A design research project looking at how information design and narrative structure influence and shape familial memory and personal identity.

The Text Wall was created to understand how real-time media, in the form of text messaging, could change the discussion space within the family dynamic. Part of the initial design of the wall project was the creation of a hard bound book that would be sent to the families containing a compilation of all the texts they contributed during the course of the study.

It is our intention, through the creation and sharing of this journal with our families, to understand how information design influences perceptions of familial memory, personal identity and the dynamics that bind the two together. Moreover, as an alternative family portrait, we hope to explore the opportunity spaces created in the translation of a digital input to an analogue output (and in turn this analogue output can further enhance design, digital or otherwise).

Research Questions
1. What are the elements of design that can be used to visualize conversation?
2. How does the visualization of conversation influence family memory, perceptions of self and the family dynamic?
3. How does this translation of the digital to the analogue enhance our understanding of the text wall's design?

Bounding Terms
Memory, Identity, Conversation
Awareness, Subconscious, Narrative

Audience
The intended audience for this project is two fold. First and foremost, it is a gift to the families for participating in our study. The second motivating factor is our own understanding of the data collected. Using observation, analysis and a post-interview process, we were able to understand many expected and unexpected behaviors during its implementation. It is our hope that this second round of analysis will provide a deeper understanding of this project to inform further design decisions.