CS/24/011 - In Loving Memory
Chong Rui Xuan (U2130753L)
Li Jike (U2130192H)
Tan Anna (U2130538J)
Tang Yi Qing (U2130970F)
Supervisor: Professor Jack Qiu
*Note to moderators: Please view this Final Year Project report on its original hosted website here: inlovingmemory.space/report
This work was produced as a Final Year Project at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
© Chong Rui Xuan, Li Jike, Tan Anna and Tang Yi Qing, 2024
Abstract
One of our team members lost her best friend to a road accident. Grappling with a sudden loss and struggling with her grief, she pitched the idea of a project that helps people who are grieving, like her, to her team.
Conversations surrounding grief in Singapore remain negligent. In Loving Memory identifies the growing need for grief literacy in Singapore, focusing on the challenges brought on by a culture of silence surrounding death and bereavement.
This project aims to firstly, increase grief literacy by fostering open conversations and secondly, create a platform for memory preservation. We target two segments, the grieving and the non-grieving, through physical and digital spaces.
With the strategy of turning memories into art, the campaign spotlights real stories from real people. Our key activation was a three-day exhibition at Goodman Arts Centre, that created a safe space for grief to be expressed and understood. This was extended online to our website, which housed a digital memorial wall and social media education. Public activations were also conducted to bring conversations into everyday spaces.
With over 400 visitors to the exhibition and strong online engagement, In Loving Memory demonstrated a tangible demand for grief literacy initiatives. The project's findings underscore the importance of a safe space for the grieving community for remembrance of the deceased and the critical role of community-based initiatives in promoting awareness and understanding of grief, ultimately both contributing to a more supportive and compassionate society.
The Problem: Grief is Taboo.
Grief, when unaddressed, significantly impacts both mental and physical well-being. The grieving process can often disrupt even basic self-care, leading to an overall negative effect on the griever’s well-being (Macdonald, 2024).
However, contemporary societies are ‘grief-denying’: where the bereaved feel their ability to grieve openly is hampered by social context, and often encounter unhelpful responses to their grief (Macdonald, 2020).
In Singapore, conversations related to grief are still seen as a taboo, weighed down by “cultural baggage”, says Dr. Paul Patinadan, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore Hospice Council, 2024).
Our primary research corroborates this, with
This cultural context leaves the bereaved isolated.
59% of our 185 survey respondents agreeing that grief is a taboo in Singapore.
1. Lack of grief literacy
Grief, though a natural and universal response to death, often leaves non-grieving individuals uncertain of how to respond.
Social support is one of the strongest determinants of positive outcomes after bereavement (Breen, 2020). When grief is misunderstood and stigmatised, grievers experience intense isolation. Loneliness can have destructive effects equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Macdonald, 2024).
76% of our survey respondents believe in giving space to a grieving loved one — yet this can unintentionally lead to isolation.
9 in 10 grievers can be easily assisted by “grief-attuned resources in their social networks”, not requiring professional intervention (Aoun et al., 2018).
This highlights the urgent need for greater grief literacy, ensuring that those around the bereaved “are well aware of grief, in all its complexity, and have the resources to support all grievers” (Macdonald, 2024).
Increased grief literacy also greatly empowers the bereaved. Understanding the complexity of the grieving process ultimately helps the griever regain some control and better support themselves. Without this knowledge, the impact of the loss becomes significantly worse and more overwhelming.
As psychologist Isaac P. Tourgeman states,
"Without the processing of relevant emotions, we become stuck in the trauma of loss, which leads to us being impacted more implicitly.” (Tourgeman, 2021)
2. Fear of losing memories
In supporting grievers, a main point of tension is anxiety surrounding the loss of memory of their loved ones.
In a 2024 qualitative study investigating the correlation of memory-making and bereavement in parents, they reportedly “yearned for the opportunity to engage in conversations […] about their deceased children” (Xu et al., 2024).
This process not only helped in navigating the grieving process, but also reduced negative feelings.
