A Design Perspective on Three Technology Heirlooms

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Artifacts play an important role as triggers for personal memory. They help in the recollection of past experience and in reminiscing about people , places, and times gone by. Of particular interest to us is one type of artifact, the heirloom, which may also have rich connections with memory, but often through the lens of the life of a deceased member of a family, or a friend. Issues of personal memory and heirlooms are complex, diverse, and subtle. In this article we describe a design case study investigating the role technology will play as part of the process of inheritance. We describe the process of translating fieldwork related to artifacts and heirlooms into a design space from which a broad set of themes, concepts and prototypes emerged. We describe the development of this space, its thematic arrangement, and finally a number of resultant artifact designs. Artifacts play an important role as triggers for personal memory. They help in the recollection of past experience and in reminiscing about people, places, and times gone by (e.g., Petrelli, Whittaker, & Brockmeier, 2008). They also act as aids to reflection and analysis, not only helping us look back on the past in new ways but enriching our experiences in the moment (Sellen & Whittaker, 2010). In this article we Richard Banks is a designer with an interest in the long-term impact of technology in our lives; he is Principal Interaction Designer in the Socio-Digital Systems group at Microsoft Research Cambridge. David Kirk is a social scientist with interests in material culture and the design of digital artifacts; he is a member of the Digital Interaction Group and a Senior Lecturer of Experience-Centered Design in the School of Computing Science at Newcastle University. …