Embodied Technology and Grief Rituals

How can an interactive system of embodied artifacts help individuals suffering from complicated grief develop personalized grief rituals to establish resolution and come to terms with the loss?

Isabel Bo-Linn MGXD 2021

Social and economic shifts in American society have increased the number of unanticipated deaths, resulting in an influx of individuals experiencing complicated grief — grieving outside the conventional standards of bereavement. Despite extensive research confirming that grief is a highly individualized and phenomenological experience, traditional bereavement treatments continue to center around a standard, normative form of grieving. Additionally, current digital grief technologies focus on surface-level interactions and disregard the physical and intangible experiences associated with the complex grief process. Complicated grief is often treated as a trauma-related disorder, and together with the social stigmas and monetary constraints surrounding mental health treatment, it is unlikely that a complicated griever will seek professional support. This investigation speculates the potentialities for a system of designed, embodied objects, drawing from established grief therapy techniques, to help individuals develop new grief rituals while navigating the complex grieving process.

The smart system displays an interface indicating it is a special day (the deceased’s birthday). It connects with the user’s locket, which becomes warm to the touch. Upon opening, the user admires an image of her mother. The system also displays a reminder to the user regarding the special day.