Send a Drop is a foundation which raises funds for water projects in third-world countries through “positive giving”. They asked Interactive Objects to design and build an interactive wishing well. In stead of asking for donations by focussing on negative emotions like guilt, Send a Drop aims to persuade people to donate by connecting with them in a positive way. Like the wishing wells of folklore, the Send a Drop Wishing Well is meant to solicit donations. Through the very tactile, personal act of tossing a coin or note into the well, people are literally connected with someone else on the other side of the globe.
When looking down into the well, people would see a reflection similar to their own. Except the image was of a similar well installed on a different location. After a donation, people could briefly communicate with each other through video and sound. On a very tight schedule and budget, Interactive Objects delivered the installation in time for the unveiling at a public event of one of Send a Drop’s sponsors, Van Oord. The well is made of reclaimed Dutch wood, features projection and live visuals (Max/MSP) and video by an IP-camera.