Focusing my Research (9/23-9/29)
This week, I focused on scheduling interviews and interviewing people. These people include those who have and haven’t experienced loss. This week, I also extended my secondary research and reached out to individuals who might be able to provide some resources. I created a rough mind map to see what types of connections could be made between topics & to see if any ideas would help my interviews.
Primary Research - Interviews
These are the individuals I have interviewed or plan to interview within the next week. I plan to summarize the findings from all the interviews in next weeks post to make it feel more cohesive. Key points that I have been trying to focus on are culture, rituals, and emotions.
Aaron L.
22 years old \\ male \\ recruiter @ maxim \\ Has experienced loss
Jasmine L.
20 years old \\ female \\ Studying EECS @ uc berkeley \\ Anticipating loss
Matthew T.
21 years old \\ male \\ Studying economics @ uc berkeley \\ has experienced loss
Terrance W.
20 years old \\ male \\ studying Computer science @ uc berkeley \\ hasn’t experienced loss
Primary Research - References
These are individuals I have reached out to hear their thoughts and advice about my overall topic. I received their thoughts on my topic and sparked a conversation that got me thinking about my project in a more focused way. They also referred me to interested resources and people I can speak with.
Haakon Faste
IXD Professor @ cca \\ behavioral studies
Recommended I reach out to psychologists or counselors within my area through email.
Provided previous articles written by himself or his previous students at CMU
These articles are focused around HCI within digital legacies
Connected me to Sarah Davis
Sarah Davis
Podcast Host
She is starting a new podcast centered on stories related to the death of a parent and the grieving process.
Planning to interview her in October when her schedule clears up
Julian Crespo
Interaction Designer
Referred me to an art installation in Japan that connects the living and those who have passed
Also referenced a TV show that might have an interesting futuristic perspective on after death.
Nino Panes
Interaction Designer
Advice/Questions
Which stage of grief are you thinking about tackling? Each stage will have its own challenges.
It's great that you're casting a wide net right now to really see where people are having the most pain points but maybe have an end part where you're working towards to that you want to see in the world.
I would think more about yourself first and not so much about what people want because when you can imagine what you want to bring to the world; it'll be easier to find a center or focus point and it'll be a lot clearer to know what you need to make and test.
Secondary Research
These are the resources I received from the people I mentioned above, and found through research.
Person \\ Brené Brown
Brené Brown is a researcher who specializes with vulnerability and shame. I watched her TedTalk - The Power of Vulnerability and her Netflix special - The Call to Courage.
Book \\ The Orphaned Adult
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D0UY66G/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
A guide to understanding and coping with grief and all of the disorienting emotions that accompany the death of our parents.
Event \\ Reimagine End of Life
https://letsreimagine.org/sf/schedule
Their Mission - Reimagine End of Life is a community-wide exploration of death and celebration of life through creativity and conversation. Drawing on the arts, spirituality, healthcare, and design, we create weeklong series of events that break down taboos and bring diverse communities together in wonder, preparation, and remembrance.
Podcast \\ Terrible, Thanks For Asking
You know how when someone asks "How are you?" you just say "Fine,” even if you’re totally dying inside, so everyone can go about their day?
“Terrible, Thanks For Asking” is the opposite of that. Nora McInerny asks real people to share their complicated and honest feelings about how they really are. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and often both.
Organization \\ The Dinner Party
https://www.thedinnerparty.org/
Their Mission - To transform life after loss from an isolating experience into one marked by community support, candid conversation, and forward movement using the age-old practice of breaking bread.
Installation \\ Japanese Phone Booth Connects the Living and the Dead
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/597/one-last-thing-before-i-go/act-one https://allthatsinteresting.com/phone-of-the-wind
Called "the phone of the wind," this device allows Japanese mourners to leave messages for those who died in the 2011 earthquake. “Because my thoughts couldn’t be relayed over a regular phone line,” said Sasaki, on an episode of This American Life. “I wanted them to be carried on the wind.”
