Precedents

Describe theory, concepts, and research you have performed. Describe the prior work, ideas and projects that influenced your design. What work informed this idea.

Prior ideas which have informed my design concept include the memory chips I researched for my Think Piece. The Black Mirror episode: “The Entire History of You” introduced me to the concept of chips which enhance human memory, allowing characters to remember every detail of their lives with picture perfect accuracy. I found similar technology being developed today such as memory prosthesis chips being designed by USC researchers to increase the brain’s long-term memory. I examined the psychological impacts memory chips could have when applied to the general public. Various concerns were raised such as how perfect recall could actually cause people to ruminate more on the past in an unhealthy manner. In addition, making sense of our memories would be challenging if our minds were so cluttered with information. This led me to explore both the practical and emotional role of forgetting through the design of the Fading Gallery. While the memory chip produces a timeline which remember everything, I wanted to achieve the exact opposite by producing a timeline of photos to eventually be forgotten.