Research
Space for Grief
Space for Grief is an installation that blends art, design, and systems research to reimagine how cities hold space for loss. Space for Grief challenges the assumption that grief must remain hidden or private, instead embedding it into the public realm as a catalyst for belonging and renewal.
The research and insights from Space for Grief have since been used to inform a new framework “Grief-Informed Futures” to explore systemic impacts of grief in government, healthcare and industry internationally.
The Silent Struggle with Grief: Understanding the Systemic Impact
Created by Method Collective, this visual research maps how grief moves across individual, community, and systemic levels. It was published and presented at the Relating Systems and Design Conference in 2023.
We invite you to explore our growing body of research and publications to imagine a future where we design for grief: in workplaces, cities, and ecological systems.
The Grief Informed Futures and PACER frameworks (Pace, Affect, Culture, Ecology, Resilience) offer ways to design with grief in mind: respecting its rhythms, acknowledging its impacts, and integrating care into systems rather than leaving it to individuals.
Research Publications
2025 Research Paper Designing with Grief: The PACER framework for Systemic Practice by Ziyan Hossain
2023 System Mapping The Silent Struggle with Grief: Understanding the Systemic Impact by Ziyan Hossain, Fran Quintero Rawlings, Calla Lee
2020 Research Paper Designing More Inclusive Death and Grief Cultural Practices and Rituals by Fran Quintero Rawlings
Contributions
2025 Association of Professional Futurists: Grief-Informed Futures as a Pathway to Deeper Foresight by Ziyan Hossain, Fran Quintero Rawlings, Calla Lee
2025 The Philanthropist Journal: Why we need space for grief by Ziyan Hossain, Fran Quintero Rawlings, Calla Lee
Speaking Engagmments
2024 Dubai Future Forum: The Grief Stage: How Can Society Overcome Future Challenges?
2024 Alive and Learning Podcast - Episode 5: Signals of the Future
2023 RSD12: The Silent Struggle with Grief: Understanding the Systemic Impact
Media Coverage
2025 CBC - 'Space for Grief': A Growing Social Movement
2025 CityNews - Discover a Space for Grief that uses art to heal
2025 CBC - 'Space for Grief': Toronto installation joins growing social movement
2025 City News - Celebrating the lives of those we've lost at the Good Mourning Festival
2025 Sheridan College - Space for Grief: Exploring Loss and Connection Through Immersive Art
2024 CityNews - A space for grief
2023 Why is it so important to grieve together? by Jon Kuiperij
2023 Spacing Magazine - Space for Grief: A Public Space Model for Community Connection and Healing by Yasmin Afshar