Kickstarter

"Before I die I want to..." is a project that creates a healthy dialogue about death, empowering people to live life to the fullest. For two years, the Before I die... team has been asking people “What do you want to do before you die?” as we snap their portrait with a Polaroid camera. When the emulsion settles, we ask these people to write their answer in their own handwriting on the Polaroid. Their answers serve as a personal contract to accomplish what is most important in their lifetime. To date over 1,200 people around the world from all walks of life have participated.

We want to go digital

Using analog Polaroid has been a great start, however the technology limits people who want to participate but can’t find a Polaroid camera or analog film. Allowing people to participate via the website or their mobile phone will open the project up to people around the globe. People will take their own photo (or their friend’s photo) while answering the question “What do you want to do before you die?” via their mobile phone or their webcam. They will then upload their image and answer to beforeidieiwantto.org. The answers will become part of a database that can then be browsed and filtered based on many factors.

Social platform

The site will be a meaningful social platform, connecting people with similar wishes, enabling them to take action together and opening up conversations around the world.

Data visualization

As the site grows, trends will emerge. How are our goals related to our environment? Our culture? Our gender? How many people in the world have similar dreams to yours? Are some people more comfortable with the idea of their own mortality than others? Why? Information will be visualized graphically, allowing visitors to explore these connections. Crowdsourcing our hopes for the future will provide invaluable ethnographic research.

What the money will be used for

Funds will be used to design and develop this highly-accessible, data-driven website and accompanying mobile application.

This project is a partnership between Before I die I want to... and Well Made World.