Bear: A Communication Platform for End-of-Life ConversationsRaising Awareness and Providing Comfort
Grief over death is not a problem that can be fixed. It is, however, a problem with areas that can be improved regarding the end-of-life experience and grief from the death of loved ones. As a person with first-hand experience of the loss of a loved one, Kansaranat Pear Nerngchamnong, the designer behind Bear, wanted to find a way to improve the end-of-life experience to help others that are (or will be) going through similar experiences. Design Thinking methods were used as the main guidance throughout the research process and the concept testings.
Bear was created with the goals of raising awareness of the need for end-of-life conversations and providing a way for people to have something that represents their loved one to help ease the emotional struggle of bereavement. Bear is a platform that allows people to create a Time Pod and prepare for the unknown. Users can add future messages, design how they want to be remembered, and customize a Time Pod to help comfort their loved one when they're no longer around.
The design process for Bear involved extensive research, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, and online research. The research began with the key assumption that there is a lack of acknowledgement of the impact of grief that continues to follow grievers throughout their lives. Insights from the research revealed the main themes of regrets, expressions, and barrier transformation. By having tools to increase awareness of the importance of preparation for death, users will find a new perspective on appreciating life and the people around them.
One of the most challenging parts of this project was during the research phase. The End-of-Life topic is a sensitive subject for many, and each person grieves differently. The designer had to navigate these sensitivities and ensure that participants felt comfortable sharing their personal stories of loss. The design team closely monitored participants' tone of voice, body language, and answers, adjusting the interview direction when necessary to remain respectful.
The Bear platform was realized using a combination of tools, including Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, pen, and paper for presentations and knowledge mapping. For the prototype, the team used InVision, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and pen and paper. InVision was particularly useful for creating the interactive prototype of the platform.
Bear has received recognition for its innovative and practical design. It was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in the Social Design category in 2018. This award is given to well-designed, practical, and innovative creations that meet professional and industrial requirements. Bear's design integrates industry best practices and competent technical characteristics, providing fulfillment and positive feelings, contributing to a better world.
Project Details and Credits
Project Designers: Kansaranat Pear Nerngchamnong
Image Credits: Image #1: Icons created by Visual Glow US from Noun Project, Tahsin Tahil from Noun Project, National Park Service Collection from Noun Project.
Image #2: Icons created by IconDots from Noun Project, emma mitchell from Noun Project.
Image #3: Icons created by Ruben Semedo from the Noun Project, David from the Noun Project, Alfa Design from the Noun Project, ISRAA ALI from the Noun Project, National Park Service Collection from Noun Project.
Image #4: Icons created by Ruben Semedo from the Noun Project, ISRAA ALI from the Noun Project, Alfa Design from the Noun Project, Dara Ullrich from the Noun Project, Gregor Cresnar from the Noun Project, National Park Service Collection from Noun Project.
Image #5: Ryo Sato from Noun Project.
Project Team Members: Kansaranat Pear Nerngchamnong
Project Name: Bear
Project Client: Kansaranat Pear Nerngchamnong