My mom’s recent death left behind a heartbroken daughter who could not fathom the huge vacancy in her life—amidst a societal expectation that one can rapidly move on. Instead of my grieving process tidily expiring shortly after the funeral, I was saturating myself in her: wearing her clothing, jewelry, boots, purses, scent; driving her car; and embarking on multiple related research projects. My actions seemed intuitive and natural, yet I felt overwhelmed in an autobiographical silo. I decided to explore what other people actually do and “why”. I developed a cultural probe—sending it through social media, receiving myriad responses that spanned generations, cultures, circumstances of death and time-elapsed since death. This study captures the rituals, activities, artifacts and interactions that people create to keep their loved one’s memory alive. These stories are especially poignant since no one is left untouched.
Sara Jo Johnson is a writer, graphic designer, design strategist and professor of Design Management at SCAD. She teaches classes on design research, innovation and sustainability. Her mother’s recent death led her to attempt to single-handedly redesign the death care industry. Instead, she followed this project of the heart. sarajojo@gmail.com