Written Off

WRITTEN OFF IS A FICTIONAL MURDER MYSTERY WITH POLICE DOCUMENTS AND A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CRIME IN A DOLLHOUSE.

True crime media is known for being biased on which crimes are presented to the public. The name Written Off is in response to minorities who are written off or overlooked because of society’s racial hierarchy. Written Off is my way of rewriting the narrative in mainstream true crime media while keeping factors that happen when cases go cold. The topics referenced in true crime like violence, victim blaming, exploitation, race, and awareness are quite serious. A method to possibly make everyone comfortable to engage with a topic they do or do not care for is through a solving game. Allowing the natural curiosity and childlike memories within themselves to come out when interacting with a fictional case and a dollhouse.

True crime media was a part of my childhood. That early interaction influenced what media I pay attention to as an adult. Through the method of gameplay, I encourage the onlooker to solve a mystery by drawing on their own childlike memories and the natural comfort and curiosity evoked when interacting with a fictional case and a dollhouse. As a designer, I wanted to create an experience off the screen where the participants must touch physical objects and investigate true crime in a new way. This project is a combination of my childhood memories with my research and design as an adult.