Friday, May 22, 2009

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CONTENTS


ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

1.RESEARCH

Demographic transition

Changing value

International students

Home, familiar place

Transition of Long distance communication

A missing sense of communication tools

2.DESIGN INSPIRATIONS

Cultural ritual in terms of direction

Facing each other

4. CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT


The historic structure of a family unit is changing. One major change is that people that once lived in a large family environment have broken away to live alone. This phenomenon has become increasingly prevalent in contemporary society, as greater numbers of people than ever are living on their own, and this number is on the rise.

By virtue of popularization of the Internet, people have tools such as email, MSN and Skype to instantly communicate with each other regardless of distance. It is possible to say that the different locations that people are tending to live is not as important any more for some people to communicate.

There is a design opportunity with these means of long distance communication tools. Although people living away from their family and hometowns are physically located in a new place, there is still a strong emotional connection to where they used to live previously. This thesis focuses on the emotional connections of people who live apart from their home country, family and familiar environment.

The main interest of this thesis is to investigate how the design of a long distance communication tool can create a new, richer, emotional connection for a person living apart from their family and hometown. The design means of creating this connection is to emphasise the cardinal direction from a person to family and places that they feel nostalgic and homesick.