1.0 | UX OF MEMORY
Memory refers to the processes that are used to acquire, store, retain, and later retrieve information.
Brief: Design an experience that externalises the nature of memory.
Team:
Sue Heeyeon An, Manali Panchal, Tatiana Bohsali, Yiwei Han (David)
We were expected to deliver a prototype with the requirement of using two research methods: Artefact Analysis and Directed Storytelling.
I began by studying how memory works by creating a visual diagram and researching how colours symbols work as signals. As well, visual cues, data quantity, data type and data placement play a role in memory.
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The diagram shows that current memory is based on past memory and is likely a link between past memory and future memory and creativity.
INITIAL IDEATION
Ideation
After a day of initial individual research, we came up with certain ideas from discussing our own experience of memories.
We touched on a topic of mutual interest about how a traumatic experience triggers itself in our memory and behind our backs. We often looked at the way in which memory and trauma work hand in hand.
Direct storytelling: Trauma
We then conducted directed narratives to gather stories of traumatic memories with close friends and family. Our prompt was “Tell us about your traumatic experience. What can you remember? How can you remember? Chronological? Associative? What triggers do you have? ”
We talked to individuals having a wide range of experiences like the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, Beirut Explosion, Car Accidents, Sexual Harassment, Domestic Violence, and cancer survival. Surprisingly, people were comfortable telling their stories (but not physically) because they think they learned from them and grew up. We documented everything, recorded the conversations. A few shots from the recordings are presented below.
We also kept in mind asking them if they are comfortable speaking about it. We made sure to take follow up if they are fine after talking about the past experience.
Talk about the Beirut Explosion Experience -Hiba, [Conversation with Tatiana]
Noticeable physical reactions, revisiting memories.
Cancer Survival - Malvika Bhasin
Recalling memories, noticeable emotions and body memories.
Data sorted by teammate Sue An
Research outcomes and Initial ideation
We tried to find some common threads, and in parallel validated and analysed them with support studies of scholars and psychologists, and we also tried to categorize them according to the 2 main stages of the memory process.
Body memory: People remember the trauma with their body and emotions. When a traumatic experience is recalled because of an external trigger, the left side of the brain (logic, sense of time and space) loses activity while the right side (emotions/visuals) is more active which makes us react, as if we were in the present. Symptoms include voice shaking, reflexes, goose bumps, sweats, shaking, increased heart rate.
Fragmentation: People seem to remember so vividly their traumatic experiences, but the truth is that they remember fragments (like any other memory) very vividly, because they remember them with their emotions. It is a different type of encoding process, other than usual memories.
Artefact analysis:
Artefact analysis is a qualitative and exploratory way of examining the material, aesthetic and interactive qualities of objects. With its use we chose three storytelling objects: a song, a syringe, and a police car, we have validated the memory of the body as we remember what we feel when we use these objects and fragmentation as we remember the pieces (visions, persons etc.).
Defining Ideas
Having gathered thoughts in our minds, we discussed ideas through which we can build an experience of the nature of memory for people. I explained my ideation while talking to the group mates from my sketches, as I can express best through them.
Drawings made while creating ideas for prototype by me.
We had two ideas to demonstrate in the classroom to build it.
IDEA 1
One is fragmentation, where memories are encoded, they are encoded in such a way that their recall is fragmented.
Second idea was about engaging two people, time and connection of memory. We used sound for recollection. We're looking at breaking a time barrier.
IDEA 2
Insights
After sharing our research and ideation with our classmates and professor, we got learning feedback and direction to move ahead with the project. Professor Dr John Fass mentioned us about massive variations in trauma. It is not simply different people, process things in different ways. This consequently means that fragmentation is different for everyone too.You could say yes, that things are fragmented, but not in the same way for everyone.
The insights we compiled are: Memory is a pattern, and not an object. It's not a straight line and directed, it's a twisted, braided, recursive loop. The string is a metaphor. Likewise, we understood that memories aren’t reliable.
