A CRITICAL AND PROCESS DOCUMENTATION THESIS PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF DESIGN EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN REIMAGINING RITUALS Design’s role in amplifying cultural Identity Leea Contractor | BDes (Communication), Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, 2017. 1 Cover image from my family archives Reimagining Rituals Design’s role in amplifying cultural Rituals Leea Contractor BDes (Communication), Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture, 2017. A CRITICAL AND PROCESS DOCUMENTATION THESIS PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF DESIGN EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN 2023 © Leea Nadeer Contractor, 2023 Abstract 1 The Parsis are an ethnoreligious community that were exiled from their homeland Iran, due to the Arab invaders, and settled in the subcontinent of India and Pakistan. My research focuses on the Parsi1 diaspora, its disengagement with tradition, its lack of access to and its desire to conduct and participate in their cultural rituals. Employing the methods of autoethnography, participatory research, and cultural design, my research explores the cultural practices of the Parsi community to understand the current role that rituals play in their lives and the barriers to performing these rituals. I discovered evidence of the community's desire to make the steps behind Parsi rituals and their significance more accessible. I focused on developing a digital application (app) to express and explore responses to my research findings. This app serves as a repository and almanack that will allow community members to access rituals and traditions by disseminating information about how the rituals are conducted, the materials used, and the events and beliefs upon which they are based. Table of Contents Table of Contents i List of Figures iii Acknowledgements v Land Acknowledgements vi Dedication vii Key Words viii Glossary ix Note To The Reader x Introduction 1 Who are the Parsis? 1 Diasporic Migration 1 Why are Rituals Important 2 Cultural Identity 4 Diaspora 5 Rituals 9 Rituals and their importance 9 Zoroastrian and Parsi Rituals 11 Role of the designer in society 15 My Practice 18 Outcomes: Knowledge gained from my research 18 Outputs: Design results and experiments 19 My Community of Practice 20 The Investigation 23 Design Iteration & Exploration 27 Development of the project 41 Questionnaire 41 Ritual Talk 42 Reimagining Rituals - the app 45 The Personas 45 The Structure of the App 49 i Table of Contents Features of the App 54 The Calendar 54 The Repository 56 Community Building 58 Your Account 59 Full Circle: Conclusions 61 Future Directions 63 References 64 Bibliography 68 Appendices 72 Research Ethics Certification 72 Questionnaire 73 Focus Group Questions 82 Focus Group Sessions 83 Existing calendars 85 Visual Research 86 Visual Ethnography 87 ii List of Figures Fig. 1. The World Zoroastrian Congress, 2022. https://wzc2022.nyc/photo/ 7 Fig. 2. K.E. Eduljee, Zoroastrian Heritage, 2005. https://www. heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/navjote/index.htm 12 Fig. 3. Left: Lemon tree planted for the Madavsaro ceremonuy. Right: Printout of instructions found at a wedding from Zoroastrians.net, 2022. 13 Fig. 4. My use of Dorst’s 9-step process of contextualising the problem, 2023. 17 Fig. 5. An example of my pocket calendar, marked up by my mother with important dates, 2023. 18 Fig. 6. Navjote Sticker, 2022. 19 Fig. 7. A Ses, 2022. 23 Fig. 8. Stills from the prompt Transportation, 2022 24 Fig. 9. Methods of Culture-Centred Design, 2023. 25 Fig. 10. The Parsi Pack, 2021. 27 Fig. 11. Chalk stamps from Pakistan, 2021. 28 Fig. 12. The use of The Parsi Pack kit, 2021. 29 Fig. 13. Crazy 8 Brainstorming results, 2022. 30 Fig. 14. The Lifetime - Repository list, 2021 31 Fig. 15. The Lifetime, 2022. 32 Fig. 16. The Sticker Pack, 2022. 33 Fig. 17. The Iterative process of the Chitti Lakhvanu part of The Sticker Pack, 2022 34 Fig. 18. The Pop-up - The Ceremony, 2022. 35 Fig. 19. The Pop-up, 2022. 36 Fig. 20. The Open Source, 2022. 37 Fig. 21. Left: Comments to the post on a Facebook page: World Wide Zoroastrians, 2022. Right: Comments on The Open Source link, 2022. 38 Fig. 22. The Calendar, 2023. iii 39 List of Figures Fig. 23. The Calendar, 2023. 40 Fig. 24. Questionnaire: Ages of the responders, 2022. 41 Fig. 25. Questionnaire: results to the question, What do you know about Parsi rituals? 2022. 42 Fig. 26. Focus Group Sessions, 2022. 44 Fig. 27. Personas, 2022. 45 Fig. 28. User Journey Map, 2022. 46 Fig. 29. User Journey Map, 2022. 47 Fig. 30. Wireframe, 2023. 48 Fig. 31. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 49 Fig. 32. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 50 Fig. 33. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 51 Fig. 34. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 52 Fig. 35. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 53 Fig. 36. Shenshai Calendar, 2022. 54 Fig. 37. Reimagining Rituals: Calendar section, 2023. 55 Fig. 38. Reimagining Rituals: Rituals section, 2023. 56 Fig. 39. Reimagining Rituals: Ritual section - Navroze, 2023. 57 Fig. 40. Reimagining Rituals: Community Section, 2023. 58 Fig. 41. Reimagining Rituals: Community Section, 2023. 60 Fig. 42. Representation of the shift in the Parsi community through the Reimagining Rituals app, 2023. 62 iv Acknowledgements To my parents, Anita and Nadeer Contractor, without whom none of this would have been possible. To my sisters Zara and Cyra Contractor, who laughed and cried with me throughout this process, and for their constant support and inspiration. A special thank you to my sister Zara, who opened her home to me during a pivotal point in my life. I am incredibly grateful for her valuable and constructive critiques, advice and encouragement. Thank you to my supervisor Dr Bonne Zabolotney who raised the bar higher each day, challenging me to get through and believing in my work. I am incredibly grateful to have your wise and kind words that have supported, guided and challenged me during this process. Thanks to Dr Sophie Gaur for your guidance, motivation and advice that offered fresh perspectives. Thank you to my external reviewer, Jennifer Rittner, for your feedback, questions and encouragement. To Cameron Neat, Celeste Martin, Craig Badke, Chris Jones, Dimeji Onafuwa, Katherine Gillieson, Keith Doyle, Laura Kozak, Louise St. Pierre, Manuhuia Barcham, Reyhan Yazdani, and Robin Mitchell-Cranfield, whose instruction and support was invaluable. To Ava Master and Jaime Wright, for wading through a sea of text, looking for stray commas and misspelt words. To Alex Sturman, for your help and constant kind and motivating words Thank you to my cohort, especially Giulia Borba and Aamir Rangwala, For the constant inspiration and incredible moments we shared in school and online. To all my participants for their time, input and feedback. v Land Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge that this research has been conducted on the stolen and unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish people, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished or handed over in any way. I am grateful for being on these lands and for being able to conduct my practice and research here. vi Dedication In loving memory of my Grandparents: (Late) Dinaz & Minoo Bamjee vii Key Words Zoroastrian rituals, Parsi rituals, Identity, Cultural Preservation, Zoroastrian Diaspora, Culture, Rituals, Design for Belonging, Cultural amplification, Communication Design, UI/UX Design, viii Glossary Belonging: This is fundamental to how humankind organises itself and is integral to our physical and mental health. A sense of belonging allows us to “manage stress and other behavioural issues” and, in turn, makes us more resilient and strengthens our coping mechanisms during times of hardship (Theisen, 2019). Community: A sense of community is a feeling that members (of a community) have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to being together. (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) Cultural Identity: A critical element in understanding ourselves and fostering a sense of belonging with others who share our heritage, traditions and values within an ever-changing context that is rooted in the past but continues to evolve. Diaspora: A network of actual or hypothetical connections between dispersed people whose feeling of community is maintained through various interactions and associations, such as kinship, trade, travel, a common culture, language, ritual, scripture, print, and electronic media (Peters, 1999). Irani Zoroastrian: The Zoroastrians that remained in Iran during the Arab invasion in the 7th CE. Parsi: The Parsis are an ethno-religious community exiled from their homeland Iran due to the Arab invaders, and settled in the subcontinent of India and Pakistan. Ritual: This is an act done in a particular situation and in the same way every time that it has imbued with symbolism and meaning (Ozenc, 2016). Wicked Problems: A complex problem that, aside from being vague and unclear, often deals with incomplete or contradictory information and requirements that are regularly changing. Moreover, wicked problems do not have one clear-cut way of tackling substantial societal problems; in fact, there are a variety of ways to do so, depending on the point of view one takes when approaching them (Buchanan, 2009). Zoroastrian: The Zoroastrians are the followers of the Persian Prophet, Spitman Zarathustra, who lived in Ancient Iran in 1200 BCE. ix Note To The Reader Dear Readers, Before you begin, I would like to express that I am by no means, an authority on Parsi culture or rituals; nor am I taking any kind of a religious standpoint or commenting in any way that I am. What I am doing is simply creating a way for existing rituals to be easily carried out by the youth of the Parsi diaspora. Thank you. x Introduction Who are the Parsis? The Zoroastrians are the followers of the Persian Prophet, Zarathustra, who lived in 1200 BCE. From 550 BCE, for the next thousand years, Zoroastrianism "flourished as the imperial religion of three great Iranian empires: the Achaemenians, Parthians and Sassanians" (Godrej & Mistree, front flap, 2002). Zoroastrianism rose to such prominence that it later influenced several major world religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Bekhrad, 2017). It was not until the 7th CE that the dominance of Zoroastrianism came to an end when the Arabs invaded Persia, forcing the community to flee to the mountains of Khorasan (Godrej & Mistree, 2002, p. 155), where they continued to survive for the next two centuries. Finally, in the 10th century CE, a handful of Zoroastrians set sail to Sanjan, the western coast of mainland India, where they came to be known as Parsis (Mistree, 2002, p.413). 