The 9/11 Names Arrangement software is a custom application for the 9/11 Memorial that assisted in determining the arrangement of the almost 3,000 names of the people killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The names are inscribed in bronze parapets surrounding the twin Memorial pools.

The Memorial Guide is a website, kiosk interface and mobile application that helps people navigate the Memorial. It assists users in finding a name on the memorial as well as gives biological information of everyone killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993.

The 9/11 Memorial went through an incredible process of receiving adjacency requests from the next of kin of the victims, creating a massive database of often multiple requests per victim. Local Projects custom software application cross-referenced each of the requested adjacencies to create a draft layout for the memorial panels. Faced with the difficulties of these requests, (some groups requesting over one hundred names) the final layout was able to accommodate 99% of the requested adjacencies.

Friends and family of the 9/11 victims were given the opportunity to request adjacencies for their loved ones, meaning that their name could appear on the memorial next to other family members, friends, or co-workers that also died in the attacks. From the conception of the project, we believed that it was very important to honor these adjacency requests. Though many people requested multiple adjacencies, the custom software algorithm allowed us to honor 99% of all requests made.

The Memorial Guide incorporates extensive background knowledge of the almost 3,000 people that died in the attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The organization of this information is presented in the form of a website, mobile application and on-site kiosks where the information is available to visitors in six languages. Visitors can access the memorial panel layouts as well as a photograph and information on each victim. Visitors can search by individual or company name, residency, employer or affiliation, or can view each memorial panel individually. The names on the memorial are further organized by “meaningful adjacencies”, which reveal personal relationships that were requested by the families and next of kin.

The 9/11 Memorial will be a place for people from all over the world to visit, remember and honor the people that died in the 9/11 attacks. Because of this, the memorial holds great social and cultural importance. The Algorithm Software and Memorial Guide will create an ease of navigation for many people, helping them find their way around the memorial and to locate the names of the people they want to see most.