1.1 | UX OF MEMORY | FINAL WEEK
Narrowing down our design research and getting on defining the idea, we together started looking at What we needed to do? Plan what kind of content will be circulated and how?
Memory is unreliable. Complex pattern. Fragmented.
The time barrier breaks between the past and present in a very complex way. We go back to different time periods, which affects the way we perceive things today. Reversible direction. Bidirectional.
Defining ideas
We started by brainstorming ideas on the concept of running a group experience to engage people. At the same time, we thought of materials as metaphorical as a string which can be twisted, woven together etc. as a way of expressing. I also suggested using a reflectorised surface to obtain a response. While we were talking about ideation, I explained everything with my drawings to have a clear image.
The drawings, illustrated above can be clicked to obtain a closer view. Each drawing adds up with more levels, and vivid nature of memory. The drawings are merely exploratory.
Concept
We started with trauma and body senses by connecting with strings and moved to explore the idea of breaking the time barrier, and the complex relationship between past and present.
Memories may be vivid, but are sometimes unreliable, and lose some credibility as they get lost in translation.
The way we remember the past is very dependent on how we experience the present. Which is why we created this tangled system with four different timelines at its extremities. Some signals get through clearly, while some others don’t, depending on the path itself, and on the characteristics of the signal.
Initial experimentation with different kinds of strings and cups.
There are 3 different stages.
Our experience has 4 volunteers, each representing a guy called Patrick, in different timelines. The objective of this experience is to try to communicate to your surroundings as much as possible, with the tools provided to you.
Stage 1: The person who represents Patrick “Today” can find a set of words(Europe, Asia, UK) in front of him. We would like him to read them clearly, but not too loudly, through the cup on his mouth. Consequently, the three others will have to repeat whatever they heard, simultaneously.
As other three hear the surroundings again, they keep on repeating what they think they hear for the next 2 min.
Stage 2: This next stage has 3 rounds. We (the instructors) will show everyone one image, but in different lengths of time for each person, depending on your designated timeline date. The older your date is, the less time you will have to look at the image. Then you will all have 30 seconds to draw what you think you saw.
( they need to Start Drawing as soon you see image shown to you)
Now, we will take each persons drawings and randomly switch them and show them to the others.Further we will repeat the same task with the drawing you end up receiving. This process will be repeating for 3 times.
Stage 3: Now you need to repeat two stages simultaneously (speak | Retrieve | Draw)
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Above drawings are done by my teammate Sue An.
Memory is a non directional pattern. Does not follow one specific direction, it’s an infinity loop. Which is why on this experience, we have a starting point, echoing from different poles, and bouncing back and forth indefinitely. Consequently, the overlapping of the two different stages gives an impression of the complexity of the memory system, as you realized how confused you were at the end of the experience
What I learnt
The UX of Memory enabled me to reflect very clearly in the direction to be taken. Personally, I felt a great step forward through the process from start to finish. Our teamwork was done well with lots of drawing, iterations and tweaking. We managed to engage people in the experience and feel the exact thought that we were likely to make them encounter in their brains. We received positive feedback from the volunteers who participated. We asked them for the final answer at the end on closure and they were confused, which is an impression of the complexity of the memory system.
Bibliography
Gleick, J. (2011). A history, a theory, a flood. London: Fourth Estate Ltd.
The Scientist Magazine®. (n.d.). Where Do Our Memories Live? [online] Available at: https://www.the-scientist.com/reading-frames/where-do-our-memories-live--67439.
Greshko, M. (2019). Human memory: How we make, remember, and forget memories. [online] Nationalgeographic.com. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/human-memory/.
Der Kolk MD, B. van (n.d.). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
Government of Canada, D. of J. (2017). PART III – How Trauma Affects Memory and Recall - The Impact of Trauma on Adult Sexual Assault Victims. [online] www.justice.gc.ca. Available at: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/trauma/p4.html.
