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[title]An exhibition dedicated to email? What’s the point?
Over the years, people have debated the death of email and questioned its relevance as new forms of communication emerge. But over 50 years after its inception, email is used by over four billion people and remains the primary communication tool for the world’s businesses.
‘Email is Dead’ is about celebrating email’s impact and longevity and examines how that impact goes far beyond simply being a means to communicate. It’s something that shapes our work lives, relationships, cultures and economies.
Alright, talk me through it then. How’s it coming to life?
Well, you begin the experience at the exhibition entrance door, past the graphics in the atrium, flanked by an email envelope entry. Then, you’ll walk through a tunnel, which transitions to a timeline featuring fun facts about email. The walls will be wrapped with graphic text and imagery, taking you from email’s invention in 1971 to the present.
Exiting the tunnel, you’ll enter a photo booth where a blue screen will transport you to an absurd, totally made-up location, bringing to life the notion that you can send an email from anywhere in the most fantastical ways, which you can send to yourself.
Then you can walk through a display of impactful moments delivered via email from influential cultural figureheads and everyday folk, interact with a tongue-in-cheek machine that analyses your unique use of email language, and enter a display showcasing a range of different absurdist ‘inventions’ that tackle everyday email annoyances that everyone can relate to.
Finally, you will enter into a large, immersive room, aka the ‘perfect place to send an email,’ and within this communal lounge, you will be invited to write an email to your future self via QR code.
Is that last bit the ‘email time capsule’? How does that work?
Yes! If you complete the questionnaire, we’ll send you your answers via email in one year – the email acting as a time capsule of your life at the moment you attended the exhibition.
Ah nice, so I’ll feel like a part of the exhibition?
Exactly, we want you to feel engaged with various elements, including the photo booth, email personality test and email time capsule.
What’s the email personality test?
It’s a test that will analyse your unique use of email language and what it says about you in the style of a personality reading. Depending on your email intro, sign-off and use of exclamation marks, the email personality test may deem you to be a ‘Prim and Proper Professional,’ ‘Eternal Optimist,’ and more.
It’s multi-sensory too, right?
Indeed. We sought to bring email to life in every way imaginable, through scent, sound and touch. The bespoke soundtrack to the exhibition is composed of synthesised compositions that depict the sounds of email in our daily routine. The space will also be infused with an ‘Eau du Email’ scent, (developed in collaboration with SSS and Tatiana Godoy Betancur) to evoke clarity through aromatic plants like bergamot, geranium, sage, lavender and sandalwood, which are known for promoting a balanced nervous system.
Sounds fun. Maybe I should come along and take part...
You definitely should. This exhibition is for anyone who has used email, will one day use it, or who cares about what our future will look like as digital communicators. There’s really something for everyone to experience.
Ok, I will! What do you hope I’ll take away from the experience?
We hope you’ll consider the profound, but often overlooked, impact email has had on your life – and have a bit of fun while experiencing it.
‘Email is Dead’ is a free display at the Design Museum with Intuit Mailchimp, taking place now until 22 October. You can find everything you need to know on the official site here.