Nostalgia: Designing for Desires
YeEun Choi
We are all surrounded by shifting fragments of memories and complex emotions directly linked with Nostalgia. Whether we experience Nostalgia negatively or positively, it has two side outcomes: bitter and sweet like our lives, but we can turn the bitter into the sweet. Since nostalgia uniquely relies on our past, whether good or bad, it helps us interpret what is happening in the present. I argue that nostalgia can also be a tool for helping us identify our needs to scope our desirable futures. In this research, I explore the possibility that nostalgia can help our desires move toward positive action by experimenting with using a memory trigger as a design tool or methodology.
Sixteen Digital Abstract Paintings with Thesis Glossary Term
I created sixteen abstract digital paintings as a communication tool to use our feelings to become honest or build strong relationships. The paintings respond to a range of words: Emotions, Interact, Chaos, Trigger, Nostalgia, Reminiscence, Trace, Experience, Connection, Perception, Amplification, Disruption, Positive filtering, Mix, Bittersweet, and Communication. From here, I can apply how these visualizations influence how we can utilize “Nostalgia” as a positive filter toward a desirable future scenario. This design experiment influences my personal definition of nostalgia as positive psychology with suggestive potential.
Mapping Nostalgia
This Mapping Nostalgia shows the relationship between emotions and memory, and nostalgia. An emotion is a psychological phenomenon, a subjective state of mind derived from one’s circumstance, mood, or relationships with others. Our emotions are complex, so we can’t beg them into a few categories. Memories imply emotions from the past. Whether it belongs Positive or negative, memories influence us.
Memories: Distortion / Motivation – Positive Psychological Suggestion
I created a series of posters about the Memories after watching the documentary called The Mind, Explained: Memory. The video has two main contents; three factors that affect memory and the distortion and importance of memory. I documented my own definitions of memories and visualized them on each poster.
Color of Time
Color of Time is a digital painting tool that allows you to explore past memories and feelings in order to imagine a better future. In other words, personal nostalgia serves as a bridge of time in this app, connecting the past, present, and future. Users can create colorful paintings by digitally overlaying a drawing tool over their memories. This will lead to a self as a result of reflection.
Color of Time
Visual expression played a significant role in my capstone project, which means it has the potential to reconstruct and reimagine a person's past experiences and current circumstances. I used the mash-up method as a self-examining reconstruction tool for a 1:1 customized app, which combines abstract digital paintings and their current circumstances with past memories. The self-examining reconstruction activity assists the user in reconstructing a better future based on their personal past experiences by inviting self-awareness, reflection, and visual expression.Color of Time — Paint Your Day(PYD)
The app's most important feature is called "Paint Your Day." The goal of the Color of Time is to delve into one's past memories and feelings to envision a better future. In our everyday lives, we wear masks to work and meet our friends. Due to social norms, it is difficult to reveal our emotions honestly, which can cause stress and block the optimistic mindset because we are so used to hiding our feelings in our lives. As a result, I wanted to help people be more open to their feelings and practice self-reflection to better understand themselves and build strong relationships through this activity, which involves exploring memories and emotions to envision a desirable future.
Color of Time — Paint Your Day(PYD) Responses
Color of Time — Paint Your Day(PYD) – iOS Wallpaper
I created the Paint Your Day iOS screen wallpaper created by participants. Every user can set their painting on any device in different modes: mov, gif, and still photo.