2 A document that was compiled in verse form, in 1599 CE, by Mobed Bahman Kaikobad Sanjana. It was regarded as the most important historic narrative in Parsi Zoroastrian literature, as it meticulously describes the legendary migration of the Zoroastrians from Iran to India. It is interesting to note that aside from the Qissa-I Sanjan2, there is no other documented history of the Parsis following their arrival in Sanjan. The "paucity of material available for the early period of Zoroastrianism" (Mistree, 2002, p.414) makes this period a mystery. It is also why the Zoroastrians depended entirely on the oral transmission of their religion and culture. In the 17th century, some of the Parsi community settled in Bombay due to the job prospects afforded by the British East India Company. Over the next two centuries, their prominence grew in the subcontinent as the diaspora spread as far as Karachi in modern-day Pakistan. Diasporic Migration John R. Hinnells identifies two main migration phases constituting the 'modern Zoroastrian diaspora'. The first was in the mid-nineteenth century, and the second occurred in the second half of the twentieth century. While the first Zoroastrian diaspora came from India around 1850 CE and settled in China, Sindh, Britain and East Africa due to trade in the British Empire, those of the second phase came from Pakistan, East Africa, Iran, as well as India and settled in Britain, Canada, USA and Australia, typically for education, career development and for leaving hostile regimes (Hinnells, 2005). Throughout these waves of migration, the Parsis have preserved the crux of the Zoroastrian religion through storytelling and oral communication to pass down knowledge from generation to generation (Shahzadi & Mistree, 1998). However, as the diaspora expands in North America, many rituals that were once frequently practised by the Parsi community in India and 1 Introduction Pakistan are being forgotten or abandoned. Often this is because of a lack of accessibility to the specific materials needed to perform certain rituals, or, more often, because information about these rituals is scattered and often lies only with the older generation of Parsis, who remain the gatekeepers of this knowledge. I felt this extreme sense of disconnection from my community on the 21st of March 2022, which was my first Navroze (Persian New Year) away from home. While living in Karachi, I did not think that the rituals we performed were of great significance. My mother or aunts typically conducted them, and I would mainly participate passively. Being so far away from home, I began to miss participating in Navroze and felt increasingly disconnected from my culture. I understood that if I wanted to continue celebrating Navroze, I would have to learn the steps to a ritual I have been a part of all my life. Several calls to my mother to remind me of the steps prompted me to delve deeper into my problem. My research has revealed that several young adults in the Parsi community know our rituals but do not perform them, as they do not know the steps required. In other cases, the rituals performed appear complicated, and many feel daunted by the idea of performing them independently. For those who know the steps, their significance is unknown, causing them to feel disconnected from the actions taken when conducting the rituals. Why are Rituals Important 3 A Zoroastrian cleric of a particular rank. Unlike an Ervad, a mobed is qualified to serve as celebrant priest at the Yasna ceremony and other higher liturgical ceremonies. Mobed3 Fariborz Sohrab Shahzadi (1998) says, 'Rituals are a set of practices, which when experienced and accomplished in a given order, become the vehicle through which a person can relate to the unseen spiritual world. The enactment of a ritual enables one to maintain a religious link with the divine and physical worlds'. While Shahzadi expresses the importance of rituals through a spiritual and religious lens, Dr Susie Wise (2022) takes a more secular view of rituals. She talks about how to design for belonging, so that community members feel a sense of inclusion. She points out that we can shape a person's sense of belonging to a community by borrowing from design tools and thinking. This includes rituals, which, at their core, offer to solidify one's sense of identity and to belong in a community (Ozenc, 2016). While subsequent chapters take a deeper look at the importance of ritual, to contextualise my research, let us first look at the idea of rituals and a sense of belonging. 2 Introduction According to Angela Theisen (2019) of the Mayo Clinic, a "sense of belonging is fundamental to the way humankind organises itself" and is integral to our physical and mental health. A sense of belonging allows us to "manage stress and other behavioural issues" and, in turn, makes us more resilient and strengthens our coping mechanisms during times of hardship (Theisen, 2019). A community forms the basis of this type of inclusion and belonging. I use the term a 'sense of community' as proposed by psychologists McMillan and Chavis: A sense of community is a feeling that members (of a community) have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to being together. (Chavis, McMillan, 1986) Enabling access to rituals is one of many ways to foster a greater sense of community amongst the youth of the Parsi diaspora and make them feel more connected to their roots and culture and, in turn, to one another. The importance of cultural amplification through ritual design has been a topic of discussion for sociologists, anthropologists, and ethnographers for some time now. Ritual design encompasses designing ways to support our existing or lost rituals and make them more livable and doable (Ozenc, 2016). Design's role in cultural amplification is relatively new, but with the expanding role of the designer in society, and the growing field of ritual design, there is a strong case for the cross-over of these disciplines. I situate my thesis research within this discourse and am excited by the prospect of contributing to this emerging field. 3 Cultural Identity In his influential essay Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Stuart Hall (2021) shares two very distinct definitions of cultural identity. The first expresses how we can be seen as ‘one-people’ through our shared history, ancestry and culture. Through this lens, cultural identity provides a "stable, unchanging and continuous frame of reference and meaning” (Hall, 2021, p. 223) through the ebb and flow of historical change. Hall proposes a second definition, which he views as superior. This interpretation recognises both the similarities we share with other individuals, as well as the differences. In this view, cultural identity is not fixed and rooted in the past, but instead, it undergoes constant transformation. “It belongs to the future as much as the past” (Hall, 2021, p. 226). JS Phinney (1996) cites ‘Cultural Identity’ as a complex cluster of factors, "including self-labelling, a sense of belonging, positive evaluation, preference for the group, ethnic interest and knowledge, and involvement in activities associated with the group." (Phinney, 1996, p.144). If we overlay these definitions atop one another, cultural identity (for the purpose of this research) becomes a critical element in understanding ourselves and fostering a sense of belonging with others who share our heritage, traditions and values within an ever-changing context that is rooted in the past but continues to evolve. The notion of a ‘sense of community’ was introduced by Seymour Bernard Sarason (1977), who stated that a sense of community is central to an individual's well-being and it reflects “the sense that one belongs in and is meaningfully part of a larger collectivity …”(Sarason, 1977, p. 41). He argued that it should be the defining principle of community research and action. Before diving deeper into a sense of community, it is important to define community. Whereas the root of the word comes from the Latin word ’communis’, which translates into what is “public, general, shared by all or many”. Community or ‘communitas’ refers to fellowship or to the concept of belonging (Esposito, 2010, p. 9). So a feeling of belonging to a community ultimately speaks to a sense of connection and sharing, which was then condensed to the phrase ‘a sense of community’. Psychologists McMillan and Chavis proposed that the four elements to identify a sense of community are: Reinforcement: integration and fulfilment of needs, 4 Cultural Identity Membership: the feeling of belonging or sharing a sense of personal relatedness, Influence: mattering, making a difference to a group and of the group mattering to its members, Shared emotional connection. (McMillan & Chavis, 1986, Pg. 12) Their definition illustrates that the very idea of community has more to do with cultivating a sense of belonging and connection than with spatiality and supports the origins of the word ‘common’. In The Psychology of Belonging, researcher and psychologist Kelly-Ann Allen states, “As a human species, we share one thing in common: our need to belong. When that need is not met, we can see a devastating impact on the human psyche.” She continues, “we find much of our meaning, identity, relevance and satisfaction in life through our sense of belonging to groups.” This can be at family, community and societal levels. In his paper Sense of Identity and Community: A Case Study of Kashmiri Diaspora Abroad, Zahid Hussain says, “when an individual or a group of individuals migrate from their region to another, the identity is not lost, but the sense of identity and community prevails and is consciously kept intact to remain socially anchored with their parent community. The feeling of oneness with their community is necessary to ensure their social and psychological stability.” (Hussain, 2019, p. 35). It is this prevailing sense of identity, community and belonging that I want to explore within my context as part of the Parsi community and, more specifically, as part of the Parsi diaspora that has grown beyond the Indian subcontinent. Diaspora The term ‘diaspora’ has its roots in the Greek language and stands for migration and colonisation in ancient Greece. However, it only entered the social sciences vernacular after the 1980s. According to Judith Shuval, this was because “before the 1960s, immigrant groups were generally expected to shed their ethnic identity and assimilate to local norms” (Shuval, 2000, p. 44). It was only in the 1970s that the concept of diaspora began to gain popularity after it was noted that social models based on assimilation did not work and “policy changes in some societies permitted or even encouraged immigrants to maintain various aspects of their ethnic tradition” (Shuval, 2000, p. 44). 5 Cultural Identity The term diaspora has now come to suggest “a network of actual or hypothetical connections between dispersed people whose feeling of community is maintained through a variety of interactions and connections, such as kinship, trade, travel, a common culture, language, ritual, scripture, print and electronic media” (Peters, 1999). James Clifford, an interdisciplinary scholar, says, “A diaspora connects multiple communities of a dispersed population….Minority and migrant populations share forms of longing, memory, and identification.” (Clifford, 1994, p. 304). In Diaspora and Cultural Memory, Anh Hua proposes that theorising the notion of diaspora leads to the discussion of identification and affiliation, the reinvention of cultural traditions in the new world order, and the construction of hybrid identities, as well as cultural and linguistic practices, and the building of communities (amongst other concepts) (Hua, 2005). She stresses that “it is crucial to remember that diasporic identities and communities are not fixed, rigid, or homogeneous, but are instead fluid, always changing, and heterogeneous.”