Cultivating Presence in Absence: Experiments in Nostalgic User Experience (UX)
Shaelynn Hickey
Nostalgic design has been shown to effectively evoke positive emotions and capture user attention. This primarily
manifests in the mimicry of retro aesthetics and familiar design elements but very little research has been done on how
to elicit nostalgia from users solely outside of representing vintage aesthetics. This body of work aims to investigate
how the realm of nostalgic design can be expanded by exercising the design methodology - Nostalgic User Experience
(N-UX), an approach that focuses on creating meaningful experiences by including specific interactions that plan for
user memories to be attached to design objects. With these types of interactions in mind, designers can create
experiences that will evoke nostalgia for users in the future.
Memories from the Future
This interactive installation at Pratt Institute began with a simple white tablecloth and crayons, inviting participants to "LEAVE A TRACE OF YOUR EXISTENCE HERE." Over ten weeks, it transformed into a vibrant tapestry of student expressions, later publically embroidered and exhibited to celebrate the fleeting overlaps of participant’s position in time.
Fourth-Dimensional Existence
Using the Nostalgic UX design philosophy, Fabric of Time encapsulates Einstein's theory of relativity by transforming vintage 35mm film slides into wearable art, symbolizing how past, present, and future are interwoven and surround us.
Furnishing the Memory Palace
In this auto-ethnographic exploration, I created a memory palace with objects that define my personal and emotional history, revealing how deeply our possessions are entwined with our identities and memories. This nostalgic indexing not only enhanced my recall abilities but also deepened my appreciation for the intricate tapestry of past relationships and experiences encapsulated in everyday items.
Sick With Sentimentalism
Through this experiment, complex layers of nostalgia were confronted by retrieving and cleaning childhood artifacts, items that evoke both cherished and painful memories, and permanently encasing them in resin, symbolizing a hard-won reconciliation with my past. This act of preservation aided in transforming anxiety into ease, embedding my fragmented history into a tangible form of memory that resists decay.
In Retrospect
In Retrospect harnesses the cognitive bias of rosy retrospection through a series of vintage-inspired glasses advertisements engraved on pink acrylic, symbolizing the 'rose-tinted glasses' through which we view our past. This artistic endeavor is complemented by videos projected through the acrylic, creating a distorted yet nostalgic visual narrative that explores our affectionate and often skewed recollections of vintage objects and experiences.
Memories from the Future Performance
Experiments in Nostalgic UX Book
