WAKE IS A DIGITAL MEMORIAL SPACE.
Profiles are created by someone close to the departed. Content can be suggested by friends and family, or those following the memorial space.
Memories can be shared as images, videos, or written stories. Wake automatically organizes them into a digital tapestry of life.
THE IDEA WAS CREATED WHILE BROWSING SOCIAL MEDIA.
A classmate from my hometown had passed away. Their family members were linking everyone to a Google Drive folder, asking for written stories, quotes, and images of the deceased.
While I found it to be a heartwarming collection of memories, I felt that Google Drive was an inelegant platform for this sentiment. I wondered if there was a better application that they could have used, and I quickly realized that there was not.
I COULD MAKE SOMETHING MORE SENTIMENTAL.
I moved forward with the concept of a digital memorial space. Going into the design process, I kept a few things in mind:
My main audience would be senior citizens, who are more likely to know someone who recently passed away. Wake has to be extremely easy to use without being condescending.
Wake should not function like social media. It is a page made by someone about another person, not about themselves. Its design needed to reflect that.
The aesthetic has to be respectful, gentle, and comforting.
TO APPEAL TO AN ELDERLY AUDIENCE, I AVOIDED ICONS.
Several senior citizens that I spoke with were confused by iconography in apps or websites. There were exceptions, such as back arrows and search magnifying glasses, but they were unsure about abstract icons.
Because of this, I replaced icons with text-based buttons whenever possible. Wherever an icon is used, I kept them common and simple.
THE IMAGE SUBMISSIONS ARE ABLE TO BE CUSTOMIZED WITH QUILT-INSPIRED FRAMES.
These frames are optional and purely for aesthetic. I included them to add a gentle, warm, and slightly ethereal identity to the brand.
WAKE OFFERS A CONDOLENCE LETTER SERVICE.
If the creator of the space allows it, friends and followers can send physical and customizable letters expressing their condolences.
EVEN WITH THE CONDOLENCE LETTER SYSTEM, THIS PROJECT WAS LACKING A TACTILE TOUCH.
This realization led to the idea of a Wake publication. Once a person's space was completed, users have the option to purchase a bound, physical book of the Wake space. It would include every contribution in memorial of the deceased.
This way, even if years have passed and the Wake space is inactive, there is a physical memory to pull out and look through. It is something that can be passed down in families or given as a gift.
FINALLY, I CREATED A TEXT-BASED ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.
The campaign is called "I Remember", and it's centered around the little things that people are remembered for. These would be quotes from loved ones about what they choose to remember about the deceased.
Rather than focusing on death, this campaign encapsulates what Wake stands for: the celebration of life.
