Prayer Companion

The Prayer Companion is a resource for the intercessional prayers of a group of cloistered nuns.  A tabletop appliance with a small screen on top, the device scrolls short texts culled from newsfeeds and social media as an indicator of prevailing issues and moods. The Prayer Companion was designed in a project about technologies for older people. We engaged with the nuns for over a year to understand their practices and orientations before designing the device and installing it in the monastery. Though initially sceptical, the nuns reported its effects on their prayer life from the very first week, and they lived with it for almost five years.  The project taught us a huge amount about their lives and beliefs, and serves as a valuable reminder that older people are not a homogeneous group.

Click here for a conference paper about the project.

Date: 2009

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