Objects and Memory

"Objects & Memory", a film about human experience in the aftermath of 9/11 terrorist bombings, recounts stories about ordinary things that have been transformed into irreplaceable conveyors of experience, aspiration and identity. People seek to preserve the past and speak to the future through the objects they treasure and the memories they evoke. The relationship between objects and memory is an active area of theoretical study and its psychological dimension informs significant channels of communication in design, including the way users respond to designed artifacts.The area of 'emotional design' has seen a resurgence of interest in recent years as designers try to better understand how our emotions affect what we buy and why we become attached to and keep certain artifacts. This question is also of interest to sustainability research as it promises a better  understanding of our interaction with objects, and therefore hold clues to the way we can redirect both consumption and user practice. Your own research into these relationships will help inform the relevance, sensitivity and depth of your design concepts. Access the video and conference information via the essential links menu