Speaker for Our Ancestors
The Problem
Background
I've come across few cultural traditions which have infatuated me more than the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
According to local tradition, every human being suffers three deaths in their lifetime.
The first death, is when we become cognizant of our own mortality. For many of us, this happens when our pets, or a close loved ones perish at a young age.
The second death, is the spirit leaves the body, and you're lowered to your grave. In most cultures, this is the one, and only death.
The third, and final death isn't experienced until the last time somebody utters your name.
To prevent the third death from happening, many Mexican cultures celebrate the "Dia de los Muertos". An elaborate celebration of their ancestors, full of remembrances, stories, where they invite the spirits of their deceased loved ones back into their homes to have another laugh.
This made me think, what are some imaginative ways we could memorialize our loved ones, so they may be remembered?
Some ways I've seen we memorialize our loved ones today...
❶ Tattoos
❷ Starting a charity, or donating on their behalf
❸ Naming a star after them
❹ Names and quotes to live by on park benches
❺ Turning your loved one's ashes into diamonds (link)
❻ Gravestones (obviously)
❼ Digital memorial pages, and digital obituary books
❽ Physical or digital scrapbooks The most common way is a post in the local newpaper's obituary.
At this point, I feel like we've unbundled most of what was offered via newspapers, but there hasn't been a modern substitute for the memorial section. A place where we can pay homage to those who came before us.
Key insights
The Solution
Overview
What I'd like to offer is a new way to memorialize your loved one. Leveraging today’s technology to offer a deeper, more fulfilling experience. This can be reimagined in many ways and most likely it’s not a ”one size fits all” solution.
For instance, you fill out a form with your loved one's name, and a short quote, pay a small monthly fee, and their names will be read off on a live stream regularly next to your quote. We live stream a person reading these quotes, and let it serve as a living memorial to those who came before us.
The stream would be simple. On the left side of the screen have a list of names of those we're memorializing, and a live feed of someone reading the quotes. This can be done monthly and with enough volume even on the birthdays of the people memorialized.
Key Features
❶ Typeform
❷ Live stream
❸ Personalized quote/message
Design Principles
MVP Concept
Simply start with a Typeform and a livestream as mentioned. This can be enough to test the value prop and iterate on the solution from there. There needs to be a clear sign of interest and enthusiasm, at least for a small subset of the market. From here you keep iterating till the you find the ultimate experience for each group of your target audience.
Next Steps
What's needed
