Laurel Hill Cemetery
Home Funeral & Death Industry Research
Since our client, Laurel Hill Cemetery is seeking an opportunity to expand their home funeral service in the context of the death positivity movement. We conducted both social study and market research in the current death service industry and created an approachable strategic plan for Laurel Hill Cemetery to collaborate with death doula organizations to implement home funerals as well as branding promotions.
Timeline
Oct - Dec, 2021
Team Role
Researcher, designer
Client
West Laurel Hill Cemetery
DEATH POSITIVITY MOVEMENT
The Rise of Home Funeral
From the outside, the funeral industry may seem static and unchanging. However, there have actually been huge shifts in the way that American people deal with and relate to death in the past several decades. Attitudes and behaviors in this realm are transforming due to cultural shifts and major world events.
One such change is the spread of "death positive" attitudes. This movement emphasizes personalization, open communication, and pre-planning for one's own death. As a result, new behavior emerges the "home funeral" or the "celebration of life" memorial service. This practice revives a tradition that is thousands of years old. Before the early 1900s, the majority of all funerals would take place in one's own home. But as death became more distanced from everyday life, this practice began to wane and disappear.
“As death edges back into the home, funeral homes and cemeteries need to be ready to leave their own turf and meet clients where they are and want to be”
Research Objectives
Uncover attitudes regarding death positivity
Define pain points in the individual death process
Identify new opportunities for Laurel Hill
Five Information Resources
Stakeholder Timelines
In the beginning, we focused on exploring the timelines for different stakeholders to figure out when did each part got involved in the death process.
Here’s what we got later…
Individual Death Planning Process
We found that the death service process actually started far before the funeral execution. And to gain access to a larger community and opportunities for services, Laurel Hill should adjust their entrance to the beginning of individuals actively pursuing their death plans, when it is also usually the time that DEATH DOULAS started to get intervened.
ANOTHER TREND BESIDES HOME FUNERAL
Meet With Death Doulas
A professional who enriches the dying experience for someone by listening to them, advocating for their wishes, making connections, and providing guidance to lead them to a "good death."
NEW IDEA, RAPID GROWTH
Most of our interviewees have worked as doulas for only a handful of years.
WILLING TO LEARN
As the industry grows rapidly, doulas are looking to expand their applicability and gain new knowledge and specialization within the overall death ecosystem.
SEEKING CONNECTION
They are seeking, first and foremost, new channels for connections of people to work with and further grow their networks within death-related communities.
Some Initial Ideas…
Legacy Project for Home Funerals
Inspire the Next Generation
However, after going back to further conversations with death doulas and Laurel Hill, we realized that Laurel Hill cannot achieve its goal by working alone. The death service system should be an organic entity that works together.
THE DEATH SERVICE ECOSYSTEM
LAUREL HILL - DEATH DOULAS - HOME FUNERAL FAMILIES
Who are involved?
Involving the funeral home in this way reintegrated Laurel Hill into the whole death process and creates a symbiotic relationship for the three relevant parties.
How Does The System Work?
What Doulas Are Saying
“Hi, count us in! Let me know what I can do to help with this effort. Thank you for the opportunity.”
— Russ Alexander, Sunset Companions
“I’m glad that you and Laurel Hill are considering including us in rather than easing us out. We are always looking forward to educating more people about our idea.”
— Jamie Eaddy, Director of Program Development for INELDA
“I would be very interested in working with your team and Laurel Hill to increase awareness ad adoption of Doula services. I'm happy to help advance this work and appreciate you getting in touch!”
— Kim Schmucki
What We Offer Laurel Hill For Next Steps
