1. c a r ly d i n ta m a n • s e n i o r s e m i n a r & t h e s i s • f a l l 2 0 0 9
p r o f e s s o r s n o r m a n f r y m a n & r o b e r t r a b i n o v i t z • pa r s o n s t h e n e w s c h o o l f o r d e s i g n
LetterWriting
rediscovering the lost art

2. “ memory will slip; a letter will keep.
-welsh p rov e r b
”

3. table of contents
Introduction
abstract 1
the story 3-4
Problem Statement 5-6
Preliminary Research
mindmapping 7-10
timelines 11-16
Understanding the Situation
media 17-18
statistics 19-20
Significance of Medium 21-30
emotion 31-32
technology 33-38
expert interviews 39-44
Survey 45-48
Existing Solutions
Case Studies 49-58
Wrap Up
closing 59-60
project plan 61
Sources
endnotes 63-64
images 65-66

4. introduction abstract
this project addresses letter writing and its decline in contemporary society.
Looking at the history of communication reveals the gradual advancements in
technology that have brought us to where we are today. History itself is also held
in actual letters that have survived as archives over the years, including those
of Henry Adams, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abraham Lincoln, and
many unknown, yet valuable, sources.
Many of these resources reveal the greatest distinction between an actual letter
and digital technologies: the medium and materiality, which, in a letter, hold
significance such as identity and emotional connections.
There is no doubt that digital technologies can be tremendously valuable.
However, it seems that current use has rendered them somewhat destructive.
statistics show that digital technology is overwhelming people’s lives in a negative
way. Formal studies debating the value of these technologies conflict with one
another and are often inconclusive. The constant advocacy for letters comes
from people and their significant emotional connections with the object and
words.
Research shows that love and affection are part of our fundamental needs. It
seems, however, that the “efficiency” of today’s society pushes these essentials
to the side. it appears that letter writing has also been driven away in the name
of efficiency. Perhaps, then, reviving the art will also restore these deeper human
needs.
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5. introduction the story
1 2 3
Once upon a time, people received correspondence Children were taught penmanship in school. Handwritten letters were the main means of
by post. communication. Correspondence imparted the
sender’s character and emotion.
4 5
Now, we receive mail on our cell phones, via text Children are taught typing in school. Email is the main means of communication. Corre-
or email. spondence usually appears the same from person to
person, often with black type on a white screen
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6. problem statement
The handwritten letter, once a prominent form Our most fundamental needs are love,
of communication, is now considered a lost connection, acceptance, attention, and
art as digital technology, such as e-mail and appreciation—the very things that technology
cell phones, becomes the prominent means seems to be pushing out of our lives, the things
of communication in many areas of the world, that handwritten letters once supported. There
especially developed nations. no matter how needs to be a shift back to some of those
instantaneous and convenient, though, these things that were once the foundation of our
electronic media fail to convey emotion and societies and relationships; as Hadley Read,
intention as the pen and choice of writing author and economist, states,
surface once did in a letter. The decline of
letter writing reveals how this technological, “We have developed communications systems to
fast-paced, efficient era has led to a lack of permit man on earth to talk with man on the moon.
sincerity, community, civility, and appreciation Yet mother often cannot talk with daughter, father
for simple, special things. to son, black to white, labor with management, or
democracy with communism.”
Traditional stationary stores still operate
today, offering products for writing and Technology must be able to
sending hand-written letters via post but coexist with our fundamental
not necessarily the encouragement; whether needs, and we must be willing
it is intimidation, expensive prices, or an to admit that we require
overwhelming amount of product, there is them, slow down, and find
something holding the everyday person away. ways to create and receive
Pen pal internet sites offer the opportunity them. rediscovering the art
to connect with people who want to write of letter writing could lead to
and receive letters but fall short with an more meaningful connections
unprofessional appearance and a lack of between both strangers and
screening systems to create a trustworthy loved ones and a rediscovery of
network. E-cards attempt to merge civility and humanity in itself.
card-sending with technology but fail as an
insincere gesture.
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7. p r e l i m i n a ry r e s e a r c h mindmapping
e a r ly s tag e s
1. 3.
LETTER LETTER
STATIONARY STATIONARY
WRITING WRITING
BEAUTY BEAUTY
CIVILITY CIVILITY
LINGERIE LINGERIE CHARM CHARM
SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY
MUSEUMS MUSEUMS
HUMAN HUMAN
BEHAVIOR BEHAVIOR
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
2. 4.
