Group members:
Mansi Chottani, Kye Li Chia, Yuying Wang (Abbey), Zuzana Galova, Roshni Suri
Brief:
Design and make a new form for a dematerialised artefact
Date:
20th April - 8th June 2023
During our tutorial session with Al and John, they pointed out that the musical box concept was too off-topic and suggested exploring alternative ideas. Due to the limitations of the concept and uncertainty about how to develop it further, we decided to dedicate the week to generating new ideas for prototyping.
However, we encountered significant challenges in determining the specific direction we wanted to take for our design. Eventually, we agreed to shift our focus from breakup letters to physical breakups since they are the original form of breakup communication. In order to find a reason for creating a new format for the breakup text, we explored the reasons to revive physical breakups and what characteristics they encompassed. After much thought, we settled on the scenario of two individuals in a long-distance relationship who are unable to meet in person to end their relationship. Our device would embody the qualities of a physical breakup to compensate for the lack of depth in a breakup text.
Despite this shift in perspective, we faced challenges in generating compelling ideas and experienced feelings of frustration and discouragement. To try and overcome this, we decided to take a different approach by diving into the prototyping phase. We created two prototypes: one in the form of a toilet roll containing breakup texts and another that aimed to replicate the effort required in physical breakups. However, the group collectively felt that both prototypes lacked coherence and failed to convey a meaningful message.
Ultimately, we underwent a change in mindset and developed a new concept centred around the idea of a "breakup picnic". This concept involves a toolkit designed for couples going through a mutual breakup, providing them with a fun and interactive way to experience closure through parting rituals. We are still in the early stages of refining the breakup picnic idea and plan to finalise the specific rituals in the coming weeks.
Reflection:
This week was undoubtedly challenging as we struggled to align our ideas with the purpose of rematerialising the breakup text. However, the process of making and prototyping allowed us to gain some clarity by eliminating ideas that didn't resonate.