Photopolymer resin, dot-matrix display,
and printed circuit board
13 3/4 x 8 3/4
x 5 1/2" (35 x 22 x 14 cm)
Developed for the nine Poor Clare Sisters
who live at a monastery in York, UK, the
Prayer Companion is a communication
device with a very explicit purpose: it
alerts the nuns to issues that need their
prayers. The nuns, whose everyday lives
have changed little since medieval times,
have taken vows of enclosure, and their
only connection to the outside world
is through occasional access to Catholic
newspapers, mail, and limited use of
the telephone and computer. Designed
to be understated and unobtrusive,
the Prayer Companion subtly scrolls
a ticker tape of issues across its top;
its small screen can only be viewed
from above and close-up, thus minimizing
its distracting potential. The device was
designed specifically for the nuns and
is the only one of its kind. “Goldie,”
as the nuns call it, sits on a table in a
hallway that they often pass through,
scrolling news as well as the feelings
of anonymous strangers whose blog
entries are aggregated by the website
We Feel Fine. The nuns have told Bill
Gaver, of the Interaction Research
Studio, that “it has been valuable
in keeping [our] prayers pertinent.”