As we continue to move towards the digital age, a unique challenge arises for youths, where they look to spaces online as a form of memory preservation (Abidin, 2018). According to a pilot study conducted in Singapore, youths demonstrated a need to cling to digital footprints and “meaningful connections with the deceased” (Abidin, 2018).
In our interview with Dr. Andy H. Y. Ho, a professor at Nanyang Technological University who specialises in grief and bereavement, we found that grief-related conversations should focus not on the loss, but on the relationship between the griever and their loved one.
Simply sharing mementos like photographs or cherished objects helped maintain a sense of connection.
Takeaways
Moreover, our interviews with 42 grieving individuals echoed this sentiment, where they expressed isolation and lack of support from their communities, hoping for a safe space for open conversations, and for grief to exist.
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This age group often faces significant life transitions, such as entering the workforce, and experiencing loss for the first time.
Educating young adults about grief early on can equip them with the skills to navigate future losses and help them support loved ones.
Furthermore, young people under 35 who grew up in the digital age process grief differently by preserving loved ones' memories digitally. This complicates memory preservation and highlights deep-seated concerns about digital remembrance (Abidin, 2018).
Our interviews with 42 grieving individuals echo our above findings, highlighting gaps in support and reinforcing the need for safe, open spaces for grief:
The secondary audience of NGP plays a crucial role in shaping the grief experience of their peers. Many are not intentionally avoiding these conversations; of those who indicated they were uncomfortable discussing grief in our survey, 64% of them fear saying the wrong thing. This hesitation stems from a lack of confidence in how to navigate this sensitive topic, with only 29% of them knowing what to say most or all of the time to support a grieving loved one (Appendix A).
Target Audience
Primary:
Grieving People (GP) aged 21-35 in Singapore
Secondary:
Non-Grieving People (NGP) aged 21-35 in Singapore
64.2%
felt unsupported
by their
community
45.2%
had received an insensitive or unhelpful comment about their grief.
78.5%
expressed a wish
to talk about their
loved ones.
85.7%
felt that remembering their loved ones was important.
To tackle this two-part problem, we target two groups:
Past Initiatives
Past initiatives have focused on understanding rather than addressing the lack of support. For instance, Abidin’s 2018 pilot study demonstrates a need for digital memory preservation in youths, but no initiatives have addressed the problem.
Furthermore, few initiatives cater specifically to young grievers. Tapestries of Grief, Singapore's first grief festival by Montfort Care, featured art therapy and talks, but was primarily catered to grieving parents and has been discontinued. Similarly, The Life Review’s “death over dinner” event allows participants to talk about end-of-life matters over a meal, but it is not targeted at a specific age group.
Getting involved can feel intimidating for young people who have never participated in traditional grief events. There is a need for more accessible, entry-level opportunities for involvement. Moreover, these events typically do not engage NGP, despite their role in supporting GP.
Campaign Goals
1. To increase the grief literacy*
of our Primary (GP) and
Secondary (NGP) target audience.
2. Create a platform for memory preservation for GP to share and connect, where grief can be openly expressed and discussed.
*For our campaign, we define grief literacy as:
1a. GP and NGP: Understanding the diverse emotional and social responses of grief.
1b. GP: Knowledge of how to support oneself in grief.
1c. NGP: Ability to communicate openly and compassionately about grief, to support those who are
grieving.
Campaign Strategy
Turn memories into art
Spotlight real stories of grief as an emotional entry point for connection and learning, making grief literacy more accessible.
Done through multimedia art to engage audiences in an immersive way.
Our strategy is to identify and amplify 10 profile stories, through art.
In Singapore, art is increasingly being used to “cut across different barriers, transcend boundaries, and bring the public [...] together”. Immersive art, especially, has been trending among Singaporean youths, with events like Singapore Art Week gaining immense traction (MCCY, 2025).
Art is powerful in bringing stories to life, as seen in examples like the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, where mementos and descriptions convey deeply personal stories.
Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb
Campaign Pillars
1.
Multimedia
Exhibition
2.
Website
3.
4.
