“It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.” (Carroll, 1871 p. 204)[i]

As a three-dimensional designer I am intrigued by the scope of objects and their stories – objects that have served us in the past, the present and possibly in the future. This research focused on the ‘now’ with a reference to the past and the future.

The aim of this research was to explore potential associations between the language of disposable photography and memory formation within communities of individuals aged 50 and over, to identify and allow personal legacies, to highlight identity and memory.
A key topic of the research was on the translations of internal dialogue to external bodies, such as three-dimensional representations of thoughts. This process was propelled by Saussurean [ii] and Derridean[iii] thinking[iv] and investigated through photographs the relationship of thoughts (the ‘internal’) and visual means (the ‘external’). 

Inspired and influenced by Roland Barthes words in ‘To Inform’[v]:

“Since the photograph is pure contingency … contrary to the text which, by sudden action of a single word, can shift a sentence from description to reflection – it immediately yields up those “details” which constitute the very raw material of ethnological knowledge.” (Barthes, 1980 p. 28)

the research pursued an investigation into the photographic message in relation to the spoken and written voice and examined how cognitive abilities can be aided by a tangible collection of intangible approaches, to reflect upon emotional connections created within one’s mind and mental lexicon[vi].

With the later stages of life come cognitive decline, memory loss, vision and hearing impairments and disorientation. Over a third of the total populations in England and Germany, 21 million[vii] and 25 million[viii] people respectively, are aged 50 years and over. Age UK inform that the loss of cognitive abilities is the single biggest reason why older people lose their independence and need 24 hour care.[ix]
Authors, such as Donald A. Norman and Susan Sontag have focused on the emotions photographs can create within an individual’s response to life. Records of visually gathered memories can unlock who a person is and pave the road to the future, creating a helpful tool for the possibility of cognitive decline.
Studies of the three-dimensional environment in photographs inquired whether an individual’s environment can aid cognitive abilities to form a visual voice[x]. Archives of identity and memory were subsequently collected with disposable cameras, formulated through questions, “Who am I?” and “How do I want to be remembered?”. The reception of the work and testing amongst the demographic seemed healthy[xi] overall with feedback aiding further developmental stages.

The research concluded with the validation of requests for leaving memories behind. Within the demographic, memory and autobiographical reminiscence play a crucial role, as one exists within a threshold of transitions. Changes of priorities and expectancies, family support and questions of mid-life conflicts may become more prominent and shifts from employment to retirement are on the horizon. The research has led towards the creation of a memory-box-system, ‘weigh your hi-stories’, which is designed for this specific demographic and brings photography, time, social environments together. According to Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfrage, [xii]over 50% of Germans, aged between of 40 and 85, have daily contact to their children and 91% meet weekly for social exchange[xiii]. The box, which contains a disposable camera, a journal and a map, will allow generations to connect with memories and share those during the time they spend together.
‘weigh your hi-stories’ , currently in its prototype stage and awaiting sponsorship, will be tested during workshops in Asslar, Germany, in January and February 2012. An advertisement to promote the workshops will be featured in Aßlar - Die Woche, a local newspaperand if the responses are fruitful, the system will be introduced in England in May 2012.

The focus of the study was to find an instrument to initiate authorship of cognition to emphasise the importance of the language of memories through visual communication.  This project has created such an opportunity for the demographic to produce their own heirloom for future generations.
Insights into the ideals of the chosen demographic, learning about authorship of ideas and images and studies into the linguistic fields has helped to clarify my own position in the design environment. The acquisition of new language, British Sign Language, has identified spatial expression and linked visual communication to the three-dimensional environment.