Persoriam: Death is for the living
Research & Design
In this design research project explorations were done in how the traditional craft of embroidery could be used to connect human lifes, by creating and researching meaningful design.
The result is a project that bridges the traditional craft of embroidery with a new generational symbol of the QR code to bring solace to the bereaved.
Design
objective
Coping with the loss of a loved one is a personal process that differs per individual. Through own personal interests and experiences
This study aimed to investigate how embroidery, could help individuals in coping with the loss of a loved one.
the primary objective was to explore and integrate digital access to memorial materials, like voice notes and videos into these items, enhancing their emotional significance and support during grief, while also ‘immortalizing’’ these materials.
key findings
& outcome
The research resulted in the development of various designs, incorporating user feedback and personalized symbols linking to the stories told by the participants.
While the final embroidered piece did not directly mitigate participants' grieving emotions, the constant feedback loops proved instrumental in fostering a sense of comfort and ease in discussing their emotions. Participants found solace during the design feedback sessions and seeing it in physical form. This contributed to increased emotional comfort and ease in discussing their bereavement.
Involve more stakeholders
A missed opportunity was to involve funeral home directors which could have benefited both bereaved families and funeral services and benefitted the overall impact. Since we defined our target group of people who early on, the focus was only laid on them.
By focusing more on accessibility, future projects should include more stakeholders to enhance usability, extending benefits beyond immediate users to professionals in the field.
Design
approach
The design process focused on iterative stages, collaborating with participants who had experienced a recent loss to create personalised embroidered pieces.
The focus was on creating symbols and designs that held importance to the bereaved, integrating their feedback into the final design.
Understanding the grieving process and death warranted a well informed and researched background to inform our design choices
Field research & Embodied ideation
User emphasising
Integrating traditional &
digital
.
QR code design iterationsField research was conducted to identify materials and techniques that evoke comfort through tactile interaction. Various fabric textures and embroidery stitches were tested, and the most comforting options were chosen based on participant feedback. This hands-on approach ensured the final designs were both emotionally and physically soothing upfront, while also connecting with intuitive senses.
Creating a supportive environment was key to this project. Thoughtful, open-ended questions were used to gather deep insights from participants, ensuring their experiences and emotions were central to the design. Multiple feedback rounds were conducted to keep close to needs and wants. This user-centric approach resulted in highly personalized and meaningful embroidered pieces.
Exploring digital layers into traditional embroidery, allowed access to memorial materials like videos and voice recordings through the choice of QR codes. This fusion aimed to create a lasting, generational symbol that modernizes the traditional craft and survive the passage of time.
Final handkerchief design for one of the PARTICIPANTS with their own stories embroidered 
More flexible iterations
Reflecting back on the progress, several challenges that were encountered slowed our progress. None of which were too problematic, but highlighted the importance of adaptability and flexibility in the design approach. Some participants dropped out before the designs were finished, resulting in refocusing on the remaining participants and tailor the elibility criteria for them.
Conducting more prototype sessions could have identified issues earlier, improving the approach and outcome.
“ “...I know that you’re not a certified therapists or anything but just having someone to listen to me really helped me out, because to be honest I don’t talk about this much because I don’t want to upset people around me. Now I got something to hold on that is my own.” ”