a community-oriented currency centered on commitments and accountability
CONCEPT
A physical, visual, and gestural system of tracking one’s different commitments. String rings are categorized into Interpersonal/Emotional, Creative/Collaborative, Social, and Self commitments (detailed in the “Ring Key.”)
APPLICATION
Individuals wear string rings on their Left Hand to represent their “Budget,” or rings they have available to “spend.” Individuals wear string rings on their Right Hand to represent their “Escrow,” or commitments made to them.
Individuals are free to give their rings for anything from small to large commitments, for any time span.
- INTENTION: Rather than wanting to complete a task for the sake of a good reputation or to get your ring back, the completion of the commitment becomes the reward itself. It also allows you to pay it forward and frees up the ring for Person 2 to use.
- METAPHOR: . With the system having the rings constantly change hands, it strongly weaves in the idea of the strings that tether us together. The power of the promise is moved from person to person and constantly builds on itself as commitments are fulfilled again and again. Suddenly, a single ring tells the story of dozens of people.
- COLLECTIVE MINDSET: The life cycle of a single ring will tell the story of how one person’s commitment allowed another one to come to fruition. Rather than an individual-focused system that rewards someone by rewarding the individual, it would promote a collective mindset by framing “allowing someone else to make a commitment” as the reward.
Ron Anahaw 