Date of Award

Spring 6-4-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Industrial Design

Department

Industrial Design

First Advisor

Tom Weis

Second Advisor

Ayako Maruyama

Third Advisor

Ian Chillag

Abstract

We constantly fall into a cycle of consumption that involves acquiring, retaining, and relinquishing items, whether we need them or not. Even though we are influenced by popular media to declutter more as we acquire new things, the root of the problem will still exist if we continue to neglect the reasons why we own things in the first place and why we hold onto them.

Why is it less stressful to make a list of possessions we enjoy having than to make a list of things we need to throw away?

This thesis hopes to relieve people of making tough decisions like when to relinquish things that are difficult to give up, understanding that it’s more effective to control the urge to acquire things when we know what to value.

To accomplish these goals, I designed a series of light-hearted, non-judgemental conversations to explore the ways that stories develop through objects and so that people could reacquaint themselves with their belongings. To facilitate these conversations, I invited people to take part in a series of workshops where participants reflected on their own values from the perspectives of their belongings.

Comments

View exhibition online: Megan (Tzu-Hsien) Chao, Memories UNBOXED

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