souvenirs A California College of the Arts ID5 project
Focus More and more memories now live in the clouds, people use services like twitter, instagram, facebook, and tumblr to generate, document and to share their stories. Those memories eventually just become a meaningless page number trapped behind the screen. I want to attach those memories to the specific objects people collect, to allow a better way for people to remember. Because memories should not be organized linearly, it should be organized by importance. To investigate the existing human behavior of collecting and displaying mementos, and how we collect, archive, and share those objects as sign posts of memories allowing us to relive moments of our lives, also to experience and learn from other’s lives.
Theme Memories, how do people create new memories, sort memories, and share those memories? Is there a good balance of technology and analog that will help enrich this experience?
tweeting plant
kids media player
media player
nokia nfc speakers
rfid controlled radio concept
ideo music player
NFC media player
concept food printer
inspiration so many things in our lives now are trapped behind glass screens, I am inspired by these products that aim to give technology a more tactile and intuitive interface. QR cake
hello, meet..
I collect objects instead of photos, I use a small representational object of the trip as a reminder. If it’s Vegas; martini glass. Oktober fest; plastic pint glass. By using that memento like a drinking glass it reminds you of the place. Aurora 25 year old college student
the collector I have lots of little trinkets objects serve as cue to remember instead of photographs
you see other people collecting random things and you start to follow. stories behind objects are shared through words mostly, but sometimes when people actually play with it or use the object, they share a common experience. for some people it’s really precious, sometimes it’s just habit for people. some people do it for the show. I kinda re-organize the objects in the shelf sometimes, there’s no logic in the layout. sometimes you just have fillers.
Shells I found on beaches, few photos, model car. I have a lot more at home in sf. But not as many in chicago.
Miles 21 year old college student
the philosopher mementos serve as sign posts of memories Curious about history of passed on objects
I leave most of the important things locked up back home. They were too important to loose. I’ve also acquired things that meant a lot to me, over the summer my prof. gave me a magnifying glass to remind me to focus on things. I have a stone that I picked up back in japan. At the moment I just thought it was a cool stone, but it ended up reminding me of the trip you forget details of the past sometimes, and it could be useful to have images. It would be really cool to be able to have that ability and share it with another. Traditionally, sharing a story behind an object is through words, and misinterpretation would happen.
I keep mementos on my bookshelf, the rest are in boxes. The pepper grinder my grandma gave me is very special to me. It’s kind of a functional object with a lot of sentimental value attached to it. Rich 23 year old Google employee
the utilitarian likes patina, they tell stories most of his sentimental objects are functional
The other is my microscope which is from my step grandpa. He was really into education, so he gave me a microscope. I lost the slides but I kept the microscope. It was a good gift from him. I have no use for it but I keep it around. It sits on my shelf, it reminds me of him and his thick glasses he always wore. It reminds me of him as a person in general, vaguely the moment of him giving me the present. I tell the story behind the object to people who care. How much detail you tell the story behind an object also shows how close you are with that person you’re telling the story to.
I keep all my mementos on the shelf in my room I have this really cool piece of rock I got when I went on a hike in Hawaii. It’s colorful, got like veins of colors running through it, I just had to take it. Jason 21 year old college student
the designer plenty of adventures reminded emotionally by his rock from hawaii
I picked up the rock because it was cool, there was a bit of an emotional struggle because you know how people said it’s bad luck to take things back from the island? Now the rock reminds me of the hiking trip and how I felt. I think it would be really cool to be able to show images and additional content when I’m sharing the story behind an object with someone. Imagine holding that rock but looking at a panoramic photograph of the cliff onto the beach while holding the rock that came straight from there.
I keep all my mementos in a box sitting on a shelf with a bronze unicorn sitting on it. I saved the line up booklet from Sasquatch. It was a memorable event. Kelsey 23 year old barista
the show goer saves receipts from funny events like printed photos
It’s mostly spontaneous and triggered by a conversation when I pull out the box full of mementos to share those memories with friends. Since I sometimes save receipts from funny events, like from Confusion Hill. I would stumble upon these less significant but funny gems when I’m going through my box. facebook, twitter, tumblr is way too much! After a while, all those photos just get pushed back and go away.
insights “facebook, twitter, tumblr is way too much! After a while, all those photos just get pushed back and go away.” - Kelsey
“It would be really cool to be able to have that ability and share memory with another. Traditionally, sharing a story behind an object is through words, and misinterpretation would happen.” - Miles
“I tell the story behind the object to people who care. How much detail you tell the story behind an object also shows how close you are with that person you’re telling the story to.” - Rich
field research
Hollingsworth residence
the visit Matt Hollingsworth lives with his wife and son in a house full of souvenirs from around the world. He shared stories of travel, hunting, and garage sale browsing with me. Matt went through his carefully curated shelves of souvenirs(His wife usually does the throwing away) with me and told me about each object, how they got there and why he kept it around.
wild boar matt shot
skeleton sculptures
art piece from parents
matt shares same taste as wife
began to collect because of friend
ostrich egg from grandparents house
liquor from old neighbor
vintage signs from taiwan
glassware from mom
quotes
“Somebody would ask me about the boar, and when I tell them I shot it. they’d say no way! and I’d go pull out the photo album to show them my trip to africa as a teen ager.”
