Digital legacy: Designing with things

Area of Science:

• Digital Humanities
• Sociology of Death
• Design Studies

Background:

• Theories of things explore the agency and meaning embedded in objects.
• Digital environments are increasingly used for memorialization and constructing narratives.
• Existing research often separates digital and physical materials in legacy studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how theories of things can enable new forms of agency for the deceased.
• To examine the construction of meaning through digital collections and online environments.
• To expand interdisciplinary discourse on design's role in creating digital legacies.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis drawing on theories of things.
• Exploration of digital memorials and online rituals.
• Examination of the translation between digital and physical materials.

Main Results:

• Digital and physical materials can be conceptually linked to create durable post-death biographies.
• Memorials and rituals in online environments offer diverse narratives, experiences, and aesthetics.
• Theories of things provide a framework for understanding agency in digital objects for the deceased.

Conclusions:

• Rethinking the role of digital things can expand the scope of post-death biography construction.
• Design interventions can foster new forms of legacy by integrating digital and physical elements.
• Interdisciplinary approaches are crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of digital legacy and agency.