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Preserving Memories

Lead Design & Research

2019

Ethnographic Research, Secondary Research, Masters Thesis, Generative Design Research, Trend Analysis, Technology Review, Insights, Actionable Opportunities

How can you redefine journaling or record keeping in an age of infinite, instant, and digital memories? 


Preserving Information

Recording history has always been a valuable part of human existence. There are the first records dating back 5000 years and finding ancient ruins, and we spend time searching old government and family documents. Society has always valued this recording and recalling information. 


Information Age

Now more than ever, we are dealing with information overload. The stacks of papers and print outs are now stored on tiny flash drives but just hard to find. We have so much new content being created and consumed every day, not to mention our digital photos accumulating on every smart device. 


SAVING EVERYTHING=SAVING NOTHING


Generative Research Goals
  1. Understand the motives for keepingmemories (encoding)What are the different types of memories and methods for keeping them?What are the reasons for each memory and method?

  2. Understand they see the world of preserving memories (storage) What role does recording take place inimportant memories?What is the ideal world of memory keeping?

  3. Understand how they see themselves / envision their own future (retrieval)How do they use their past to shape their future?What would help them in the future?


Interview Participants

Journaler

Leadership Consultant

PhD Student

Medical Resident

Storyboard Illustrator

Stay at home mother

Recent empty nester

Away from her home

New knowledge and opportunities

Following her passion

Photographer

Family home and parent memories

Spends time researching

Talk through experiences to revisit

Enjoys spending time with others

Keeps records and photos of everything

Tyranny of time

Known as the memory keeper

Relies on others to help capture

Silent observations of others


Best Practices in Industry

Author

Freelance Designer

Photographer

Graphic Designer

Novels, short stories,

Constant Notetaker

Keeps her very favorite personal photos only

Commuter / In the shower ideas

Scrivener

Filtering physical notes in the process of documenting / preserving

2 hard drives, cloud, computer

Too lazy to set up Rocketbook Dropmark & Bear tools

Records everything as a brain dump ​Sort between valuable to save and useful in moment Private thoughts to be destroyed

​System that won’t lose invested time Reactive system 

To see progression and growth Consistent records

Bridge between a desktop and phone Browse a sketchbook after the fact 


  ​

Expert Insights

Clinical Social Worker

Founder & CEO / Lumin AI

Therapy can be:Supportive - Basic “problems” Insightful - Deeper level of thinking

Topic Drift (pre tagging or too much tagging)

Tracking themes, recurring topics

Privacy vs. Collaborative Filtering

Personal narratives are really important

Cultural Bias or Echo Chamber



Themes to Explore
  • Physical VS Digital

  • Relationships to others

  • Sharing with others

  • Journey to where we are today

  • Living in the moment

  • Elements of self

  • Designated roles

  • Looking forward

  • Sharing sweetness

  • Sensory stores

  • Everyday life 


This research was used to support dexter, a digital tool to help organize your information.

How can you redefine journaling or record keeping in an age of infinite, instant, and digital memories? 


Preserving Information

Recording history has always been a valuable part of human existence. There are the first records dating back 5000 years and finding ancient ruins, and we spend time searching old government and family documents. Society has always valued this recording and recalling information. 


Information Age

Now more than ever, we are dealing with information overload. The stacks of papers and print outs are now stored on tiny flash drives but just hard to find. We have so much new content being created and consumed every day, not to mention our digital photos accumulating on every smart device. 


SAVING EVERYTHING=SAVING NOTHING


Generative Research Goals
  1. Understand the motives for keepingmemories (encoding)What are the different types of memories and methods for keeping them?What are the reasons for each memory and method?

  2. Understand they see the world of preserving memories (storage) What role does recording take place inimportant memories?What is the ideal world of memory keeping?

  3. Understand how they see themselves / envision their own future (retrieval)How do they use their past to shape their future?What would help them in the future?


Interview Participants
Journaler
Leadership Consultant
PhD Student
Medical Resident
Storyboard Illustrator

Stay at home mother

Recent empty nester

Away from her home

New knowledge and opportunities

Following her passion

Photographer

Family home and parent memories

Spends time researching

Talk through experiences to revisit

Enjoys spending time with others

Keeps records and photos of everything

Tyranny of time

Known as the memory keeper

Relies on others to help capture

Silent observations of others


Best Practices in Industry

Author

Freelance Designer

Photographer

Graphic Designer

Novels, short stories,

Constant Notetaker

Keeps her very favorite personal photos only

Commuter / In the shower ideas

Scrivener

Filtering physical notes in the process of documenting / preserving

2 hard drives, cloud, computer

Too lazy to set up Rocketbook Dropmark & Bear tools

Records everything as a brain dump ​Sort between valuable to save and useful in moment Private thoughts to be destroyed

​System that won’t lose invested time Reactive system 

To see progression and growth Consistent records

Bridge between a desktop and phone Browse a sketchbook after the fact 


   ​

Expert Insights

Clinical Social Worker
Founder & CEO / Lumin AI

Therapy can be:Supportive - Basic “problems” Insightful - Deeper level of thinking

Topic Drift (pre tagging or too much tagging)

Tracking themes, recurring topics

Privacy vs. Collaborative Filtering

Personal narratives are really important

Cultural Bias or Echo Chamber



Themes to Explore
  • Physical VS Digital

  • Relationships to others

  • Sharing with others

  • Journey to where we are today

  • Living in the moment

  • Elements of self

  • Designated roles

  • Looking forward

  • Sharing sweetness

  • Sensory stores

  • Everyday life 


This research was used to support dexter, a digital tool to help organize your information.

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