quotes “ the crane was something me and yuka (wife) picked out together. I’m really lucky, we have a lot in common, it’s really nice to have something on the shelf that reminds me of how we have similar taste. “
“this ostrich egg has been basically been around me all my life. I used to see it all the time in my grand parent’s house.”
quotes “ my grand parents has a lot of art, and has given me and my siblings some of them. toki (son) doesn’t understand it yet, but i plan to give those art to him in the future. it makes things meaningful and special”
“this is a chair me and my dad worked on together, we snuck a few of them into a shop, sanded it, painted it like totally illegal., it’s special to me.”
insights “I pull out the photo album of the Africa trip every time someone asks me about the boar”
matt likes to pick out souvenirs with his wife, it reminds him how compatible they are
Matt has been handed down many pieces of art from his parents and grand parents, and he plans to continue this custom by giving them to his son. “ it makes it meaningful and special”
Bennette residence
the visit Aurora bennette lives with her dog Kuma, and 2 other room mates in bernal heights, san francisco. She likes to collect objects. and uses those objects as a phyiscal reminder of her life, friends, and family. She prides herself as a collector and curator of interesting objects.
cornell box
shelf in bedroom
art pieces
DIY deck with found materials
old kitchenware collected by dad
family photos
another box of souvnirs
vintage coke bottles
found wire forms from neighborhood
quotes “this little bee in a glass jar was given to me by a friend back in seatle. it reminds me of him everytime I see it”
“these vintage kitchenware was collected by my dad, it’s fun to learn about my dad’s past through the objects he collected”
insights aurora learns and remembers about her friends and family through objects
aurora doesn’t take a lot of photo until she got her iPhone, now she has a ton of objects and sometimes photos associated with those objects.
aurora likes to collect things, and she prides her self as a curator of all of her objects.
dale residence
the visit Noelle and Ethan Dale are a married couple living in a 3 bedroom house in the Richmond district in San Francisco. Noelle is the one who does most of the collecting. She was raised in a very artistic family background, and likes to arrange her souvenirs in collages of photographs, to tell a interesting story.
organized box in bedroom
collects lots of small things
not fully organized
creates little naratives between objects
found photo and object in thailand
sister dolls from japan
quotes “I treat all my objects as elements of 3d collages, I would organize them next to post cards, images, and photographs. I think it really helps to tell a good story”
“everytime my sister goes somewhere, she would bring me back something cute. and then eventually i’’ll have a collection of souvenirs that tells a story of a period of time,“
insights noelle loves to collect little trinkets and include them into photo collages to tell a story
Noelle collects souvenirs from others as gifts when they travel.
noelle has a hard time throwing the trinkets away, she has at least three full jars filled with trinkets that she doesn’t know what to do with.
mind map
mind map
flow chart
cycle
how to make collecting souvenirs easy experience
live life
have a (significant) memory
learn & remember (story trees) leave where the moment happened
share
go to next location go home
admire souvenirs shine here the most
organize
personas
organize
display
admire
what do they do with their souvenirs?
share
learn & remember (story trees)
innitial ideation
design principles step one allow seamless integration, and be easy to use. like taking a photo with your camera phone
step two collect and forget. no need to overthink or worry about organization. a non linear and visual method of organization.
step three easy to recall, add, and share the rich stories behind each souvenirs that the user collected.
sort by worth
How do you judge the value of a sentimental object? Can there be an automated way of adding and organizing these objects by both monetary and sentimental value? I think a thoughtful formula embedded in my system could greatly benefit how people view, organize, and perhaps help them pair down their personal collection to the gems. Innitial monetary value + (added story *(n) ) + (owner transfer * (n) ) = Worth
UI mock up
UI mock up
UI mock up
UI mock up
photograph object
select stories to transfer
transfer stories to object
tap collected objects to remember
interview with sketch models
tagging process step one take photo of souvenir that you collected, and wish to enrich with stories
step two take an rfid sticky tag from the carrying case, and apply to souvenir
step three tap the souvenir with your phone to enrich with stories
sketch model test #1
“ I just want to tap on the souvenir and have the photos show up magically! �
refined tagging process step one take photo of souvenir that you collected, and wish to enrich with stories
step two tap the souvenir with your phone to enrich with stories
ideation round 2
The entire interaction should happen on one device. no extra gadgets taking photos documenting recalling memories tagging
one with device 13mm
2.8mm 0.05mm hitachi 2007
a bunch of micro rfids to tag the souvenirs with
Murata Electronics 2010
and a tiny rfid reader/writer
form ideation
form ideation
first cad Detachable rfid unit
hole cut out for camera & flash
prototype testing
rfid application
micro rfid
0.05mm rfid powder glue dispensing bearings
inspired by simplicity of mechanical designs with bearings, souvenir employs a design utilizing an array of bearings that allows the user to choose when to allow the rfids to flow.
springs
unlocked
plate
locked mechanical section view
model building
ortho + exploded rfid cartridge rfid receiver
cover lid for receiver quick connect power transfer 30 pin connector for power 5” .5” .14” 2.54”
.08”
features embeded flat power cord for powering rfid reader/ writer lock / unlock switch for rfid
topo pattern tapers down thickness, adds grip and serves as a subtle reminder of the time motif
final prototype
story telling
story boarding
video
final presentation
final set up
plotted and pinned up!
mini souvenir stand
thank you ...
questions?
shaykevin.com shaykevin@gmail.com