(Hua, 2005, p.193). While diasporic identities are constantly evolving, “diasporic peoples find themselves in closer relations with their old countries in ways now made possible by modern transportation, communication, and labour-migration technologies” (Clifford, 1994, p. 304). A viewpoint shared by anthropologist Paul Basu (2007), who says that “in the era of cyber-space, the diasporic communities have more tools and resources to keep the memories of the homeland alive.” (Castillo Muñoz, 2021, p. 344). These views of diaspora, community and communication prompted me to consider the potential of various forms of media and contemporary tools that could facilitate the Parsi diaspora to connect not only to each other but to their culture. Since the second half of the twentieth century, Zoroastrians have spread across the globe and have settled in multiple countries such as North America, Australia, Germany, India, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Russia and Singapore. Each of the countries mentioned above has formed their own local Zoroastrian associations. To connect the Zoroastrian diaspora worldwide, two major associations/organisations have also formed (amongst several smaller, local organisations), namely ‘The World Zoroastrian Organisation’ and ‘The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, a charitable organisation, formed to coordinate amongst twenty-seven Zoroastrian associations in the United States and Canada. 6 Cultural Identity Last year, in an attempt to connect, teach and impart knowledge about our religion, tradition, culture and rituals, the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY) and FEZANA hosted the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress, which was attended by nearly 1200 participants from 16 countries. Fig. 1. The World Zoroastrian Congress, 2022. https://wzc2022.nyc/photo/ 7 Cultural Identity During the congress, the President of FEZANA and Congress Co-Chair, Arzan Sam Wadia, shared that today more than two third of the Zoroastrian youth are born in the diaspora. Scattered far and wide, it has become increasingly difficult for them to meet others who follow their faith and traditions, leaving them with a feeling of a loss of identity. This loss of identity is being combated by Youth Congress’ which are held every four years, with the first taking place over 25 years ago. Over the years, these congresses have brought together hundreds of Zoroastrian youth, allowing them to network with people they may not have otherwise met and to work together and overcome the challenges we face as a community (WZYC, 2020). While these organisations continue to provide educational resources and platforms or events for Zoroastrians (and thereby, Parsis) to connect, there still seems to be a desire, particularly amongst the youth, to connect to Parsi culture and traditions on a day-to-day basis. Particularly when taking educator and researcher Georgiou’s perspective, diasporic identities depend on shared myths and memories, as well as upon a sense of belonging in an imagined community which has some continuity and relevance across time and space (Georgiou, 2006). These shared ‘myths and memories’ can be explored through many avenues, such as language, food or storytelling; however, after considering several different aspects, I have chosen to explore rituals. The following chapter elaborates on the importance of rituals and forms the basis of my exploration. 8 Rituals Rituals and their importance 4 A red paste, made from Vermilion powder mixed in water, is used to make a mark on the forehead. This has been adopted from the Indian tradition rather than the Iranian tradition (Munshi & Stewart, 2002). 5 A handmade bead garland, typically strung on the main entrance of a home. This is another example of a custom adopted from Indian traditions. 6 When you cleanse the body with a mixture of milk, rose petals and uncooked rice grains. 7 A desert made from semolina. 8 Lentils and rice. 9 A traditional candle is used when praying. typically it is a short glass partly filled with water topped with oil, with a long wick held by a metallic clip or a floating ‘kakrow”on a cork float. 10 The birth anniversary of Zarathushtra. I moved to Vancouver in the summer of 2021. The excitement of moving to a new place was underscored by feeling disconnected from my community. While my family was never overly religious, many Parsi rituals were seamlessly woven into our lives: We stamped chalk outside our doors and put Tili4 on our foreheads on special occasions. There were torans5 strung up in doorways and doodh phool6 baths on birthdays. We ate ravo7 and daal chawal8, lit divo9 and came together to celebrate. I never thought about these practices. They just seemed to ‘happen’. It was only after moving away from home that I felt a loss of these rituals, particularly around my birthday, Navroze and Khordad Saal10. I struggled to maintain a connection to my roots: a theme that kept surfacing in the early days of my Masters’ program. As I delved further into the concept of rituals, I found growing importance placed on them in today's society, specifically about discussions around the fragmentation of social cohesion, the loss of values, and the search for cultural identity (Wulf et al., 2010). They are increasingly seen as a vessel through which the gap between an individual and their communities and cultures can be bridged as they offer a sense of security and belonging at times of uncertainty. I realised this was something I was subconsciously clinging to, and I tried to unpack why rituals were suddenly so important to me. They provided comfort and familiarity, yes, but it went further than just a set of practice that I would perform. Kursat Ozenc, a design scholar and practitioner who co-created the Ritual Design Lab (a design + research initiative), defines a ritual as an act done in a particular context and in the same way each time that it is then imbued with symbolism and significance. The meaning might not be obvious or even seem irrational to others, as I am sure many of the ones I performed did, but as Ozenc pointed out, they did provide the ritual performer, me, with a spark of meaning (Ozenc, 2016). While for me, some of this meaning could be said to be spiritual or even religious–Shahzadi & Mistree's definition of rituals is ‘‘a set of practices, which when experienced and accomplished in a given set order, become the vehicle through which a person can relate to the unseen spiritual world.’’ (Shahzadi & Mistree, 1998) – I felt more inclined towards the idea that rituals at their core offer to solidify one's sense of identity and to belong in a community (Ozenc, 2016). 9 Rituals It is interesting to note that Rashna Writer, author of Contemporary Zoroastrians, expresses how a major difference between the Irani and Parsi Zoroastrians is that the former places emphasis on the ‘philosophy’ of Zarathustra (prophet), while the latter show a great propensity for rituals of Zoroastrianism, through which ‘their sense of cohesiveness and community was in turn enhanced’ (Writer, 1994, pg 68). This is a sentiment that I strongly relate to. It was this disconnected feeling that I was hoping to counter with my research on rituals, but it was not just unpacking the role of rituals but the role they play in a diasporic setting. According to immigration policy specialist Marc R Rosenblum and Daniel J. Tichenor, professor of Political Science, “Anthropological analysis has predominantly been about ritual in its "natural setting. In the natural setting, the beliefs and concerns underlying the ritual, indeed the very substances and paraphernalia of a performance, are all rooted in the context in which the ritual takes place.” However, they go on to say that rituals are pivotal in the context of cultural reconstruction and revitalisation, particularly where a former cultural order has to be renewed or reconstructed in response to the impact of disruptive change (Rosenblum & Tichenor, 2018). This can be taken in the context of migration. Rosenblum and Tichenor (2018, p. 221) continue to say, “it is necessary…to examine the ways in which a ritual becomes "naturalised" in a new setting.” They warn us against “transferred rituals solely as a vehicle for boundary marking”, an idea shared by Mark Johnson and Pnina Werbner, who say, “Ritual translocation into the diaspora is not simply about ethnic boundary making processes. Rather, ritual as embodied practice ritual effects cultural renewal and innovation … reconciles past with present and reconstitutes a sense of home and personal integrity in the face of rupture and disintegration.” (Johnson & Werbner, 2010). Therefore when not just replicated but embodied, a ritual is distinguished from habit and routine because it involves awareness, consciousness and intentionality. I noticed that in practising Parsi rituals in a new context, I became more aware of my actions and more intentional and conscious about the meaning and symbolism of the actions performed. This was increasingly apparent when I looked for alternatives or substitutes for the materials typically used in rituals back home. In the event that a specific object was unavailable, I found myself researching the symbolism of the object so that I could use a suitable substitute. I felt this understanding 10 Rituals gave the ritual more meaning. While in a cultural context where these rituals were natural, I never questioned the symbolism and meaning. It was just a set of things that were ‘done’. Recreating these rituals for myself in Vancouver, far away from the original context, I was compelled to understand more about each ritual, which in turn strengthened my sense of connection to my community. Shahzadi & Mistree explain that a successful ritual, when understood and correctly performed, gives the participant an experience of happiness and harmony in both the physical and spiritual world. (Shahzadi & Mistree, 1998) As I noticed how much I craved this cultural connection, I wondered if others had also felt the same urge. I began to ask other youth of the Parsi diaspora how they felt, and this need to feel connected through rituals seemed to be a common theme. This was further proven through a questionnaire I conducted at the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress in July 2022. The overall results reveal that the youth of the Parsi diaspora continue to struggle with connecting with their community and roots, mainly due to the disconnect they feel with conducting our rituals: 4.3% of respondents expressed that they do not know anything about Parsi rituals at all; 38.3% said they know of the rituals, but rely on the knowledge of someone else to tell them how to carry out the specific steps. I then conducted several focus group sessions with those participants that answered my questionnaire. From the focus groups, my participants expressed the immense importance rituals have on connecting them to the community and their connections to our rituals. Even though each participant expressed their eagerness to conduct these rituals, a major factor as to why they were unable to do so was not only the lack of knowledge about the steps to take but what each of them represents and means. Zoroastrian and Parsi Rituals In his chapter The Bāj-dharnā (Drōn Yašt) and its Place in Zoroastrian Rituals, Ervade11 Dr Ramiyar P. Karanjia defines Zoroastrian rituals in an inherently religious light and as ones that can only be performed by Zoroastrian priests. 11 A Zoroastrian cleric of a particular rank (lower than a Mobed). In contrast, ​​Shehnaz N. Munshi and Sarah Stewart, the authors of Observances of the Faithful, divide the Parsi rituals into three categories: Celebratory, Apotropaic (i.e. having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck) Rites of passage. 