My roles:
Tools used:
The brief:
Intervene on a ritual using creative technology
Our brief was to intervene in a ritual, whether that meant enhancing it, limiting it, or changing it in some way was up to us. The first step was of course to analyse our own rituals and then synthesise these down into smaller groups. We storyboarded many different concepts, from splitting the G while drinking Guinness to praying and even telling secrets.
Ritual: Passing down stories
One of the first rituals we explored was the act of passing stories between generations of a family. We wanted to facilitate this act of remembering stories and sharing them more easily. The problem was that the tech probably would not last long enough to be used for generations.
Ritual: Keeping secrets
Inspired by the fairytale of the emporer's haircut, we explored the idea of how we can make it easier for people to keep secrets, noting the psychological processes both positive and negative.
Ritual: Bedtime stories
Bedtime stories is a daily ritual that can be very important and sacred across generations. It's one of my favourite memories growing up, and I wanted to discover ways that tech can be incorporated into the magic of telling a story, such as projecting the pictures onto the ceiling for instance.
Seanchaí - "storyteller"
Our modern take on the Irish tradition of story-telling
As a team, we realised during our initial exploration phase that we were all fascinated by the act of sharing stories; the spoken word. While every culture has its stories and rituals to share, "the gift of the gab" is a uniquely Irish tradition, and we wanted to celebrate this. We began the next stages of the project asking ourselves: "How can we bring this ancient tradition back into our modern world?" After sketching and storyboarding a ton of ideas, we moved straight into iterating and testing an object that could record and tell stories and was to be installed in urban settings for the public to use.
After sketching some ideas for how Seanchaí should look and operate, we went out to test it before refining its design. We put together a very rough and ready low-fi prototype and brought it out to the real world. With Shane operating a very high tech (not) technique of hiding behind the prototype and pointing his phone at the object to record the stories people told us, we were able to get some great insights very early on that would inform later design decisions.
Insights from testing:
We needed to increase the privacy when using the device with a covering.
We needed to signify the affordance of the recording button more.
A random story should play first, to hint to the user what the device is for.
Testing the final design:
To effectively facilitate the rituals of listening and storytelling, we explored various interaction paradigms. Initially, we experimented with buttons, instructions, voice commands, and physical gestures. However, through rigorous user testing, we discovered that a more intuitive and engaging approach was to align the interaction with natural human behavior. The final design emerged as a harmonious blend of physical and digital elements: leaning into the device to listen to a story and pressing a button to share one's own narrative. To ensure transparency and user consent, we incorporated a visual indicator—a red LED light—that illuminated when the recording button was pressed, signaling that the device was actively capturing audio. This design choice not only simplified the user experience but also enhanced the overall ritualistic quality of the interaction.
Future Applications
The potential applications of this project extend beyond its initial concept. I envision this technology finding its place in various public settings, such as art exhibitions, community engagement programs, and college campuses, particularly during events and gatherings. By integrating this device into these spaces, we can foster a sense of community and shared experience, allowing individuals to contribute their stories and connect with others.
Moreover, this technology has the potential to serve as a powerful tool for social activism and advocacy. By deploying these devices at rallies and protests, we can amplify the voices of marginalized groups and create a digital archive of their experiences. This archive can be used to raise awareness, inform policy decisions, and inspire social change.
Finally, this technology can be utilized to provide a safe and anonymous space for individuals to share their stories, particularly those who may be hesitant to speak out publicly. By removing the barriers to expression, we can empower individuals to share their experiences, seek support, and find solace in the knowledge that they are not alone.
