Outcome

Intention

I'm interested in how tactile information and orientation can influence memory. I was also fascinated by minimalist functionality. taking both of these areas into account, my intent was to explore how I could mesh these areas into a device whose orientation could be used to dig up past experiences. However, I wasn't very sure about what this would entail, so I focused on thinking about the simplest representation of the topic area, and if the opportunity arrived, I would then expand into a more intricate representation.

Prototype

The prototype was a last second ideation process. The imagery of a lantern suddenly seemed to be very appealing to me, especially one with behavior which would be reminiscent of an hourglass.   

The prototype device runs on a Particle Photon board, and requires connection to a usb.

The prototype I created sensed its own orientation with a tilt sensor. It's position on a certain face indicates that a reminder is active. The color red is related to strong memory recollection, so the device would use red leds inside which would glow consistently as long as the device was in the recollection position. In addition, for demonstration & practical purposes, because the LEDs were more dim in bright lighting than I had anticipated, a Peizo buzzer within would activate randomly as further indication. 

Precedents

The choice of the design concept was influenced by Origami memory boxes which stored ambient information on their owners, and then played them back, and depicted them in their design. The boxes designed by Alun Kirby were my main source of inspiration, and I focused on thinking of a design which would have similar vibe to the work he created. The devices  made by Alun Kirby functioned as scientific devices for recording the experience of dementia, as well as artistic pieces that individuals could interact with to explore the experience of dementia patients.

Process

The outside of the device was simply notecards and cardboard, so that I could demonstrate where my thought process was going, if I had continued to develop the device into a more advanced device which would store more information. My focus on an MVP mindset both hampered, and hastened the creation of a prototype which was closer to a beeping reminder than a more significant exploration of orientation and recollection. I considered including voice playback and memory, but I thought that would detract from my focus on the object as an intuitive, orientation based device.

Open Questions and Challenges

What questions remain to be addressed or questions about memory did this exploration raise for you. What are the things we should pay attention to/discuss in class for future explorations?

I honestly hit a creative wall while I was in the design process, and most ideas I had about where to go forward came once I was near the end of the prototyping phase, as I was delayed by unexpected bugs. The classroom discussion & critique which occurred after my presentation of the device were also important in helping me to understand areas of potential exploration.

1. I'm curious about how a palace of memory through association with tangible objects, without explicit recording of specific details of memory, would be experienced by memory experts in comparison to a typical palace of memory. 

2. I've learned that tactile, sensory, and orientation based memory concepts are especially strong. I'm curious about how devices which explore the extremes of each, as well as the combinations between, would compete against each other as emotional and practical stores of emotion.

Reflection

Reflect on making this project. What did you learn? What would you do differently? Did you get where you wanted to? If not, why not? What do you need to get there, etc?

As a result of the project, I've learned that the conceptualization of a device is extremely important in order to make something compelling. Even a device or process that appears simple can evoke special meaning because of significant attention that has been paid to how each aspect influences observers. 

In the future, I think that diagramming every single idea that comes to mind in relation to a creative project is extremely important, even if the concepts initially seem too advanced or too simple.

The prototype I created did not accomplish anything as far as my area of interest was concerned. It mainly represented a basic example of what an object in that region can look like. The main issue is that I found it difficult to go beyond the level of creativity that's in my comfort zone.

Attribution and References

http://alunkirby.com/exhibition/memory-boxes/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743993/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/tactile-memory