Public
Activations
Social
Media
A safe space for reflection and dialogue, spotlighting 10 stories of grief. It incorporates interactive elements that encourage visitors to engage in conversations about grief.
An extension of the exhibit that serves as a digital archive where GP can share their personal stories.
Educational content, personal stories, and promotional content to drive awareness and engagement.
Bringing grief conversations into everyday spaces by sharing these stories with the public.
Our Campaign
In Loving Memory (ILM) aimed to increase grief literacy and create a platform for memory preservation.
Logo treatment: Simple serif font with a handwritten heart, symbolising sincerity and warmth.
Design and branding: Minimalist, handwritten feel, evoking a personal touch while maintaining clarity.
Colour Palette: Soft tones with the central colour red for a gentle yet eye-catching visual.
Tone of voice: Friendly, personal
Designed to be
approachable and heartfelt
Campaign Execution
July - September 2024
- Secondary Research
- Pitching of ideas
November 2024
- Interviews with the selected 10 profiles
October 2024
- Primary Research
- Prescreening Interviews with potential profiles
Throughout
- Social Media Campaign
December 2024
- Website Launch
January 2025
- Physical Exhibition
February - March 2025
- Public Activations
- Online Exhibition launch
Our Profiles
To select our profiles, we sent out an online survey via social media and Telegram groups, leading to 173 sign-ups. Pre-screening interviews were conducted on Zoom over three weeks. We spoke to 42 individuals before selecting the 10 profiles. These interviews also helped us gather insights into the needs of grieving people in Singapore.
We also reached out to influencers who openly shared their losses online. One influencer was Heather Ng (@heather.ngg), who has been open about her experience of losing her boyfriend. Her involvement introduced ILM to a wider audience familiar with her story.
Our criteria included the depth of stories they were willing to share and their comfort level in sharing. In our final selection, we ensured a diverse representation of types of loss, relationships, and age.
The 10 selected profiles completed a Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 self-report to screen for severe depression, anxiety, or stress (Appendix A). Afterwards, interviews were conducted online or in person as determined by participants.
During these sessions, we aimed to create a safe space for participants. Interviewees dictated the pace of the conversation, took breaks, or skipped questions they were uncomfortable answering. Questions explored their loved ones' personalities, their journeys with grief, and how they continue to honour their loved ones (Appendix A).
Stories were shared through different mediums — videos for those open to visual storytelling, written articles for those preferring anonymity, and microsites for stories with more diverse content, like sound clips.
Scroll to view our ten profiles, or view the snippets posted on our website here:
The Stories...
...are the heart of ILM because they make grief personal, relatable, and accessible. To meet our goals, the stories aimed to:
Physical Exhibition
The exhibition was held at Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-Purpose Room A & B from 17-19 January 17-19 2025. After scouting the location, we found it to be a quiet and inviting space, perfect for fostering meaningful conversations about grief.
We decorated the room with beanbags and cushions, allowing visitors to sit and reflect on the stories shared. The layout was designed to encourage engagement, with visitors moving through different sections of the exhibition.
Explore the space
Click and drag to explore the 360 space. Click on the hotspots to view each story.
Alternatively, visit the 360 experience on our website here.
Main Features
Profile Stories
Interactive Activities
Well-being Circle
Grief
Literacy Guide
The exhibition map, included in our pamphlet distributed to all visitors.
The space was split into Room A and Room B.
1. Profile Stories
Videos
Heather, Acacia, E, and Seline’s stories were told through videos. The four videos followed the same format and were synchronised to a shared audio track, allowing their experiences to become a collective reflection of grief.
Video format:
a) Favourite memories
c) When you first found out ----
e) Reflections on grief ----
---- b) An item that reminds you of them
---- d) Coping mechanisms
f) Keeping their memory alive
Heather - Loss of Boyfriend
Click the video to watch it or watch it here.
Seline - Loss of Mother
Click the video to watch it or watch it here.
Acacia - Loss of Father
Click the video to watch it or watch it here.
E - Loss of Grandmother
Click the video to watch it or watch it here.
