Experience Design

“I wish I could be present at my daughter’s wedding.”

“I wish I could comfort my spouse on the anniversary of my death.”

“I wish my newborn son could know me.”

“I wish I could visit ___ one last time.”

Behind every grief, there is a wish full of deep longing and great love. Even if the wish cannot be fulfilled, I believe that person-centered experiences can honor the spirit of the wish, as well as the dignity and individuality of the person.

Together, we will identify what your wish is, and co-create an experience for you or a loved one that expresses your love for them. Experiences can be profoundly impactful whether they are elaborate or very simple; it’s the specificity of the design that matters. That’s what communicates “I know you. I see you.”

By combining deep listening, guided imagery, and design principles, it’s possible to deeply understand your own (or someone else’s) inner world and then externalize it into a beautiful, immersive experience to share with someone else. Your memories, favorite smells and foods, and personal symbology -- all of these and more become the rich, raw materials from which to create.

Below are just some sample ideas of what is possible.

Screen Shot 2020-06-16 at 11.59.55 AM.png — Forest Vigil

A woman’s final wish is to visit the National Forest she protected for decades, but she’s too sick to travel.

Bring the forest to her instead
Ask friends and family to bring over plants and trees for her vigil
Natural light or sun lamps
Fresh herbs and leaves she can smell and touch
Ask a park ranger to send glass jars full of dirt, water, branches from her forest to keep near her bed or place on an altar
Nature and birdsong ambient music
In lieu of flowers, please plant a tree in her memory

An art enthusiast’s favorite place to go is MOMA. Her wish is to share her passion for art with her loved ones, as well as to design an experience that they could have to feel closer to her.

We record her thoughts about her favorite pieces of art at MOMA to create an audio tour.
Any of her friends and family can go there now, and listen to these tracks with headphones as a way to connect with and honor her.

A new father with a terminal diagnosis wishes for his infant son to have a sense of who his father was when he comes of age

The father recreates a significant road trip he took when he was 21 for his son to take when he turns 21
This experience includes: mix cds of music the father loved and the diners he ate at, geo-coordinates of locations for his son to take a photo, unlocking an old photo of his father in the exact location, video and audio messages to play along the road that include stories, wishes for his son, and jokes he would have told
Instructions for a ritual to be performed at a specific location

Shared experiences like these can be a silver thread connecting people together across time, space, and even death. They can be experienced without both people being physically present, but with presence being deeply felt.

Celebration of Life Parties

There is a growing trend of people choosing to celebrate their lives before their death in the form of a party or ceremony with loved ones. Some people would prefer to receive the outpouring of love, memories, and appreciation that is often expressed at a funeral in person. So why wait? Using experience design and deep listening, I will help you plan a meaningful, unique, and beautiful celebration for you and your community. If you are local to the Austin area, I can also be present for day-of coordination and oversight. Travel is also a possibility.

Vigil Planning

A vigil is a sacred time leading up to the final moments of one’s life. Everyone deserves a calming, peaceful, and inspiring atmosphere in their final days.

Together we’ll explore questions such as:

Who do you want present at your vigil?
What music or sounds do you want to hear?
Do you want religious/spiritual texts or poetry read to you?
Do you want a custom altar created as part of your vigil?
How do you want your environment to look, sound, and smell?
How do you want people to interact with you at your vigil?