11 Rituals Tanaz Karai, a youth member of ZAGNY, explains in her article Parsi Ceremonies & Rituals that Parsis have rituals that range over an individual's lifetime. They start from when a person is in their mother's womb and continue throughout their life till they eventually depart from the earth (Karai, 2013). These different categories beg the question: which of these are more culturally rooted verses those which have an amalgamation of both religious and cultural? Here is where there is a bit of a distinction between Zoroastrian Irani rituals and Zoroastrian Parsi rituals. The religious rituals amongst the two remain the same, but as a result of the Parsis fleeing Iran in the 10th century, they adopted many customs and rituals from the subcontinent while maintaining many of their existing rituals (Karai, 2013). The Navjote ceremony (when a Zarathushti child is initiated into the faith) is an example of the former. Here the child is invested with the sacred Sudreh and Kusti (religious shirt and sacred girdle) with the appropriate recitation of prayers by a qualified Zoroastrian priest. In contrast, a birthday ritual that is conducted is more culturally rooted. Here, the birthday child bathes with milk, rose petals, rose water and rice. After this, the sagan is performed for the child who is standing on a patlo, which has unique chalk designs stamped on them. A red Tili is put on his/ her forehead, and rice is stuck on it. The child is made to wear a flower garland as a symbol of purity, beauty, peace, and love (this was adopted by Fig. 2. K.E. Eduljee, Zoroastrian Heritage, 2005. https://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/navjote/index.htm 12 Rituals the Parsis from Indian culture). Furthermore, the child is presented with gifts from his/her family. In A Zoroastrian Tapestry: Art, Religion & Culture, editors Godrej & Punthakey Mistree state that the crux of the Zoroastrian religion and culture has been preserved through oral communication and passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, there is a lack of access to formally recorded information about many Parsi rituals and customs; or at least, the information is not readily accessible. In August of 2022, I attended a several-day-long Parsi wedding in Richmond, BC, where I observed how the wedding rituals were conducted. I noted how some customs were adapted and adjusted to the comfort of the family. As there are many pre-wedding rituals, each of which has specific steps to follow, the bride printed out the instructions for her Madavsaro ceremony (wherein a mango sapling is planted outside the door of the bride and groom’s house- a ritual that symbolises fertility), which she found online, in the hopes that it would help her mother, who was conducting the ritual. I observed that in the middle of a flurry of activity, the printed page was not easy to read or navigate. The content was too dense and not presented in an organised, step-by-step manner. It read more like a story than a set of instructions and provided little help to those conducting the ritual. Fig. 3. Left: Lemon tree planted for the Madavsaro ceremonuy. Right: Printout of instructions found at a wedding from Zoroastrians.net, 2022. 13 Rituals A similar experience occurred when I spoke to another member of my focus group: For her destination wedding, she travelled with a book that served as a guide for all the rituals that were to be performed. She mentioned having to refer to it multiple times to conduct the rituals and understand their significance. However, while she was grateful to have this resource available to her, it was not easy to navigate. Her biggest takeaway from this experience was that with the information, one should not be “reliant only on our priests or even the ladies in our community to carry out a ritual. It is extremely beneficial to have resources that are widely available so that other Zoroastrians from around the world can continue to preserve our customs and traditions”. The intent of my thesis was becoming increasingly apparent: I needed to design a way in which information about rituals was not only available but intuitive and easy to use and which, on some level, allowed the sharing of ideas and resources. But what makes me uniquely equipped to address this issue? And how could I use my skills as a designer to help address this problem? 14 Role of the designer in society Traditionally the idea of a loss of cultural identity would not necessarily fall within a designer’s realm of expertise. Sociologists, anthropologists and cultural theorists would be considered the obvious choice to tackle such problems. In fact, prior to the 1950s and 1960s, definitions of design were primarily dictated by the discipline practised, such as architecture, industrial design or engineering. In the 1970s, Victor Papanek took a radical view of design with his essay Design for the Real World, declaring that “All men [read human beings] are designers…for design is basic to all human activity.”(Papanek, 1985 p.3). This democratisation of design not only meant that anyone could be a designer but that the design could be (and, according to Papanek, was) applied to various everyday activities. By relinquishing the idea of the designer as an ‘expert’ and seeing them instead as facilitators (Sanders & Stappers, 2012, p.24), the scope of the design itself expands and allows designers to add value in previously unexplored spaces. In fact, current definitions of design uniquely situate it to address complex cultural problems and offer solutions that can transform and revitalise aspects of traditional culture while disseminating knowledge and promoting discourse. Sustainable design educator, writer and activist Alastair Fuad-Luke (2009) believes that design is linked to contemporary cultural perceptions and yet very personal. It is this view of design that resonates with me the most. Being part of a microscopic global community (the Parsis) has left an indelible impact on my work. Culture, identity, and community building are recurring themes in my portfolio, which have only deepened since moving away from my home country. Over the past few years, it has sparked a curiosity about design’s role in preserving and amplifying cultural identity, particularly my own. It was clear that this sense of a loss of cultural identity I was feeling since moving to North America was a ‘wicked problem’. According to Buchanan, a professor of design, management, and information systems, a wicked problem is a complex problem that, aside from being vague and unclear, often deals with incomplete or contradictory information and requirements that are regularly changing. Moreover, wicked problems do not have one clear-cut way of tackling substantial societal problems; in fact, there are a variety of ways to do so, depending on the point of view one takes when approaching them (Buchanan, 2009). 15 Role of the designer in society Designers, with our inherently interdisciplinary and iterative approach to problems, can continuously adapt and respond to sociocultural issues. We do this by synthesising the information at hand and by presenting an extensive range of possible solutions (Cross, 2010, p. 223). We also do this by recognising patterns and reconfiguring them(Cross, 2010, p. 224). Inspired by Kees Dorst’s idea of ‘Frame creation’ (Dorst, 2015), I realised that part of the existing problem of preserving traditional rituals is focusing on the traditional methods of keeping these rituals alive. For example, oral history and storytelling might be part of the Parsi legacy (Mistree, 2002, p. 413); however, alone, it may not be as effective or efficient in passing down knowledge to the youth of the Parsi diaspora, particularly when it comes to making the steps of a ritual feel ‘doable’. As an interdisciplinary designer and part of the youth of the Parsi diaspora in North America, I was able to use my lived experience and layer it over my knowledge of contemporary design tools and practices to generate a possible design solution that is culturally sensitive and relevant, as well as intuitive and user-friendly. I began to apply Dorst’s 9-step process of contextualising the problem Fig. 4. What emerged were several themes through which I could frame my problem space and solidify my research, positioning it within the growing discourse of a designer’s role in society, and as Fuad-Luke pointed out, designing in a space that is culturally relevant and deeply personal. 16 Role of the designer in society Archaeology The history of the Parsis and how their migration to different parts of the world has prompted a loss of cultural identity. Paradox The desire to practice certain Parsi rituals is contrasted with the lack of specific societal structures, knowledge and availability of resources. Context The inner circle of stakeholders are the youth of the Parsi diaspora in North America. Field Members of the Parsi diaspora globally; Global and regional youth organisations such as WZO and FEZANA. Themes Ritual design, cultural preservation and amplification, digital spaces and technologies, knowledge sharing, community building Frames Integrating traditional knowledge with contemporary technologies for continued community connection, ease of use and information sharing Futures Mapping existing Parsi rituals, creating an app that integrates with a calendar to guide the user to conduct rituals by outlining the steps to take; providing a checklist; providing information on each ritual, including its significance; creating a virtual community that can share ideas and outcomes. Transformation Support an understanding of Parsi rituals and facilitate conducting these rituals using a familiar platform (apps) that increases availability and access while remaining meaningful and sensitive to tradition. Integration Lessons: how to foster new opportunities that arise from a more engaged Parsi youth community and how a contemporary problem cannot be addressed by applying traditional problem-solving means. Fig. 4. My use of Dorst’s 9-step process of contextualising the problem, 2023. 17 My Practice Being a part of the Parsi community as well as a part of the youth of the Parsi diaspora, I share similar experiences as my target audience, and I am able to use them to inform my design. 