Photos from the exhibition. The four video stories were displayed in Room A and played in sync.
In the exhibition, the videos were arranged in a rotational setup, where viewers moved from screen to screen. A 30-second countdown played before each video, providing a moment for viewers to process the story before immersing themselves in the next.
This intentional structure fosters a sense of continuity and introspection, encouraging audiences to engage deeply with each experience while recognising the interconnected nature of grief.
Articles
We presented E, D, Elizabeth and Yan Ying’s stories as feature articles. To enhance readability, we formatted them in a magazine-style layout with thoughtful typography and visual elements. This provided an immersive reading experience, ensuring that their stories were impactful and visually compelling.
*Scroll through the PDF below to view all four articles, or download the PDF here.
The four articles were hung up on A2 Boards on the wall of Room B.
Microsites
L and J’s stories were shared through personalised microsites on Wix. Thoughtfully crafted with individuality in mind, these microsites visually and thematically represent their loved ones. For example, L’s best friend, Phoe, had a deep love for music, so her site was designed as a Spotify playlist, weaving songs into the storytelling. This ensured that each story was told with care, honouring the unique connections and memories they carried.
Interact with L's and J's story through the embedded sites below, or visit the original microsites linked.
L - Loss of Best Friend
Click and interact with the 'song titles' in the embedded site above or visit the original microsite here.
J - Loss of Grandfather
Click and interact with the items in the embedded site above or visit the original microsite here.
The two microsites were displayed on laptops in Room B.
Phoe was on exchange in New Zealand. She gave L the souvenir when she was visiting L in Melbourne. She passed away in New Zealand a few weeks later.
This is a POP MART figurine from the KUBO series. Michael liked buying POP MART figurines and said the KUBO series looked like him. Heather started collecting this series of figurines after he left.
This is the eulogy J wrote for her grandfather. He passed away while she was on exchange in the United States. Writing his eulogy helped her make sense of and process her grief.
Phoe was on exchange in New Zealand. She gave L the souvenir when she was visiting L in Melbourne. She passed away in New Zealand a few weeks later.
Mementoes related to our profiles' loved ones were presented at the exhibition along with the 10 stories. Click to scroll through each profile's personal object.
All content was reviewed by our profiles to safeguard their privacy.
1. Leave a Message
Visitors received post-its at entry and were encouraged to leave messages for our profiles, fostering an interactive and reflective space for closer emotional engagement with the stories.
2. Interactive Activities
Through these four carefully designed elements, we aimed to create a safe and supportive space where people could reflect, connect, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone in their grief.
3. Well-being Circle
Mimicking the concept of a ‘death cafe’, we aimed to create a similar environment where participants can come together in an informal space to speak openly about their thoughts on death and their grief (Tucker, 2014).
To facilitate a safe and supportive environment for shared grief experiences, the circles were conducted in two one-hour sessions before opening time, with a cap of 14 people per session. There were five participants on Friday and 12 on Sunday.
Gracie Mak, co-founder and director of Whispering Hope, facilitated these sessions as a mediator. The well-being circle provided a safe space for grievers to process their grief by speaking openly about it. With her expertise, Mak guided participants in open dialogue, providing them with tools and knowledge to further support themselves through the grieving journey.
4. Grief Literacy Guide
Our main educational resource is the Grief Literacy Guide, which covers three key topics:
-
Understanding Grief
-
Supporting Others
-
Coping with Grief
This guide references resources from our partners, HCA Hospice and the Singapore Hospice Council, and has been vetted by HCA Hospice to ensure accuracy and relevance.
While many grief resources from Singaporean agencies are thorough, they tend to be lengthy, making them inaccessible to a broader audience. Hence, we streamlined the content, making it more digestible, and added clearly defined sections, each highlighted with different colours for clearer understanding.
We also adapted key topics from our Grief Literacy Guide into bite-sized social media posts. Each post included a link to the full guide, offering readers the option to explore the topics in depth if they wished to.
*Scroll through the guide above, or download the PDF here.
