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Moments Lost 

Futuristic museum exhibit dealing with the idea of digital impermanence, and how we might get more people thinking about it. If you don't know, "Digital Impermanence" is the idea that digital files won't last forever and are bound to eventually become unreadable, corrupted, or otherwise lost.

Concept Phase

Many of us store some, if not all, of our archives using online services. But not enough of us think about the fact that this is one of the most impermanent ways to store something long-term. It's easy to forget that our data stays accessible at the whims of the company that owns the service, so an app or service that seems like it'll be around forever could suddenly change policies or ownership or even shut down completely to be replaced by something new. 

Ideas for How the Tech Works

  • A new type of computer or physical storage format that makes it so data never decays + an automatic backup service for it

    • Can be hooked up to a computer, so you can put your files onto this drive (all files are converted into fitting universal file formats)

    • Has a built-in functionality that can print text or visual files onto paper

    • Has a huge storage capacity

    • Works kind of like a backup drive, but just meant for storing files and data for a really long time. You just put stuff in there and then don't touch it until you need to make a copy of it.

    • A universal file format that will always be supported and can easily be used to convert from old file formats to new ones

    • Maybe it could parse downloaded data from sites like social media into a readable format

    • Maybe there's a public service that will hold another backup of this drive for you in storage, just in case your personal drive is damaged or lost
                                                                                                     

AUDIENCE

Younger people who keep a big chunk of their archives online

KEY GOAL

 To be informed about data impermanence

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Storyboard Brainstorming

  • Basic Arc:

  • Show a character (younger person) who stores a lot of their info using an online service, then have a friend of their refer them to the exhibit to inform them

  • Then take them through how the exhibit piece works (main impact here)

  • Have voiceover to help communicate things here if needed, but focus voiceover on the exhibit and not on the character

  • Show multiple parts of the exhibit? Or just the one we came up with?

  • Feel free to come up with cool additions or mechanics that make you more invested in the exhibit experience or idea

  • In the end, show the character going home and taking measures to make backups and preserve their data

  • Rely mainly on visuals to communicate how it works, but add voiceover for additional explanation and emotional impact

Storyboard Sketch

storyboard-full.png

Storyboard 

UNDERSTANDING THE USER

The impermanence of digital media was a very interesting topic to choose because while doing my research I was able to find many reliable sources and learned so much about the value of memory. Our research made me realize that web areas aren't long-lasting connections to data except if owners should recharge them every year. 

What steps are you taking to preserve your digital memories?

This project has made me realize that most of us store our memories in digital archives in hopes to retrieve them later in life and share the memories with our loved ones. What if you just wake up one day and all your backup is deleted and apps you use for your persona archive are gone forever?

Personal Archive Video Prototype

Final Cut

TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK

LESSONS LEARNED

At first, I was nervous about taking this class because I felt like all the students were already in major so I might be an outsider. I immediately felt comfortable once we introduced ourselves. I made sure that I was engaged and participating in the class discussion at all times. Anything I didn't know, I asked my teammates and they were all willing to help. I wanted to get the best out of this project, so I asked a lot of questions, networked, and finished off strong. Grateful I took this class, really enjoyed every project and learned a lot from it. Made me appreciate the art of video editing, I used to think it was easy, but now that I see how time-consuming it was,  I have a deeper appreciation for it.

Like what you see?

Let's chat.

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