Aesthetic Nostalgia Mediated Design for Long Distance Relationship

Abstract

New technology and media platforms are emerging to support communications between Long Distance Relationships (LDRs). But few of them are aiming at a specific emotional expression such as nostalgic feelings. As Svetlana Boym says, nostalgic love can only survive in a Long-Distance Relationship [1]. Nostalgia is a common emotion we feel towards people we loved but living in distance. It has been shown to have benefits for relationship bonding and human well-being [2]. While most nostalgia designs are emphasized on retro style and memory-related uses, nostalgia’s aesthetic meanings and reflective attributes are being ignored and lack theoretical exploration. Missing someone who is absent is just like J. D. Salinger’s description about love: "a touch and yet not a touch" [3]. The multi-layered emotion is hard to describe and harder to express over distance. Since nostalgic emotion is a perfect bridge for shortening psychological distance and establishing a real lasting, organic relationship bonding, we believe it is timely to create a new language to deliver this subtle emotion. In this paper, we propose an LDR mediated design concept based on nostalgia theory, followed by two design cases: NostosMoon and NostosLamp. Those design cases feature three factors: metaphorical nature-related content, slow and reserved way of interaction, and realized tangible output. We would like to open discussions on how factors that are seemly opposite with closeness actually enhance intimacy and strengthen bonding between LDR groups, thus influence the nostalgia mediated design.