Website
inlovingmemory.space was designed to help our target audience of youths navigate their challenge of memory preservation in a digital era. After our event, the full exhibition was brought online through a 360-degree virtual tour at inlovingmemory.space/exhibition. This interactive feature enabled users to navigate through the exhibition, read the stories, and visit the microsites, like they would in person.
The article and video stories were put on the message wall platform, Padlet, where viewers could leave messages about the stories, mirroring the real-life interactive experience. This feature not only allowed visitors to reflect on the stories but also contributed to an ongoing conversation about grief.
Additionally, the website houses our digital memorial wall, a growing archive of personal grief stories made from submissions from the public. Anyone can contribute their own grief stories and memories. The site is made approachable and easy for users to take the first step in sharing their grief experiences. Through sharing, users become part of a larger community that understands and acknowledges the diverse nature of grief.
To amplify our impact, website visitors can also choose to share their submissions with HCA Hospice, who collects grief stories to share with bereaved families who feel alone in their grief.
The website also features our grief literacy guide. This digital platform ensures that the conversation about grief continues beyond the exhibition, offering ongoing support and connection to a wider audience.
Social Media
Platforms
As our target audience of youths makes up 68.91% of Instagram’s and 61.97% of TikTok’s user base in Singapore, we chose these as our social platforms (Statista, 2023).
Content Pillars
1
Education
2
Profile Stories
3
Activation Promotion
1. Education
1. Education
Advisory topics were selected based on grief resources provided by Singapore Hospice Council, as well as the knowledge gap surfaced by our pre-campaign survey (N=185) (Appendix A). The three Education sub-pillars are directly related to our campaign goal to increase grief literacy.
To make the topic of grief approachable, we used animal illustrations to translate complex insights into digestible, relatable visuals. This improved engagement and shareability, crucial in encouraging discussions around grief especially in spaces where it is a taboo.
*View the embedded social posts below or click on the respective links in the captions to visit the Instagram page.
Sub-pillar 1: Understanding grief
Educating viewers on grief and its social and emotional responses, and debunking common myths as identified in our pre-campaign survey (Appendix A).
Sub-pillar 2: Coping with grief
Providing guidance on supporting oneself and ways to remember lost loved ones, addressing concerns commonly faced by GP.
Sub-pillar 3: Supporting others
Emphasising the importance of compassionate communication, we shared tips on how to have meaningful conversations with those navigating grief.
"Can't find the words?" series, which explains why some common responses might be unhelpful
Our content series, “Can’t Find the Words?” used real quotes from our profile interviews, highlighting phrases they dislike hearing. This gave the topic a human touch, making tip-sharing more personal.
This series was vetted by HCA Hospice to ensure that the information was accurate and aligned with expert advice.
2. Profile Stories
Our 10 profile stories were featured on social media to garner interest in our exhibition. Profile stories gained more traction as they highlighted real experiences, allowing viewers to feel a sense of connection with the profiles. They were featured in three formats:
-
Illustration: Hand-drawn illustrations brought vivid emotions and experiences to life, making stories easy to connect with.
-
Quote Feature: Powerful quotes from individual grief journeys resonated deeply, sparking emotional engagement.
-
Exhibition Notes: Featuring notes from exhibition visitors added authenticity, showcasing real experiences while fostering a sense of community.
Featuring Heather's story (click through the slides to view the comic)
Featuring D's story (click through the slides)
(click through the slides)
3. Activation Promotion
Our last pillar focused on promoting the exhibition and public activations. To promote our exhibition, we made teaser videos of the space. These were our highest-performing content, with one gaining 27.5k views organically. Viewers resonated with the thought-provoking nature of our exhibition, which we continued to promote in following videos like our public activation video. We also leveraged trending audios to reach a community that is receptive to stories and messages of hope.
(27.5k views)
(4.8k views)
Engagement Strategies
To boost engagement, we used call-to-action captions in our posts such as “Share your thoughts in the comments”, sparking meaningful conversations.