CIVILITY/ CIVILITY/
CHARM CHARM
CHARM CHARM
AFFECT ON AFFECT ON
SOCIETY SOCIETY
LETTER LETTER
WRITING WRITING
VALUES VALUES
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
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8. p r e l i m i n a ry r e s e a r c h mindmapping
l at e r s tag e s
brain is electrical, 80-90% corruption
stationary
LETTER WRITING
GENERAL
stores http://media.www
STATIONARY
chemical, and communication .thespartandaily.c
psychological apparent in all areas who? schools? om/media/storag
is non-verbal e-cards e/paper852/news/ emotions and
lack of family of life now 2009/05/04/News senses, tangibility,
dinners /OldFashioned.Let http://www.essort intentions come
LANDSCAPE
facebook ment.com/lifestyl smell, touch through pen and
e/lostartletter_sdf
Handbook of (connection) p.htm http://www.ameri choice of writing more everyday?
interpersonal
communication,
canchronicle.com/ surface
document own is anyone trying to articles/view/3346
Knapp, 591
letter writing and bring it back?
Interplay: the lack of roots in
people’s responses process of communication/ why such a special,
technology? old-fashioned letter
and effects on interpersonal
interpersonal skills + unusual thing?
communication, writing make good design
relationships Adler effect on society
knitting accessible to difficulty of young
Arts & Crafts appealing to
everyone designers finding
less sincerity/ civility, Movement investors
http://www.thefr
http://www.gath throwback to time of success/ respect/
eelibrary.com/Te and chemistry money
chnology+resha how we communi- er.com/viewArtic
more civility
pes+the+ways+
le.action?articleI
Are we talking between people create stationary
cate differently d=28147497671
we+communicat
7006 more but saying today line
e-a013248832 using technology stationary
less? http://www.exten
The Importance
sion.iastate.edu/m of Civility,
t/civility/2009/09/ Bogorad
look at families what is the void?
parallel letterwriting/ inspire/ make
holding up “masks” where is people want to write
stationary w/society’s “Design
civility/charm?
CHARM
interaction, conduct, Thinking” Tim
personalized? inexpensive yet stationary kit notes
Brown
civility luxurious, special? w/stamps?
selecting a topic for research look back in time at as more of our needs
CIVILITY
all arts and when what are people are met, we desire
began by brainstorming areas do both increase/
decrease together?
printing
gaps started looking for? more meaning and
beauty
of interest and narrowing them
press simple, personal, is convenience, look at effects of
special fast-pace, efficiency neglecting charm,
CHARM really better/ more failing to slow down,
look at current events,
VALUES
look at a day in the look at human
down. As seen on the previous life of dif people of
dif age groups and
important times in
history, crises, & see
behavior & what we
care about, what’s
what do we value? important? etc.
pages, I continually re-mapped how they how we communi- lost http://www.boxes
andarrows.com/vi
SOCIETY
communicate cated ew/personalizatio
n_is_not_technol
my ideas, expanding upon them
ogy_using_web_
WHAT CREATES tradition/ heirloom trend now towards using technology
personalization_t
look at where we are uniqueness
VALUE FOR HUMAN customization, and mass production
now and where we INTERACTION/
and finding both a central idea individualization to personalize Zazzle
used to be GROWTH? (sneakers)
of beauty and charm and a deep nothing graceful or
http://answers.ya
hoo.com/question
/index?qid=20060
http://www.mb.co
m.ph/articles/219
730/finding-and--
does it have the
can we use look at both ludite
charming about 618210748AAV3k losing-love-- technology to and
interest in letter writing. i realized same effect/value?
DL&cp=3n facebook
email re-introduce mass-production
question old-fashioned things,
how emotions impersonal/ losing friendships
ideas, values?
that many of my ideas following technology come across via
technology
insincerity through facebook Kindle
can technology & old
this involved technology and http://www.wired.
fashioned thrive
together?
is technology as is technology as
appropriate is some
com/techbiz/peo
preserving stale, old halting difficult, yet effective as we think?
areas as in others?
how it is affecting society and
ple/magazine/16--
evolution of
11/pl_brown relationships via necessary, change
can technology facebook
TECHNOLOGY v.
technology clash of technology
evolve
values today. I made a digital separating emotions w/emotions?
and emotions
could tech
improve/bolster the
version (seen to the right) in
OLD-FASHIONED
old-fashioned?
(handwrite letters but not
‘evolving’ via rely solely on it for
order to better organize and technology - is it for communication)
the best? is it an
actual
further develop my thoughts. improvement?
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9. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n timeline
p r e h i s to r i c to 9th c e n t u ry a d
before 800 AD
printing invented,
China
7
3100 BC
Sumerian cuneiform
(inscriptions with stylus on
clay tablets) 11
Ice Ages
(after 2500 BC) 1000 BC
Pictographic Phoenician alphabet c. 2nd cent. BC
communication in use 8
paper invented,
3100-3000 BC China
Hieroglyphic inscriptions
(chiseled into stone or painted
12
on papyrus with reed brush)
6
late 7th, early 8th
9 10 century AD
the quill
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10. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n timeline
15 t h c e n t u r y a d to p r e s e n t
2004
Facebook
17
1940s
Electric computer
1870s 25
Postcards
13 1867 1997
1440 Typewriter 22
AOL Instant Messenger
Gutenberg printing press
1938 24
18
Ballpoint pen
16
1876
Electric 21 23
15 telephone,
1840s Bell 1980s
1930s Wordprocessors
Telegraph &
Telex
Morse Code 1846
1803 1897
Beginning 1970s
Metal nib pen Fountain
of fax Modern fax
pen
development 20
machines &
early e-mail
19
14
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11. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n timeline
r e s i s ta n c e s to ‘ n e w ’ t e c h n o l o g i e s
With the arrival of new technology, there is often
resistance. Kitty Burns Florey , author of Script and “there is no standard nowadays 2004
Scrbble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting, describes how of elegant letter writing, as there Facebook
even the fountain pen was slow to be received, as
writers, including Dickens, clung to their quills. Florey
used to be in our1940s It is a sort
time.
