A Music-Sharing Device for Generational Connection
Team Leo Adams, Ugochi Chukueke, Teddy Granta
Year 2024
Duration 8 Weeks
Problem
With levels of family fragmentation that are higher than ever coupled with aging individual's struggle to adapt to a rapidly evolving technological landscape, there looms a problem of social isolation amongst older adults.
Opportunity
How might we harness the power of music to increase connectivity between generations?
“Listening to music reactivates areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning, speech, emotion, and reward.”
University of Utah Health, “Music Activates Regions of the Brain Spared by Alzheimer’s Disease”, 2018
“Objective evidence from brain imaging shows that personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer's disease.”
Harvard Health Publishing, "Memory can boost memory and mood", 2015
Family Fragmentation
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Struggle to Adapt to Technology
Social Isolation
Giving Music A Home Again
Older generations gave music a place in the home. We wanted to bring that presence back.
After visiting the homes of older generations, we understood that music was a much more physical experience. To honor that, we designed SongBird with a vertical form and made it wall-mountable, allowing music to be presented as a meaningful object in the home.
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Vertical Form
Wall-mountable
