Memory Catcher
Memory Catcher is a product that aims to help families create a shared language within the household. It gives family members a chance to understand each other better by finding meaningful objects or creating new handicrafts together. The display would serve as a visual reminder of the love, the memories, and the dreams of the family. The display should also evolve over time.
The product has 3 main functions:
- Visual — Display small objects (meaningful mementos, handicrafts etc.)
- Audio — 10 seconds recorder (record a personal voice message, a favourite song of your family’s etc.)
- Smell — Place a fragrance that your family likes (essential oils etc.) into the test tube
Instructions:
There are no restrictions on what you can use the product for. Just be creative and create your own unique family tree. You may use the following prompts to guide your creations. You may use any medium or material (words, symbols, drawings, photographs etc.).
Prompts:
- Create a representation of each of your family member.
- What are some of your fondest memories e.g. childhood, special events, family vacations? (you can look through your photobooks to look for these memories)
- What are your important values in life (e.g happiness, gratitude, honesty)?
- What are your wishes and dreams (family or personal)?
Laser Cutting #1
After designing the different pieces of the Memory Catcher on Adobe Illustrator, I went to laser cut at McNally with Andreas’s help. Andreas gave me and Javier, who was also there to cut his product, a quick recap on how to use the laser cutter.
Assembling the Pieces
I quickly assembled the pieces to have a look at how it turned out. I was really happy with the result. The final outcome looked much better than how it was in my sketches.
Perhaps, I should also explore different materials such as acrylic for the tree and denser wood for the base in future iterations. I could also try to cnc the base in future instead of stacking numerous pieces of plywood together.
