A death in the family: opportunities for designing technologies for the bereaved

Following the death of a loved one, bereaved family members use technology in several ways to respond to their loss. However, very little is known about how technology intersects with the lives of the bereaved. We present a survey and interview study which examines how the bereaved inherit personal digital devices, use technology to remember the deceased, and reflect on their own digital estates. The study provides one of the first characterizations of technology use by the bereaved, and presents a set of empirically-grounded design opportunities and challenges. Author Keywords Death, inheritance, bereaved, memory, thanatosensitive design. ACM Classification Keywords H5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous. General Terms Design, Human Factors.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2010
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Michael Massimi, Ronald M. Baecker
• Keywords: Author Keywords Death, CHI 2010, Human Computer Interaction, Personal Digital Devices, Technology