Nostalgia: a wistful desire to return to a former time or space in one’s life, and a feeling of sentimental yearning for the happiness of that former space or time.

We live our lives on a linear timeline and often we can only see the significant moments in a bubble. Nostalgia allows us to see, hear, or even smell something that triggers our memory beyond the bubble. It allows us to look back on a time when things were, for better or worse, different.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an isolated environment around us all, and with isolation comes loneliness and exaggerated feelings of stress and anxiety. During this online event - which several current Cape Town Design Nerds developed and hosted while working for the Vancouver Design Nerds - we invited participants of all ages to join us for a facilitated Design Jam where we used nostalgia to look back on our lives and reflect on what was, what is, and what could be. This Jam provided a much-needed space of connection across geographical distance and despite our physical isolation.

If you would like to learn more about our work, partner with us in our future projects, or collaborate with us to develop one of your own, please don’t hesitate to contact us!