Because I Can’t Let You Go

Date

22 NOV 2024 28 NOV 2024

Week

Week 2

Unit

UX Studio Practice

Team

Dahoon Lee, I-lin Chang (Ellen), Jin Wang, Karolis Snieckus, Stav Perry

Brief

Design a novel way to say goodbye.

In short

The project reimagined funerals by addressing the gap between the desire for a positive farewell and the reality of grief.
A Goodbye Room prototype used video, projection, and NFC to enable intimate, two-way posthumous communication.
Feedback valued its hopeful vision while highlighting the need to refine sender–receiver experience and visual clarity.

Recap

Most people do not want others to feel sadness at their funeral, yet funerals are still commonly described as sorrowful events. With this contradiction in mind, we decided to develop a new funeral concept that integrates digital technology to reshape how farewells are experienced.

Ideation

The advent of digital technology can transform how people say goodbye and how they communicate with the deceased. With artificial intelligence, could future conversations with lost loved ones become possible?

We believed that even after death, people can still exist alongside us—not physically, but emotionally and digitally. Our idea was to design a two-way space for communication, where the living could revisit and connect with their loved ones through personal interactions.

This environment included private areas, allowing visitors to express emotions and thoughts in moments of sudden loss.

Spatial photo and video. Image Credit: Apple

Digital funeral reference. Image Credit: Cumulus

Concept sketch. Image Credit: Stav Perry

Realisation

We designed the spatial structure of the Goodbye Room to resemble a photo booth, representing an intimate one-on-one interaction. A rear-projection screen was used to simulate a future telepresence system. NFC tags and readers allowed visitors to trigger specific recorded videos by scanning them with a personalised token.

Setting up the booth structure for prototype. Photo Credit: Author

Ceiling of the Goodbye Room. Photo Credit: Author

Although the use of AI-generated messages was initially considered, we used pre-recorded video messages for the prototype. Participants filmed and edited messages they wanted to leave for others, which could then be played when triggered.

Interaction implemented using TouchDesigner. Photo Credit: Author

NFC tag designed to play pre-matched messages. Photo Credit: Author

Filming Jin’s funeral video. Photo Credit: Author

Rear projection setup. Photo Credit: Author

Successful hologram-like projection test. Photo Credit: Author

Exterior view of the Goodbye Room. Photo Credit: Author

NFC tagging interaction. Photo Credit: Author

Lancy receiving a message left by Jin. Photo Credit: Author

Feedback & Reflection

The concept was recognised as a powerful posthumous communication system. Reviewers appreciated how the presentation effectively communicated a hopeful vision rather than a dystopian one. The use of light, sound, and projection helped evoke emotional depth and intimacy.

However, feedback suggested that the visual documentation such as storyboards and system diagrams could be enhanced for better clarity. Additionally, further exploration of the user experience between sender and receiver was recommended to deepen the emotional dimension of the concept.

Reference

Galbus, L.T.B.C. 11: G.F. by J.A. (2013) ‘Case 11: Goodbye Friend’, in Inside Relationships. Routledge.
Meijer, E. (2019) When Animals Speak: Toward an Interspecies Democracy. NYU Press.
Ramilyevna Bikmullina, E. et al. (2023) ‘The Concept of English Linguistics in the Manners of Saying Hello and Goodbye’, Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics, 14(3), pp. 142–146. Available at: https://doi.org/10.22055/rals.2023.19471.
Wojtkowiak, J. (2022) ‘Ritual (Re)design. Towards a Framework for Professional Ritual Making in Postsecular Contexts’, Yearbook for Ritual and Liturgical Studies, 38, pp. 108–123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21827/YRLS.38.108-123.