User-generated content (UGC) played a crucial role in amplifying the reach and credibility of the campaign. Exhibition visitors were encouraged to share their personal experiences online, which led to a surge of organic content. This content, coming from those who experienced the exhibition firsthand, helped foster a sense of community and trust.
We used paid ads to boost exhibition promotion videos on both Instagram and TikTok, further increasing reach.
This was displayed on the mirror in Reflection Corner, prompting visitors to post about the exhibition.
Instagram Story UGC of our exhibition
TikTok UGC from @sirmoontea
TikTok UGC from @lexuan.xx
Visitors also made longer-form content with detailed descriptions of their experience on TikTok and Lemon8
Lemon8 UGC from @cherrycolalalala
Public Activations
We hosted a two-day roadshow at NTU with a scaled-down setup, allowing visitors to start conversations with us about the stories as they read them. “Take a Note” was also reintroduced and garnered interest from students curious to exchange messages.
Click to view the NTU Roadshow TikTok
Lastly, we brought our message to Orchard Road with a sign reading, "Grief speaks, will you listen?" and a jar of notes.
These notes contained stories from our 10 profiles and “Reflection Corner” submissions at the physical exhibition, with links to our socials and website.
The sign’s prompt is meant to highlight a core issue: many who grieve feel unheard. Bringing this to a bustling space encouraged passersby to pause and reflect on the importance of listening and engaging with this topic.
Click to view the "Will You Listen?" Activation TikTok
Notes that were printed and passed on Orchard Road
Campaign Partners
Advisory and Education
01.
Singapore Hospice Council
Singapore Hospice Council (SHC) allocated us grief resources:
-
100 copies of Caring for yourself and others after a death
-
200 copies of Supporting grief in the community
These resources were given to the public at our physical exhibition, and adapted in educational social media posts and the Grief Literacy Guide.
02.
HCA Hospice
HCA provided support through the vetting of social media content related to grief.
Like SHC, HCA’s resources were adapted into social media posts and the Grief Literacy Guide, which they helped review.
HCA also promoted the exhibition through their social media channels.
At our NTU roadshow and website, a collaborative event titled "Together, we heal" allowed GP to share messages to support HCA beneficiaries, either at HCA events or through bereavement outreach initiatives. Visitors could continue submissions online.
03.
Whispering Hope
Gracie Mak, director of grief consultancy, Whispering Hope, supported the education segment of our campaign. Mak facilitated the two-day well-being circle, providing a safe space for grief conversations.
Mak shared additional pamphlets on grief for the exhibition.
The consultancy also promoted the exhibition and website on their communication channels.
Funding Support
National Youth Council (NYC): Young Changemakers Grant (YCM)
NYC provided ILM with $3,000 through the YCM Grant.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
NTU provided ILM with $1,400 through the FYP/Course Project Grant Fund.
Campaign Evaluation
1. Reach
a. Outreach Efforts
We invited influencers in the grief and mental wellness space to our exhibit to broaden our reach within receptive communities.
A press release was sent to local media outlets to invite journalists to cover the event as one of Singapore’s first student-led exhibitions on grief.
Exhibition visitors were encouraged to share their experiences online,sparking heartfelt UGC that organically spread awareness of the campaign.
Educational and promotional social posts were cross-posted on our partners’ accounts to extend our reach.
