Bisu

How might we...

... design a service that preserves stories through objects, while enabling creative intergenerational exchange and community engagement?

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My Bachelor thesis started from some reflections on objects and on the concept of inheritance.

I visited secondhand shops and donation centers to see which objects were left and unsold. 


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Key Insight Themes from my research:
- Objects serve as carriers of identity, memory, space, and learning.
- There is a narrow "window of meaning" before objects become irrelevant.
- Youth and elderly can be connected through co-creation and narration of stories.

Jeweler
Antiquarian
Elderly

Where do you keep your sentimental objects?

Heirlooms have a space in our lives, while common objects with sentimental value but no economic one will get put aside, passing from flea market to landfill.

Are there people who bring them used and old materials to melt?

"Yes, usually old necklaces. I always try to use and appreciate these materials that go, and can be, reused. Often people wear jewellery that is ‘out of fashion’ and no longer feel like wearing it. They often come with jewellery that by manufacture is unique and valuable, so I recommend not to melt them. They are special objects, and even if maybe the person will never wear them I refuse to merge jewellery made with techniques or machinery that are no longer common and that are even no longer found.You can do whatever you like with it."

Who will inherit this?

Looking at the minerals her late husband brought from the mine in the 70s.
"They have a card, everyone has their own card. I divided them, put them on the table, I tried to do equal parts. I made the notes with the names of my children, my granddaughter was there, I told her: ‘pull the notes’ and because of how she pulled the note put it there. I couldn't do otherwise. And now there are those who took them and those who didn't. “Leave them there mom, leave them there mom” and I wouldn’t want them to fight over two stones."

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Ms Gina's Perfumes

"Ms Gina contacted us after we put our posters at Fablab, unfortunately she had to deal with some physical disabilities, so we had to adapt our processes. She gave us some of her collection's beautiful vintage perfume bottles to work with and did a workshop with us to better imagine her new jewelry."

Before
After
Before
After
Ms Rita

"Getting in contact with this lovely grandma was easier, since she was a friends family member. For years she kept this spatula in her cabinet, wanting to give it to her granddaughter, but unable to do so due to her conditions. She gave me design freedom, so we chose something else she wanted to bring back to life: her centrini! This new spatula is now is my friends apartment, and will be with her for many years to come."

A digital Archive

As a final step we developed a small demo of an archive as a digital repository that documents the stories of objects. This initiative serves multiple purposes: creating a communal memory bank, supporting future design research, and fostering civic engagement.



Try the website here

Quiet social impact

The project generates social impact by addressing elderlies loneliness and generational disconnection, transforming ordinary objects into meaningful artifacts, and promoting sustainable design practices. 


From a design perspective, the service faces challenges around timing and trust: capturing stories before they're lost. 


Though initially developed through small-scale workshops, these experiences have potential for implementation across diverse communities.