12 All Zoroastrians have two birthdays - one following the religious calendar, and one according to the Gregorian calendar. Each leap year, our Persian/Roj birthday goes one day ahead of our normal birthday. An example of a lived experience informing my design is the complexity of calculating one's Roj12 birthday. Several youth who I spoke to, some over 40 years of age, said they would frequently ask their mothers what day their Roj fell on. Other families have created excel spreadsheets that need to be updated annually to figure out the corresponding day of the Gregorian calendar to celebrate their Roj birthday. To calculate this, one must know the names of the 12 months and 30 individual days of the Shenshai calendar, plus an additional five days that fall at the end of the year. In order to tackle this problem, I began researching the Shenshai calendar and learnt about what each day and month represents and symbolises. This led me to begin designing ‘The Calendar’ Fig 21, as a physical calendar, which was later translated into a digital version, used in my outcome, Reimagining Rituals the app Fig 27. Fig. 5. An example of my pocket calendar, marked up by my mother with important dates, 2023. Outcomes: Knowledge gained from my research Throughout my research, I have explored various facets of design while keeping my culture as the central focus. I have developed multiple outputs such as a Do it yourself (DIY) kit, digital stickers, the development of visuals 18 My Practice and so on (these are explained in depth on page 27). Having gone through an iterative process of knowledge-sharing about our rituals, I began weaving the insights of each outcome into my research. Outputs: Design results and experiments I started to identify recurring themes that have played a major role in the development of Reimagining Rituals. Some of these include the following: My response is not based on replicating culture and bringing back tradition; it is about keeping elements of culture alive within an evolving context. This has allowed me to not be confined by specific visuals or images to represent my culture. However, where there are specific aspects of my culture, I have honoured that. This can be seen in projects such as The Lifetime and The sticker pack. For both of these projects, I have made sure to keep my designs culturally relevant with a modern twist. For example, in the sticker below Fig. 6, the aesthetics of the characters are seen as playful and cartoon-like, while every detail has been meticulously designed, such as the chalk stamps on the Patla13. 13 Small flat step stool to stand on. Fig. 6. Navjote Sticker, 2022. The resistance to sharing Many elders in the community repeatedly have expressed their concerns with the dwindling knowledge about our religion, culture and traditions, specifically with the youth. However, when allowed to share their knowledge, many opt not to, acting as if it is a closely guarded secret. They tend to share their knowledge only with members of their family. This can be seen in a project I designed titled The Open Source, where I created a webpage on which anyone in the community could share their knowledge about particular rituals. When shared with the community, there was an overwhelming number of responses, with praises that this initiative was taken; however, only two people shared their knowledge on the webpage. 19 My Practice There is no replacement An essential aspect that I am aware of is that, no matter how effective my projects are, they will not replace the materiality of the actual rituals. For example, The Parsi Pack was designed as an alternative to our chalk stamps, as many Parsis from around the world may need their own or be unable to purchase one from India or Pakistan. This was not designed as a replacement but a substitute to help learn the ritual. The return of materiality will follow once the ritual has been understood. It is through these outcomes and outputs that I have transformed and grown from being a communication designer with a strong visual vocabulary to an interdisciplinary designer with a practice that requires interaction design knowledge. As I have also turned to ‘Making’ as part of my research process, my work lies within the realm of Practice-Based Design and Action Based Design. My Community of Practice My community of practice includes scholars, design practitioners, and anthropologists who have significantly impacted my design work. As my field of practice is situated around understanding design's role in amplifying rituals and making them more accessible to the youth of an endangered diaspora, my practice benefits from the involvement of experts in Parsi culture, interdisciplinary designers, and diverse thinkers. While I haven’t found any designers working along the theme of Parsi rituals, I have been inspired by Pakistani filmmakers, artists and designers such as Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Anushka Rustomji and Leena Naqvi, who use themes of culture, identity and memory within their work. Chinoy is a Pakistani-Canadian journalist, filmmaker and activist who has worked on several world-renowned projects. One that stood out to me was a beautiful, immersive exhibition titled HOME 1947. It was about the largest mass migration as a result of the creation of two newly independent countries, India and Pakistan, and what it means to find and feel at home. I have always been fascinated by the idea of memories and stories being used as a cultural blueprint. For this reason, I was captivated by how Chinoy shared the stories of migration and diaspora through unique mediums of design. 20 My Practice Rustomji is a visual artist and educator who seeks to explore themes of erasure and loss in reference to diasporic communities. Her work has had a significant influence on my practice; specifically, her installation ReadyMade Ruin was exhibited as part of a show titled Transition of Tradition, held in 2018. The aim of her installation was to question colonial narratives of land and materiality. The installation comprised of a representation of an Iranian carpet, designed with recreations of ancient Zoroastrian and Mesopotamian motifs, on the floor of the gallery. Throughout the exhibition, visitors walked over the ‘carpet’, progressively erasing it and rendering its patterns and form incomprehensible. The installation aimed to question colonial narratives of land and materiality through representations of the modes of production and reception around traditional cultural practices. Similarly, Naqvi shares stories of cultural identity, migration, diaspora and oral history through food and design. She brings people of different nationalities, languages and cultures together to conduct a food-based public participatory project. My community of practice also extends to ritual designers such as Kursat Ozenc and Margaret Hagan, lecturers at the Stanford D. School, Jeltje Gordon-Lennox, author of Crafting Secular Ritual, and The Interaction Foundry. All of whom have helped gather and build research into the significance and importance rituals play. What stood out to me was the work done by The Ritual Design Lab, a design and research initiative created by Ozenc and Hagan. It inspired me to learn about the principles around which the lab was created and their belief in the power of rituals to provide meaning and importance to how we live and what we do. They use their lab to incorporate ritual concepts and history into design work and generate new rituals for use in modern life. They conduct workshops based on ritual design practices with university students and different organisations. After that, they share their process and findings on Medium, an open platform for anyone to read. Doing so increases others' awareness of this subject matter and allows for open discussion. These workshops aim to help the participants create and generate rituals to help with specific tasks, such as creating community in the workplace, building trust, increasing engagement, and sparking creativity. For the same reasons, Gordon-Lennox has created checklists for specific life 21 My Practice events, and The Interaction Foundry has created The Ritual Design Toolkit to help comprehend harness and design rituals. Even though many ritual designers and scholars, including Ozenc and Hagan, are predominantly working around secular rituals, their reasoning to do so aligns with the rationale behind my work and, in turn, validates my area of research. 22 The Investigation The approach I took for this thesis can be divided into two main phases. In both phases, I have worked with multiple research methods and have used an experiential framework which reflects on my lived experiences and those within my community. In the first phase, I am being influenced by the methods and skills of auto-ethnography and self-reflection, while the second situates my work within the practices of the Human-Centred Design approach through the lens of Culture-Centred Design. In ‘The Auto-Ethnographic Turn In Design,’ Schouwenberg and Kaethler explain how this is a unique field of study as it places the designer on the ‘inside’ of the project, compared to being on the ‘outside’ (Schouwenberg and Kaethler, 2021). It requires the researcher or designer to start questioning themselves and their place in the world. Being a part of the youth of the Parsi diaspora, this approach was an obvious starting point for me. Similarly, Adams, Linn, and Ellis emphasise meticulous self-reflection as a means to identify and explore relationships between oneself and society, balancing rigour, creativity, and emotions (Adams et al., 2015). These characteristics are reflected in my research projects described on page 27. My explorations included videos, digital representations, Iconography, tool kits and guides. A specific example was when I worked on my transportation project, as seen in Fig. 7. Fig. 7. A Ses, 2022. 23 The Investigation 14 A tray of traditional Zoroastrian items having symbolic importance and used during various ceremonies and occasions. 15 The full video of my process can be seen here: https://youtu.be/9K2hDPyXhM During this research phase, I questioned my connection to my community, specifically through our rituals. Through my own experience, I know that the Ses14 is used in every ritual and is a prominent and auspicious symbol for Parsis. The items placed on the Ses depend on the ritual being performed, and before being used, it is typically wiped down and cleaned in preparation. As my first auto-ethnographic exploration, I immersed myself in the experience of cleaning my Ses, which I brought with me to Vancouver from Karachi, while listening to a recording of our prayers. Throughout this process, I took my time to clean each item, truly understanding their shapes and forms while remembering what they each symbolise and represent. Throughout this experience, I recorded my thoughts and feelings in a journal15. Fig. 8. Stills from the prompt Transportation, 2022 24 The Investigation Memories and feelings around the rituals I have practised surfaced, and I began questioning whether other youth of the Parsi diaspora were feeling similarly disconnected from their roots. I wondered if the act of performing our rituals would mitigate this feeling. Using autoethnographic methods, I was able to socialise my personal memories and experiences as a basis for further research and discovery and to situate the work into a space of culture-centred design practices. An essential part of practising community building and cultural amplification is observing the individuals within a community to gain a deeper understanding of their culture. In doing this, my practice is heavily influenced by the principles and ideas behind the methods of Human-Centred Design (HCD) and Culture-Centred Design (CCD). Some of these include working with a bottom-up approach, allowing the people and communities to be empowered with the field's knowledge and to determine which cultural elements should be fostered in the design process. That design begins with the community or people that the designer is creating for and ends with new solutions built to suit their needs. For this reason, my design process was inspired by those used in the CCD method: Cultural Immersion, Reflective Integration, Participatory Design, and Implementation. All of these phases work best when done in parallel to each other. Reflective Integration Participatory design Cultural Immersion Implementation Methods of Culture-Centred Design Fig. 9. Methods of Culture-Centred Design, 2023. To engage with my community in multiple ways, I volunteered my time with the World Zoroastrian Organization and became their head of social media and first youth representative; I became a member of my local association, 25 The Investigation 16 A youth-initiated programme is designed to strengthen community identity amongst Zoroastrian youth across the world. The Zoroastrian Society of British Columbia. I was appointed committee chair member for the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC), volunteered my time to design their brochure & social media, and gave a talk at the Congress to promote the Zoroastrian Return to Roots program16. To deepen my design practice, I created and designed projects which can be seen in the following chapter on page 27. I conducted a questionnaire and focus group sessions with 282 Zoroastrians worldwide for the Reflective Integration phase. More information can be read in the chapter: Development of the meaningful project. Lastly, for the implementation phase of my research, I designed the Reimagining Rituals mobile application, which has been explained on page 58. 