Memorial Ideas and the Answers to Success

There have been some pretty bad monument or memorial ideas that I have seen over the last few years. Having said that, I have also seen and been inspired by some really wonderful memorial ideas. Ask yourself these questions: What then makes the difference? Is it "my" personal preference that gets in the way or are some of these ideas really bad for a reason? Also, are the good memorial ideas really good for a specific reason?

In this article, I am going to address and answer these questions by what I will use as something I call the "template for success" with regards to finding and executing the absolute best in memorial ideas.

This template was and is so defined by having asked myself and others (especially clients) three very specific questions. The goal in mind with these questions is to lead the client to maintain and reach the ultimate goal of their memorial ideas, perfect execution. Even though they might be considered simple, they are yet profound. Over the years I have found and realized that a lot of people and organizations who have commissioned a memorial, have a tendency to rush through the most critical phase of the memorial process, the beginning.

First question (1): what is the purpose of the memorial? Monuments and memorials can serve a whole spectrum of purposes. The key in answering these questions is to figure out and determine what the purpose of your memorial will be. Is it educational, motivational or purely functional? Is the purpose something else? I would suggest that you spend some good time thinking through and discussing as to what the answer to this question might be for you or your committee.

Second question (2): What are the emotions that you are wanting to capture with the memorial? This can be a real tricky endeavor. Emotions are often hard to define and pin down. Having said that, I will make you this promise; the more time you and your committee spend time discussing this particular question, the better time you will have spent doing so and the more powerful the overall reaction to your project will be in years to come. Emotions that you might want to capture could be: patriotism, respect, sorrow for an event, honor for the dead or the living, freedom, liberty or responsibility.

Third question (3): Who is the audience that will be affected and influenced by the memorial? As with the second question, there is a challenge in pinning down your audience also. To some this might be a question not worth discussing. The answer to this question might seem obvious also; "everyone knows who the audience is." Ask yourself these additional questions: is your audience made up of adults that are in their middle age? Are they males or females, (single) college students, youth, or senior citizens? If you determine your audience to be everyone, it will appeal passionately to no one. It is crucial to determine what your core audience is going to be.

These above questions and their determined answers are ones that could really help you in finding and determining good memorial ideas. Consider these three questions before proceeding with a memorial or monument project. Make sure to always start with the end in mind, using this "template for success" and I am confident that you will be satisfied with the outcome.