b. Outcomes
Publications
Straits Times ---
1 Article and 1 Instagram Reel (2.1k views)
-
95 total website impressions coming from straitstimes.com
Youthtopia ---
1 Cross-posted Instagram Post (96 likes)
District65 (Events Blog) ---
1 Article and 1 Instagram Story
Radio
CNA 93.8 Our Town ---
Social Media UGC
TikTok ---
4 Tiktoks
-
@lexuan.xx (17.4k views)
-
@sirmoontea (591 views)
-
@kymchijjigae (702 views)
-
@rowstedchiaseeds (312 views)
Instagram Posts ---
-
@whisperinghope.sg, Partner, Grief consultancy (180 views)
-
@nobodytoldmesakshi, Trainee Psychotherapist (134k views)
Instagram Stories ---
30 Instagram Stories posts
Notable accounts:
-
@the.lifereview, Non-profit Organisation related to death and bereavement
-
@paradiseafterlifeplanner, Afterlife Planner
-
@weavefromwithin, Music Therapist
-
@ryanangzh, Actor/Influencer (13.1k followers)
Instagram Story reshares
Notable accounts:
-
@calmcollective, Mental Health Organisation
-
@beingwith.grief, Counselling Psychologist and Grief Podcast Host
-
@thegriefspace.sg, Organisation to raise awareness about grief
-
@agentlepace, Mindfulness-Based Coach
-
@hcahospice, Partner, Hospice Care Provider
Lemon8 ---
-
@cherrycolalalala (396 likes)
Events
Palliative
Communication ---
Symposium
Coverage by major news platforms such as The Straits Times and CNA 93.8’s Our Town boosted our credibility and extended our reach beyond our core demographic of youths. Additionally, UGC on TikTok and Instagram created an organic ripple effect as individuals shared their reflections and experiences. ILM was also spotlighted at the Palliative Communication Symposium, reaching key grief-related organisations.
2. Effectiveness
To evaluate the effectiveness of our campaign, we measured its impact through the metrics below.
*The numbers for Reflection Corner and Take a Note represent the notes that were left behind, and do not include those that were exchanged/brought home.
a. Physical Exhibit
The physical exhibition saw a turnout of 402 visitors, exceeding our goal.
Visitors left powerful messages (408) for profiles through Leave a Message, demonstrating a strong sense of connection. Apart from supportive messages, many GP left notes relating these stories to their own loss, or remembering their own loved ones.
"Leave a Message" post-its where visitors were reminded of their own loss or memories
"Leave a Message" notes that resonate with their sharing, offering support and connection
106 hearts were left in Reflection Corner, and 50 messages were left in Take a Note. Other messages were taken home.
Reflection Corner saw raw, detailed messages about GP’s personal journey of loss, even the difficult feelings, demonstrating the effectiveness of these activities in processing emotions.
Similarly, in Take a Note, GP shared in-depth notes of remembrance or grief reflections, and NGP responded with supportive words. This passing of stories and support suggests growing understanding and willingness to engage in tough conversations.
In this exchange, memories were carried forward by strangers, allowing stories of loss to be honoured beyond their original holders.
Messages from "Reflection Corner"
Messages from NGP in "Take a Note"
Messages from GP in "Take a Note"
Visitors’ takeaways on the Message Board commonly emphasised the importance of a space for grief to be expressed. The high engagement indicates success in providing a safe space for the exploration of loss.
Some visitors shed tears for the stories. Afterward, many approached us to express their emotional connection with the event.
Representatives from bereavement support non-profit organisation, The Life Review and an afterlife planning service, Salix Paradise, visited the exhibit and shared the experience on their platforms.
A visitor from National Cancer Center Singapore also requested to share our Grief Literacy Guide with their youth beneficiaries, emphasising the need for youth-tailored resources.
The results of our pre-campaign and post-exhibition surveys (N=185 and 215 respectively) suggest that the exhibition had a significant positive impact on grief literacy among visitors.
Messages from "Final Message Board"
I found the grief stories...
Our featured stories helped make grief — a complex topic — more approachable. Additionally, 84% of our respondents felt the stories taught them something new about grief (Appendix A).
How would you rate your overall understanding of grief and its impacts?
The increase in respondents who rated their understanding of grief as “Good” and “Excellent” suggests an increased understanding of grief amongst visitors.
To what extent do you agree with the following statement:
"It is better to avoid talking about the deceased to help a grieving person move on."
The significant 22% increase in respondents who strongly disagreed with the above statement reflects growing recognition that remembrance and conversations about grief can be healing rather than harmful.