Electric computer
writes, “One can imagine people complaining that the
1870s of go as you please development,
Postcards
new invention was cold, unnatural, newfangled, and
gimmicky, with a tendency to tear the paper if you
and the result is atrocious.” 3
weren’t careful—just as, a bit later, some writers resisted 1867 -a woman at the turn of 20th century, referring to the postcard
1997
1440
first the typewriter and then the computer.”1 Typewriter AOL Instant Messenger
Gutenberg printing press
1938 “there was a nunly
Ballpoint pen prejudice against them
1876 [ballpoint pens] as
Electric
telephone,
newfangled nonsense,” 4
-Kitty Burns Florey
1840s Bell 1980s
1930s Wordprocessors
Telegraph
Telex
Morse Code 1846
1803 1897
Beginning 1970s
“Our desirepen outstrip
Metal nib to
of fax
Fountain
Modern fax
pen
time has been fatal to development machines
more things than love. we early e-mail
have minimized and con-
densed our emotions…
we have destroyed the
memory of yesterday with
the worries of tomorrow.”
2
-1901 English newspaper referrring to telegraph
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12. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n media P.S. I Love You (2007)
l e t t e r w r i t i n g i n m ov i e s a series of letters from the main character’s deceased
husband (written before his death from a terminal
illness) guide her through her grief and rediscovering
herself.
Letter writing has been a popular topic in the media in the past and continues as such to this day,
especially in recent and upcoming feature films, even as the act of writing letters is disappearing
now. Interestingly, many of these movies are romantic dramas, perhaps illustrating the sentimental
nature that letters can have.
28
The Shop Around The Corner (1940) Dear John (2010)
Two workers in a gift shop can hardly stand each other, A soldier falls in love with a college student while he is
but are actually falling in love together through the mail on leave. When he is deployed again, they keep their
as anonymous pen-pals (later re-made into “You’ve Got relationship going with the help of handwritten letters.
Mail” in 1998).
26 29
Letter From An Unknown Woman (1948) Letters to Juliet (2010)
A concert pianist receives a letter from a mysterious an american girl on vacation in italy visits the verona
woman, who he has actually known throughout the courtyard of Shakespeare’s fictional Juliet where
years but forgotten, that reveals her undying love she thousands of letters are left and usually answered
has had for him despite his arrogance. by the “secretaries of Juliet.” When she finds an
unanswered letter to Juliet, the main character goes on
a quest to find the lovers referenced in the letter.
5
30
27
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13. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n statistics
d i g i ta l t e c h n o l o g y
3.2 6
Billion of e-mail users expected by 2011. 61.7 Percent of 117,840,000 households with Internet use at home in October 2007,
according to the U.S. Census Buereau.11
40 Percent of a worker’s day estimated sending and receiving an average of two hundred
e-mail messages in 2009.27
1:45 Average amount of time (in minutes and seconds) it took people to respond to an Households With a Computer and Internet Use:
e-mail pop-alert on their computer in a recent survey.
1984 to 2007
Households With a Computer and Internet Use: 1984 to 2007
70 Percent alerts that provoked a reaction in just 7seconds in the same study. 8
70%
60%
Household with computer at home
77 Percent of office workers and company owners who, in a survey done in England, “‘agree 50%
that e-mail downtime causes major stress at work.’ ”
9 Household with Internet use at home
40%
30%
50 Percent of time we misunderstand e-mails, according to a survey in the Journal of
20%
Personality and Social Psychology.10
10%
0%
84
89
93
97
00
03
07
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau
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14. u n d e r s ta n d i n g t h e s i t u at i o n The Significance of Medium
d i g i ta l v . h a n d w r i t t e n
“subtleties— Consider the difference that the mediums of email and a
handwritten letter have on the same sentence below.
EMOTION, MEMORY,
TEXTURE, PERFUME, “E-mail is cool, a nice, safe
HISTORY, CHANCE— message that could be
are all ironed out in a digital about a business deal or a
romantic evening.”13
interface, digital files do
not age as paper does,
it has none of the
sincerity of the physical
object. And although those
stacks of paper on your desk
seem to have no defined
purpose other than to record
data, they in fact record so the same message
much more, the movements of handwritten, though, is
sunlight and shadow, the damp mysterious, compelling,
and likely to be
ring of coffee, the time you passionate.14
have left it inactive, how much
you value it.” 12
–leah harrison bailey
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