Digital storytelling is an important part of our future, driven by events of the past. Since humans appeared on the earth, the passing of culture, education and experiences through tales has been of extreme importance to civilization.
Today, there are many ways to archive information. We have books, video, audio recordings, websites, and now, digital scanning. The latest tool in the communication frontier is RememberMe. Developed by Tales of Things and Electronic Memory in collaboration with Oxfam, the project is an application and online database allowing anyone to create a message and then print out a small tag with a barcode referencing the message to place on a physical item.
When the product first launched, it was tested at the Oxfam store in Manchester, England. People dropping off clothing were asked to record an audio clip about their pieces. A barcode was then attached to the item. Customers interested in the garment could then listen to the tale that came along with the clothes.
At the time there was a very rudimentary way of listening to the recordings. However, RememberMe is now an iPhone app that allows the user to simply scan the barcode and replay the message.
Wouldn’t it be great to pass on our clothing with memories attached to them? You could learn that the dress given to you by your grandmother was worn on her first date with your grandfather, or that the scarf you picked up in a thrift store was knitted by a young boy earning money for his family.
The barcodes can be placed on anything, and as they mention over at Ecouterre, it’s a great way to place value on your belongings. Clothing, though, is so personal and also so expendable. Because one item can change many hands, why not pass along with it its most valuable asset, the story of its life.
Photo via the App Store.