26 Design Iteration & Exploration Drawing parallels to my research, I explored multiple ways of dispensing knowledge and information about Parsi rituals to the youth of the Parsi diaspora. Some of my works include: Dispensing information through a tactile experience This DIY chalk stamp box was designed in response to a reading, “Print Culture and Decolonizing the University: Indigenizing the Page: Part 1” by Marie Battiste. The article largely dealt with the symbols Indigenous peoples have used for communicating across generations. Inspired by this, I began to explore symbols in my own culture, narrowing it down to using them as markers of special occasions. Fig. 10. The Parsi Pack, 2021. 27 Design Iteration & Exploration As mentioned before, when the Parsis moved to the subcontinent, they adopted some of the cultural traditions from their new homeland. Using chalk stamps for celebratory rituals was one of them. The stamps are designed using perforated lightweight metal chalk boxes into which white chalk powder is put and stamped on a damp floor. Traditionally the designs are either floral, have a fish or a horseshoe. Along with this, many include words in English or Gujarati, such as “Good Luck”. Key Insights & Impact on Reimagining Rituals: Designing through making- this process helped me prototype and iterate possible solutions. Learning through doing - this featured heavily in my app since the premise is learning about rituals through conducting them. Using the materials and resources available in a given time and space Providing clear instructions and directions. Fig. 11. Chalk stamps from Pakistan, 2021. 28 Design Iteration & Exploration Fig. 12. The use of The Parsi Pack kit, 2021. 29 Design Iteration & Exploration Dispensing information through visuals As part of my research, I conducted an interactive brainstorming technique, titled the Crazy 8’s, with members of my cohort. This technique is a quick sketching exercise that challenges the participants to sketch eight distinct ideas in 8 minutes. I handed them a paper divided into eight sections and asked them what culture meant to them. Fig. 13. Crazy 8 Brainstorming results, 2022. 30 Design Iteration & Exploration After analysing the results, I learnt that most of the responses contained drawings of rituals from their culture Fig. 13 This led to discussions about these rituals and why my participants found them important. Through research, I found Tanaz Karai's article describing that Parsis have rituals that range over an individual's lifetime, so I began by creating a list of these rituals Fig. 14. Panchmasiyu Agarni Chatthi Nahan Vadhavo Fifth month of pregnancy Seventh or ninth month of pregnancy. Sixth day after the birth A special bath, forty days after the birth when the baby is three months old Besna Pag Laddoo Navjote Nahan Sari peravanu Sits up on his/ her own Begins to walk on its own Initiated into the religion A special bath Wears a sari for the first time Rupiya Pehravanu Adhravanu Madavsaro Adarni Nahan Engagement ceremony The engagement Sapling is planted Bride is given gifts from her mother-in-law A special bath Lagan Paidast Uthamanu Charum Dasmu Wedding Prayers on the day of the death The third day prayers The fourth day prayers The tenth day ceremony Masisu Varsi The monthly prayer The first death anniversary prayers Fig. 14. The Lifetime - Repository list, 2021 This led me to design and create The Lifetime, where I explored five rituals by playing with visuals that were designed to dispense information about them and their symbolism Fig. 15. 31 Design Iteration & Exploration Fig. 15. The Lifetime, 2022. Key Insights & Impact on Reimagining Rituals: Understanding the close association that participants had between culture and rituals A deeper insight and understanding into 5 Parsi rituals Creating a repository of Parsi rituals that has been used in my app 32 Design Iteration & Exploration Dispensing information Social Media I started to look at the idea of decolonising design and visual representations of different cultures in mainstream social media and messaging apps. Finding a lack of Parsi representation, I designed these stickers to illustrate our rituals, such as the Navjote, Besna, Chitti Lakvanu and Dhai Machi. The stickers were shared on a Facebook group, ‘Worldwide Zoroastrians’, where I received roughly 900 reactions and 490 comments. Many shared their feedback and support, expressing how they too saw a need for Parsi representation. 17 The Chitti Lakhvanu is one of the rituals that take place before the wedding ceremony, in which the Bride/Grooms family come together to handwrite their guests’ names on their wedding invitations. Through the iterative process of designing each sticker, I understood how to customise imagery to be culturally specific. One such example was the Chitti Lakhvanu17 sticker. Fig. 16. The Sticker Pack, 2022. 33 Design Iteration & Exploration I chose to create a visual that can represent the ritual in a minimalist way, keeping in mind the tradition of writing in a red pen. I then added a human figure to it; however, it did not look quite right. When I critically analysed it, I realised the person I had drawn seemed too generic, so I adapted the clothes and hairstyle to look more quintessentially, Parsi. Key Insights & Impact on Reimagining Rituals: Interest and need to represent the Parsi community Cultural insight is integral to design; such as the use of red which is an auspicious colour. This colour choice has continued in my app. Fig. 17. The Iterative process of the Chitti Lakhvanu part of The Sticker Pack, 2022 34 Design Iteration & Exploration Dispensing information through intergenerational communication Before starting this project, I explored the method of autoethnography, after which I chose to return to a more graphic exploration leading me to work on The Pop-up. For this project, I took a deep dive into one particular ceremonial ritual, the Navjote, and tried a new way of dispensing the information needed for it to be performed. From my personal experience, as well as that of other Parsi youth, the child is typically told what to do for this ritual on the day of the ceremony itself by a priest. Fig. 18. The Pop-up - The Ceremony, 2022. 35 Design Iteration & Exploration For this reason, I designed The Pop-up to not only help the child understand what they will be doing but to create an intergenerational conversation between the child and their elders. Each page has been illustrated to represent prominent scenes from the ceremony and briefly explain them. Some pages have additional features, such as in Fig 17, I created a pull-out card with information and a checklist for the items needed to perform this part of the ritual. This ceremony marks a rite of passage for every Parsi. The Pop-up not only serves as a guide but a tool through which parents can teach their children about the ceremony they will eventually be a part of. Key Insights & Impact on Reimagining Rituals: Explaining rituals allows one to connect with it on a deeper level Breaking information down into digestible chunks is important Checklists are extremely helpful in performing a ritual Fig. 19. The Pop-up, 2022. 36 Design Iteration & Exploration Dispensing information through sharing In all my previous projects, I was sharing information with my community through different media, so for this, I chose to have my community share their knowledge with me. I created an Open Source webpage on which anyone can comment to share information about two specific rituals: The Pag Ladoo and The Navjote. The decision to only have two options was to test how the community would engage and share. One is a ritual known by all Parsis, and the other is slightly lesser known but not unknown. Once the webpage was ready, I shared the link on a well-known Facebook group, ‘Worldwide Zoroastrians’, where many were happy to see a member of the youth taking an initiative Fig. 21. Unfortunately, aside from two comments made for the Pag Ladoo, there were no other comments shared. This made me wonder whether the barrier to engagement was too high and if users might need more encouragement to share knowledge. Fig. 20. The Open Source, 2022. 37 Design Iteration & Exploration Fig. 21. Left: Comments to the post on a Facebook page: World Wide Zoroastrians, 2022. Right: Comments on The Open Source link, 2022. Key Insights & Impact on Reimagining Rituals: Multiple ways of information access are important: In my app, there are two ways to do this, through a repository of information that I have created and a community space where anyone can leave a comment, picture or information about any ritual similar to the Open Source project. It is important to encourage people to share through easy prompts. 38 Design Iteration & Exploration Dispensing information through a calendar This project began after I started my initial brainstorming for Reimagining Rituals. Knowing that one of the significant components of the application is the Shenshai calendar, I started researching it and then began designing, The Calendar. 18 I designed this function in my app so that the user can be reminded to prepare items needed for a ritual in advance. The outcome was to create a desk calendar that incorporates both the Gregorian and Shenshai calendars in an attempt to make them more accessible and understandable. This project was designed as an analogue version of the calendar that is available on the app, including one main function, the reminder18. Through this project, I learnt about the importance and hierarchy of information needed when merging two calendars. For each day, The Calendar provides the user with the name or date according to the Shenshahi and Gregorian calendars. Fig. 22. The Calendar, 2023. 39 Design Iteration & Exploration Even though most of my users typically refer to the Gregorian calendar, the idea is to have the information regarding the Shenshai calendar be the more prominent of the two. The best way to do so was by using icons and symbols for each ritual, allowing the calendar to be more visually appealing and not be filled with just text and information. Fig. 23. The Calendar, 2023. 