Overview

From the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead where people converse with the past and the passed, to Mafia gangster gravestones, etched with imagery of the cars and phones they possessed in life, to post boxes for letters to dead relatives and holograms of passed loved ones at funerals, research is showing that we are reconnecting with those who have passed and who retain a strong presence in our lives. Historically, our need to celebrate life at death has waned as religious rituals decline in western culture. The challenge to find new rituals and develop a never ending dialogue with people we have known but are no longer with us, feels a powerful and positive force for love across generations and time.

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Bringing design to life

As we experience relatives and friends passing, the way we retain their identity from memories of their lives and, with technology, potentially continue to engage and interact with their presence, is an opportunity to refresh our respect and love for those no longer with us. Memorials that survive and the sharing of their lives, values and persistent presence in the world is a real possibility for new rituals and love for all humanity.

Key Insights

Work with dementia patients to retain memories points to how we might retain our experience and love for our relatives and friends who have passed from this world. Looking at a rich diversity of cultural tradition combined with new dimensions of technology from holograms to AI, will allow us to continue to experience and converse with those we have known. The traditional and technological are combining to open doors to design new rituals and interactions to retain in our current lives links to those who have passed.

Design

Working with Endineering author Joe Macleod, we are exploring new rituals and interactions utilising AI, recording memories through photos, video, audio and written word to develop a continuing dialogue with those we have loved and who have passed.

Next Steps

We are developing a series of prototypes to envision extended memories and experiences by using AI and recorded media to create 21st Century memorial experiences.