When someone expresses their grief, what will you do? (Select all that apply)
There is a 10% increase in “I listen without interrupting or judging” and a drop to 0% in “I avoid it entirely”, suggesting successful encouragement of active and compassionate listening while reducing avoidance around discussing grief.
b. Website
The website expanded the reach of the physical exhibition, with a total of 1976 site sessions and 25 user-generated posts. This fell short of our goal of 5,000 impressions and 100 posts, indicating limitations in fostering interactive participation and creating an immersive space online.
I found the digital memorial wall...
c. Social Media
Most of our visitors found out about ILM through our social media. Instagram saw 2,957 average views and 4.7% engagement rate, and TikTok saw 3,520 average views with 5.2% engagement rate, exceeding our goals. For non-profits, an engagement rate of 2.2% and 2% for Instagram and TikTok is considered a good benchmark (Newberry, 2025).
Our top performing TikTok post, a teaser of our exhibition, gained over 27,000 views. Our most-viewed Instagram post, an announcement of our online exhibition’s launch, garnered more than 23,000 views. Exhibition-related content received overwhelming support, highlighting the public’s desire for open and creative expressions of grief in authentic formats.
Beyond numbers, our campaign impacts were reflected in the personal responses we received.
Direct Messages from followers expressing gratitude for the project
Instagram Stories reflecting on their experience viewing the website
Comments that applauded this effort for youths or shared openly about their own experience
d. Public Activations
Our NTU roadshow and “Will You Listen?” activation brought this unseen topic into public settings, provoking reflection on the need for open dialogue about loss. Furthermore, the distribution of “Will You Listen?” notes demonstrated a demand for continued engagement, as all 64 notes were taken in two hours, surpassing our goal of 30 notes per day.
3. Key Learnings & Overall Impact
The exhibition provided an immersive experience that allowed visitors to engage with grief stories. The website extended the exhibition’s reach, while social media facilitated ongoing conversations surrounding grief.
The website traffic, however, fell short of our initial goal, suggesting that people may prefer engaging with grief-related content in physical spaces, as digital platforms cannot replicate the sense of emotional depth and tangible interaction. Although digital platforms extend reach significantly, they may lack meaningful engagement with grief-related themes. This shows that a balanced approach of online and in-person activities is key in supporting grieving youths.
Ultimately, ILM successfully initiated important conversations about grief and loss. The strong turnout at the physical exhibition and the heartfelt engagement on our social media platforms demonstrated that there is a genuine public interest in talking about grief, underscoring the importance of ILM.
Conclusion
This project explored the challenging context grief exists in, particularly in Singapore where it is perceived as a taboo.
Through primary and secondary research, we identified two key problems: first, the lack of grief literacy among both GP and NGP; and second, the anxiety GP experiences over losing memories of their deceased loved ones.
Thus, our major activations in physical and digital mediums aimed to:
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Increase grief literacy in NGP and GP
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Create a safe space for grievers to share and connect
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Teach GP and NGP how to better support themselves and others through understanding the complexities of loss
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Create a digital space for GP to share their stories in remembrance for the deceased
By bringing conversations about grief to the forefront, ILM empowered both the GP and NGP to come together as a community and engage in open dialogue about grief.
In the physical space, we organised a three-day exhibition at Goodman Arts Centre, a two-day roadshow at NTU and a social experiment on Orchard Road. In the digital space, educational social media posts and the website’s ongoing memorial wall.
Our pre- and post-campaign surveys saw an 11% reduction in respondents who agreed that “grief is a private matter and should not be discussed in public settings” (Appendix A). This change indicates increased acceptance of open conversations surrounding grief. From our evaluation, ILM successfully increased understanding of grief and reduced avoidance of conversations about grief. GP were also empowered to share and express their grief openly through our platforms.
ILM ’s reach was beyond expectations, covered by media like The Straits Times and CNA 93.8’s Our Town. The substantial emotional response, in the form of messages and UGC from numerous influencers, underscored the deep resonance and impact of the campaign.
By creating a space for open dialogue and support, In Loving Memory gave voice to Singapore’s grieving community, providing ways for grief to exist without stigma. We continue to encourage a more compassionate and grief-literate society — one where no one has to navigate loss alone.
References
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