kids.britannica.com/students/assembly/view/90172 [Accessed 13 November 2022].
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