Organization \\ You’re Going to Die
Now, the You’re Going to Die movement is a deeper & more varied exploration of death & dying, one driven by creativity, fueled by arts & entertainment, writing & music, interviews & stories, but always with the continued commitment to bring people creatively into the conversation of death & dying, while helping to inspire & empower out of an unabashed embrace of our losses & mortality…
Community \\ Modern Loss
Modern Loss is a place to share the unspeakably taboo, unbelievably hilarious, and unexpectedly beautiful terrain of navigating your life after a death. Beginners welcome.
This project grew out of two friends’ separate experiences with sudden loss, and their struggle to find resources that weren’t too clinical, overtly religious, patronizing or, frankly, cheesy.
Ideation
In order to start creating rough ideas, I wrote a couple of “How might we” statements to get inspired & to find a clearer focus for my project.
HMW Statements
Process
HMW develop an experience to help people process their feelings about loss and grief?
HMW help people process their feelings of regret in a non-intrusive way?
HMW engage people to understand the process of grief when they’ve never experienced it before?
Community
HMW connect individuals to organizations and communities that understand feelings of loss/grief?
Activity
HMW develop rituals to help individuals heal in a personalized way to help understand and process their feelings?
HMW create an activity where individuals can talk about loss and grief in a conversation, without it being taboo?
Culture
HMW be mindful of cultural practices of grieving in a community setting?
User Persona Building
I followed this template to quickly brainstorm persona ideas while also building concepts. In order to stay focused on finding a solution, I exempted “I need a thing” to keep my options open.
“As a (role/behavior), I need (a thing), so that I can (what)”
As a person who recently experienced their first loss, [I need a thing] so that I can heal in a healthy setting.
As a person who recently experienced their first loss, [I need a thing] so that I can process and understand my feelings about loss and grief.
As someone who has a sick family member, [I need a thing] so that I can prepare myself for the process of grief.
Brainstorming
I worked with Jessica Yang, Nathalia Kasman, Asher Ran, Eugina Chun, and Kendra Wong for a brainstorming session. We ideated on the following HMWs as they felt closer to what I wanted to create.
HMW develop an experience to help people process their feelings about loss and grief?
HMW help people process their feelings of regret in a non-intrusive way?
HMW engage people to understand the process of grief when they’ve never experienced it before?
Garden/plants
Planting a tree/plant (make sure they won’t be dead!)
Build a garden (themes of rebirth and growth)
Making
The making of a photo or memory album
Origami
Conversations
Facilitating conversations across generations
Card game with prompts to start conversations
Conversation starters (think cafe setting)
Smell
Incense or smells related to memory
Storytelling
Platform to share stories about loved ones
Story/writing sharing platform
Journal with prompts
Message bottle by the river
Anonymous letter writing sent out random people can respond
Mail box for letters to lost ones
Rituals
Moment piggy bank: write down what you want to say and store it in a bank
Midnight meditation with prompts around healing
Service of creating rituals for other people
Personalized rituals
Healing foods, delivered by friends
Midnight meditation
Misc.
Google Map of grief
Reflection
This week, I really got to focus in on my topic and learn more about how people view loss and death. I framed the interviews as “an open conversation about loss” in order to create a safe space for the interviewees.
I also got a lot of good resources provided by Haakon Faste and Sarah Davis. I had open conversations with Julian Crespo and Nino Panes, former IXD students at CCA and received their advice and thoughts. It was very refreshing to hear their ideas and advice, and it has definitely helped focus my topic.
During studio time, I worked with my peers for a brainstorming session to help each of us organize our thoughts and generate ideas for everyone. This way we got fresh perspectives and ideas we wouldn’t have come up by ourselves.
Next Steps
Next week, I’m going to begin sketching out my top 3-5 ideas and begin getting feedback from interviewees, peers, and anyone else. I will continue interviewing individuals to hear their perspective on loss and grief. Additionally, I may have a connection to a psychologist that I can interview. Hopefully, I can start building some rough prototypes within the next couple of weeks.