40 Development of the project The iterative process towards developing my outcome began with framing my researchable question: How can design be used to amplify rituals and make them more accessible to the youth of the Parsi diaspora? In addition to autoethnographic research, I decided to conduct a questionnaire to gauge my audience's connections to Parsi rituals. Questionnaire I designed a digital questionnaire to distribute amongst all the youth attending the World Zoroastrian Congress. I received responses from two hundred and eighty-two Zoroastrians worldwide. Fig. 24 represents the age brackets of my respondents, with the majority being young adults between the ages of 20-40. 19 years and below 20-40 years 41-61 years 65 years 0 30 60 90 120 Fig. 24. Questionnaire: Ages of the responders, 2022. A question asked was what they think the future of the Parsi rituals looks like to them. One hundred thirty-seven of the responses were negative, with answers such as ‘bleak’ and ‘non-existent’. In contrast, a few others saw a bright and rising future as they saw more youth taking an ‘initiative to keep our rituals alive’. An interesting comment that surfaced in a few of the responses was how our rituals are adapting and adjusting to the places we live in. One respondent explains that ‘future generations of Parsis are likely to adapt and tweak these rituals to reflect the world they live in. Rituals have always evolved along with belief and societal changes and will likely continue to do so”. Another interesting insight taken from the questionnaire was Fig. 25that, when asked how much they know about Parsi rituals, 38.3% of the 41 Development of the project respondents selected the choice that they know of Parsi rituals but rely on the knowledge of someone else to tell them how to carry out the specific steps. From this, 44.4% of those that selected this option are young adults between the ages of 20-40. From the 108 responses, 56 selected ‘lack of knowledge’ as the reason for not conducting Parsi rituals, while 18 chose a lack of resources and time, and twelve chose a lack of interest. The data gathered through this method shows that the Parsi youth recognises that the future of our rituals is dwindling as they lack the knowledge to conduct them; however, they have a deep desire to do so. Fig. 25. Questionnaire: results to the question, What do you know about Parsi rituals? 2022. Ritual Talk From the questionnaire, 183 participants shared their contact information to help further my research. The focus group was structured in a way to have the participants elaborate on their answers to the questionnaire and discuss their opinions. 42 Development of the project There were three very prominent concerns and discussion points brought up by my participants in the focus group sessions. The first was the mutual feeling of a lack of connection towards our rituals. This feeling was brought up multiple times in the course of the conversation; however, they explained the reason for it being so is that “You see them being conducted and have a perception of them, but you do not understand the background and significance of them” (Participant 2). Another participant said, “It gets confusing because some rituals are religious, that is taught to you as a Zoroastrian, while there are also cultural rituals that come with our Parsi heritage. It is what we have inherited, and that blend is confusing. Within this, then, each ritual differs amongst people in our community as well. Some conduct them one way, while others do it slightly differently”. They continued to explain how there is no official ‘guide’ or ‘textbook’ to follow, and the few that may exist are very instructional, so they do not explain the significance behind the actions one has to take. Referring back to the definition I am using for rituals by Ozenc, a ritual is ‘endowed with symbolism and meaning’; if a participant does not know this, the connection they have to rituals will not be complete. Another major takeaway from the session was the idea behind adapting and adjusting. My participants expressed how it is difficult for young adults sometimes to conduct rituals when they are told of very specific rules to follow that they might not be able to do. One participant explained how “my mother told me when I was younger that I should remove the items [that include plants, fruit, honey, sugar, vinegar etc.] from the table on the 13th day and then toss them in flowing water”. This participant expressed how they found this daunting and against the norms of the country they now live in. The conversation continued amongst the other participants, who expressed how they were unaware of this rule and that this yet again shows the need for a single source of the steps to take. “Sometimes it is not the difference between the Parsi and Irani traditions. Sometimes these steps vary amongst even families because all our knowledge and information was passed down orally”. Another participant explained that the significance of throwing the items into flowing water was to return them to nature and that her way of doing that was to compost them. Here they have shown how they are adapting and adjusting themselves to their surroundings and still staying connected to the spirit of their ritual. During the focus group, another example was brought up: A participant said they were explicitly told that the Madavsaro could only be done with 43 Development of the project a mango sapling; however, as her wedding was taking place in Italy, and there were no mango saplings available, so they chose a lemon sapling instead. “The ritual was followed to the ‘T’. The only difference was the type of tree. I do think we are learning to adapt and adjust. At this point, we must”. Lastly, my participants began discussing the best way to receive this knowledge. They all agreed that it had to be through a digital platform. They explained that if they can access it through their mobile phones, they will have access whenever and wherever they need it. Logging into a website seemed too cumbersome. They wanted something intuitive and easy to navigate. A participant expressed that they would like the information “but not in an authoritative way. Tell us what we have to do and where there is wiggle room. The beauty of Zoroastrianism and being Parsi is the ability to adapt our customs, rituals and traditions to our lives”. Fig. 26. Focus Group Sessions, 2022. 44 Reimagining Rituals - the app The outcome of my research takes the shape of a mobile application based on the findings from both my focus group sessions and the insights gathered from the projects I designed and created throughout my research. As accessibility to this knowledge was a significant concern for my participants, having it available on their mobile phones mitigates the problem and uses a format geared towards them. The application has been designed so that the material available to the users can be personalised, accessed online and offline, is also convenient, and an easy, self-directed learning experience. The Personas Before diving into designing the app, I created three user personas: Jeroo, Zal and Anita Fig. 26 based on my findings from my questionnaire and focus group sessions. These are users whose goals, aims, and characteristics represent the needs of the larger group of Parsi diaspora users. These personas help create a deeper understanding of my target users, which is fundamental in creating a good user experience for my application. It is through understanding the expectations, concerns, and motivations of my target users that I am able to design an app that will satisfy my users’ needs. After building these personas, I created a user journey map for each of them, which can be seen in Fig. 27 & Fig. 28. Fig. 27. Personas, 2022. 45 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 27. User Journey Maps, 2023. 46 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 28. User Journey Maps, 2023. 47 48 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 29. Wireframe, 2023. 48 50 Reimagining Rituals - the app The Structure of the App To create the structure of the app, I began by building the wireframe Fig. 29, keeping the user journeys in mind. Upon opening the app for the first time, the user is prompted to answer a few questions or log in to an existing account. When signing up, the user inputs their personal information, such as their name, email address and date of birth. The date of birth is important and handy, as the app will calculate the user's Roj birthday for them, along with anyone else's birthdays they choose to add to their list. Through first-hand experiences, I have found that it can be quite challenging to calculate ones Roj birthday, and so, typically, the youth turn to their elders to do it for them. With this function, they can have their Roj birthdays calculated for them and also have the option to download and share a pdf containing a list which includes their Roj birthday as well as all of those whom they have added to their list. Fig. 31. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 49 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 32. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 50 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 33. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 51 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 34. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 52 Reimagining Rituals - the app Fig. 35. Reimagining Rituals: Start-up questions, 2023. 53 Reimagining Rituals - the app Once this has been completed, the user is asked to select the rituals they are most interested in doing or learning about. They can choose to select individual rituals from an extensive list, or they can choose from several pre-grouped/filtered rituals such as those that happen once in a lifetime, those that are for children or even those that are for a demise. After this, the user is guided through the main features and functions of the app, which they can skip if needed. Features of the App My research has led me to create four main features for the application: The calendar, as most of our rituals, are based on a specific month and what it represents. The calendar is crucial in understanding and directing the steps to the rituals; The repository, an extensive list of all our rituals, both religious & cultural; community building, this feature has been prioritised to connect and build community amongst the Parsi diaspora; and lastly, the account section, which is host to all the users' information. The Calendar 19 In Sasanian times, the Zarathushtis adhered to a single religious calendar with 365 days total and 12 months of 30 days each plus five extra Gatha days. To align it with the solar calendar of 365 - 1/4 days, a new month was traditionally introduced once every 120 years. The Zoroastrians follow three religious calendars. I am choosing to focus on the Shenshai, or Imperial19 calendar, which is followed by the majority of Parsi (Shahzadi & Mistree, 1998). Ancient calendars were kept in sync with the changing of the seasons by the intercalation of an additional month every 120 years, which traditionally caused the New Year to fall in the third week of March. The last time the Parsis included an extra 13th month was 1129 CE. As the Parsis stopped intercalating an additional month once every 120 years, the New Year has moved back in time until it presently occurs in August. Every month in the Zarathushti calendar is named after Amesha Spenta, Izad or the Essence of Mazda, each dedicated to or representing an element or creation, as shown in Fig 22. The Fasli (seasonal) calendar starts in March, while the Shenshai and Kadmi calendars start in August and July, respectively (Boyce, 2009). Fig. 35. Shenshai Calendar, 2022. 