DESIGNING FOR DEATH
PETER KANG + PETER YOO
Death is an experience that every single person has — whether one of a close loved one or even having to deal with their own. The current journey of dealing with death is very impersonal and lacks empathy. People who experience the death of loved ones have to fill out endless amounts of paperwork, deal with lawyers and doctors, and also could encounter unexpected financial setbacks. Some who are in palliative care or are simply older are uncomfortable with talking about death and this can lead to confusion and disputes for them and those close to them in the future.
Death should not be something to fear or be confused about.
How might we design an opportunity for conversation to create a new environment of openness surrounding death in order to prevent confusion + inspire hope?
“Most people are uncomfortable and don’t want to talk about dying, there is a gap between what people say and actually acting upon it...”
— Navit Keren, Designing Dying
The services and designs on the market for death lack the capacity to sympathize with users’ emotions. Death is a heavily intimate and personal experience and the solution should be able to respond to this.
A lot of the confusion and fear of death comes from the fact that this experience is unfamiliar to most. When designing a solution, we need to consider making this object familiar to users so that they can have an experience with death that is more understandable and is not a foreign experience.
Whatever the solution might be, it needs to be able to last. Maybe parents could pass the design that captures their ideals and values to their children and then to their grandchildren and so on and so forth. Death should not be the end of that person’s legacy but instead a reminder of that person’s life.
BRANDING + IDEATION
Our logo is taken from the Korean word, “ 인연 ” (pronounced In-Yeon) which is translated to “fate” or “destiny”. We wanted to bring in our own personal cultural background into this project so we decided to pull from the Korean language. This word also puts emphasis on how death and its many facets are out of our control.
Through an initial form generation process, we learned that softer and rounded forms convey the emotions aligned with the brand value. The ideation phase continued with exploring how a form can be expanded to three different products for different experiences while maintaining the core emotion and visual connection.
In order to effectively visualize the core of our brand, the simple form of a cylinder with details of a tapering bottom and character line visualizing the logo was chosen to be moved forward with.
FINAL DESIGN
PART 1 // DIGITAL
The digital solution assists us to prepare for the end of life by initiating and recording personal monologues and conversations about death. The fingerprint sensor allows the user to have complete control over who can record, listen, and delete the contents. This solution also functions as a memory keeping device that contains one’s voice which is unique to each person. Ones left may use the device to recall thoughts and memories of the passed. An auto security removal function after one week of inactivity also allows the loved ones to have access to contents in cases of an accidental or sudden death.
Laser etched fingerprint graphic invites users to touch the part.
The device remembers and recognizes fingerprint of the user.
Once authenticated, the device lights up and reveals interactive touch buttons.
PART 2 // ANALOG
The analog solution assists us to prepare for the end of life by making space through light and enclosing handwritten contents about death. Light naturally creates an inviting atmosphere and draws people in. Users may use the space created by the light to hold conversations or handwrite contents about death. This solution also functions as a memory keeping device that contains handwriting which is unique to each person. Ones left may use the device to recall thoughts and memories while brightening the space and reading what the passed one has left behind.
Removing the ceramic cover reveals a magnetically locked hidden space.
A user may handwrite desired contents on a sheet of paper.
Written contents can be hidden inside until the user decides to share them.
The user uses a magnet placed under the product to access the space.
PART 3 // PHYSICAL
The physical solution assists us to prepare for the end of life by storing emotionally valuable items and functioning as a conversation trigger. The frosted finish arouses curiosity to who are not familiar with what is inside and becomes a catalyst for a series of conversations about death. This solution also functions as a memory keeping device that contains physical representations of memories. The ones left may recall thoughts and memories of the passed while visually and physically interacting with the stored contents.
