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Tracing a ghost: Designing for and from memory
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
Electronic archive copy is available via Aalto Thesis Database.
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en
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83
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Abstract
Creative writing is used as a design tool to access memories that inspire the production of a table. This study investigates how structured writing exercises can surface personal memory and lived experience to inform the artistic design process. Drawing on practice-led research and autoethnography, twelve writing prompts generate narratives that guide creative decisions and inform aesthetic choices. The research engages with literature exploring time, the mutability of memory, and matter as a vessel for memory. It positions the self as an archive, viewing memory as both a method and a material for design. Combining writing, making, and reflective documentation, the study proposes a framework for designing from memory using creative writing. By centering subjective experience and emotional narrative, it challenges conventional, product-focused design approaches and demonstrates that writing can extend reflective design practices toward more personal, memory-driven creative work.