54 Reimagining Rituals - the app Most of the rituals performed by the Parsis community heavily rely on our calendar, as important days and festivals are calculated according to it. An example of such a ritual would be the Muktad, observed on the 26th day of the 12th month till the 5th Gatha day. A key feature of my app is the Shenshai Calendar, which overlaid with the Gregorian calendar. Its functions include: The ability to calculate an individual's Roj birthday The app will notify the user of special occasions and festivals they should be aware of based on the calendar and when each task should be carried out. Users can learn more about what the 12 Mahs (months) and their 30 Rojs (days) represent. Fig. 37. Reimagining Rituals: Calendar section, 2023. 55 Reimagining Rituals - the app The Repository The key feature of the app is its repository of Parsi rituals. They are presented on the app in the form of a list which can be filtered through categories. These include rituals that happen once in a lifetime, such as a Besna or a Navjote, those that happen once every year, such as Khordad Saal, and those that happen every day, such as Kasti prayers. The repository includes rituals that are religious, cultural and religio-cultural. Fig. 38. Reimagining Rituals: Rituals section, 2023. 56 Reimagining Rituals - the app Each ritual, when opened, will have information about its significance, the steps to take when conducting it, a checklist for the user to keep, indications where alternatives can be used and lastly, a comments section where users can ask questions, leave comment or tips and tricks as well as photos of their rituals being performed to aid others in conducting the ritual. Fig. 39. Reimagining Rituals: Ritual section - Navroze, 2023. 57 Reimagining Rituals - the app Community Building Reimagining Rituals places great importance on the community building section of the application. Within this function, there are seven main features: Stories: Here, the user can view their friends' daily stories, Introduce yourself: In this feature, the user can introduce themselves through a post to the entire Reimagining Rituals community. This has been made so that new users can find and make friends with those with a common interest or even live in the same city. Fig. 40. Reimagining Rituals: Community Section, 2023. 58 Reimagining Rituals - the app Others Rituals: Here, the users can view the top rituals that others are conducting for that month. This will be in the form of posts/ videos/pictures other Reimagining Rituals community members have chosen to share with everyone. Find Your Association: As mentioned before, Zoroastrian Associations have been formed across the globe. Reimagining Rituals has created this feature to help users locate their local Zoroastrian Associations. FAQs: This section has two main features; the first is where the app answers general FAQs, and the second is where the user can select a specific ritual from the drop-down menu, which leads them to a comments and questions section. Here the user is able to view comments and questions others have asked (and have been answered by the community itself) or can leave some of their own. The users are also able to upload images/videos to help answer or guide others to solve their problems/questions. Social Media Connections: This feature includes links to other Zoroastrian community building websites and social media pages, such as the Facebook group Worldwide Zoroastrians and the Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA) webpage. Let's Chat: Users can chat privately with other community members. Your Account The accounts section opens to a list of shortcuts for the user. These include: Your Feed: Here, the user can access their feed, where they can create a post, add to their story, view their friend list, update their profile and display pictures and also view their previous posts. Friends: This directs them to a list of friends from which they can view their profiles. Your Completed & Ongoing Rituals: This comprises the users' completed rituals as well as those that are ongoing. Local Association: The user can find information about their specific Zoroastrian Association here. Your Uploaded Images: Here, the user can view all the images/videos they have uploaded of the rituals they have conducted. Groups: Created by or followed by the user 59 Reimagining Rituals - the app Notifications: A list of notifications. Reminders: A list of reminders. Social Media: If they choose to, this connects the users' social media platforms to the app. Settings & Privacy: This function is to allow the user to adjust their settings and privacy options. Help & Support: The user can report any problems (technical or ethical) and view the terms and policies of the app. Fig. 41. Reimagining Rituals: Community Section, 2023. 60 Full Circle: Conclusions In March 2022, I felt more homesick than I had since moving to Vancouver. Navroze was coming up, and I knew it would not be the same as it was back home: The family coming together, the smell of roses from the garlands we wore, the chalk stamped outside each door, the food served, or the Haft Seen table laid. I was right. We tried to recreate it as best we could, but there were several frantic phone calls to my mum asking what we needed, what we could substitute, and brainstorming where we could find specific items. It took three tries to find a turnip, which we needed, and a last-minute run to Jugo Juice in an attempt to buy sprouted wheatgrass (Sabzeh) on Navroze morning. It still was not the same. This time I was not a passive participant but the person carrying out the ritual, and despite everything, I felt disconnected… Fast forward to March 2023: Navroze is a few days away. Through the past year of research, I have developed a deeper understanding of the ritual and history of Navroze. I know the significance of each of the seven items on the haft-seen table. By using the mechanisms of the app, such as the calendar and checklist, I was able to prepare myself better this year and reminded myself to grow the Sabzeh two weeks in advance. I have connected with a small community of friends and my sister, who lives in Arizona, where we report on our progress and send each other photographs. Through this lo-fi, analogue testing, I have already seen a shift in my experience, and through this process, I have a greater appreciation for the potential impact the Reimagining Rituals app can have on my community. Fig. 41 represents my community and how in the past, the nodes of knowledge sharing formed a centralised network with a few primary keepers and disseminators of knowledge. I hope to shift the knowledge sharing to a distributed network through the tools I have created as part of the Reimagining Rituals app. In this way, the Parsi diaspora can connect to their roots and culture, as well as each other, fostering a deeper connection and sense of belonging to a global community. What started as an introspection on my relationship to Parsi rituals and their effects on my connection to culture and community turned into a journey of cultural preservation and amplification, knowledge sharing and community building. 61 Full Circle: Conclusions Fig. 41. Representation of the shift in the Parsi community through the Reimagining Rituals app, 2023. Reimagining Rituals is the outcome of this journey. It serves as both a guide and an invitation for the Parsi community: to connect more profoundly to one another through the practice of our cultural rituals and to share their knowledge with other Parsis across the world. Above all, it shows us how traditional problems often benefit from nontraditional solutions and that we can use the contemporary tools available to us to deepen our culture and traditions. As a cultural project, Reimagining Rituals acknowledges the desire the youth of the Parsi diaspora have to connect to their community and does so by making the act of performing rituals easy to understand and carry out. It celebrates adapting and adjusting to where you live to allow our culture to survive and thrive through these waves of migration. It attempts to unpack the role rituals play in a diasporic setting. It recognises the notion that diasporic identities and communities are not rigid or homogeneous, but instead, they are constantly evolving (Hua, 2005, p.193). Reimagining Rituals supports an understanding of Parsi rituals and facilitates conducting them using a familiar platform (apps) that increases availability and access while remaining sensitive to tradition. As a design project, it reinforces autoethnography as a launching-off point for designers to use their lived experiences to create in a meaningful way. It speaks to design that is culturally aware and, as Fuad-Luke put it, “deeply personal”. It speaks of how ‘designerly ways of knowing’ can lead to a cross-pollination of ideas when the designer relinquishes the role of ‘expert’ and functions more like a facilitator. Above all, it speaks to a designer’s role in a society that is constantly evolving. 62 Future Directions The Reimagining Rituals app was developed as a part of my Graduate research project in Design thesis. While it sows the seeds for the project, given adequate time and resources, I hope to see it develop into a functional mobile app in the future. Its benefits could be far-reaching for the community, helping the youth of the Parsi diaspora preserve and amplify their culture, and there is potential to find funding for it amongst Parsi philanthropists or even the larger Zoroastrian organisations. Creating a usable app would require harnessing the knowledge of Parsi and Zoroastrian scholars to develop content about the rituals, their significance and what is needed to perform them. It would require an editor to distil the information so that it is suitable for mobile apps. It would also benefit from a professional photographer capturing the essence of the rituals. On the development side, it would require front and back-end developers to make the app functional, as well as several rounds of user testing. Launching the app would take a concerted marketing campaign that speaks to Parsi youth using relevant touchpoints like social media. 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Zoroastrian Youth of North America | FEZANA. Zoroastrian Youth of North America. https://fezana.org/zyna/ 71 Appendices Research Ethics Certification 72 Appendices Questionnaire 73 Appendices 74 Appendices 75 Appendices 76 Appendices 77 Appendices 78 Appendices 79 Appendices 80 Appendices 81 Appendices Focus Group Questions 82 Appendices Focus Group Sessions 83 Appendices 84 Appendices Existing calendars 85 Appendices Visual Research Images from my family Archives 86 Appendices Visual Ethnography Images from a Besna & Pagladoo Ceremony held in Phoenix, Arizona held in 2021 87 Appendices Visual Ethnography Images from a Jashan ceremony held in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2022 88 Appendices Visual Ethnography Images from a Madavsaro held in Richmond, BC held in 2022 89 Appendices Visual Ethnography Images from a wedding held in Richmond, BC held in 2022 90 Appendices Visual Ethnography Images of the Navroze table setup by my mother in my home in Karachi, vs the Navroze table I set up in my home in Vancouver, 2022 91 Reimagining Rituals Design’s role in amplifying cultural Rituals EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN © Leea Nadeer Contractor, 2023