Connected Communities The End

The presentations are finished, the proposal, project plan and costings have all been submitted, so looking back, what have I learned?
Since starting the Masters course in September last year I think that my thinking and understanding about what design actually is and means has changed dramatically. I remember one of the first few days in first semester we were all given the task of writing out on big sheets of paper what we think design is. I was worried and nervous to get my description wright, although now I really cannot remember what I wrote. I think my answer to what design is would change on a daily basis, and would depend on what was influencing me at the time or who I was speaking to. But one thing is certain, I would never have imagined that we would have been given a brief like the connected community one, or that I would have had the first clue of how to tackle the problem. How do you pluck a tangible project out of thin air, especially if little or nothing is known about the subject matter...? With all the tools, techniques and methods we have been learning along the way of our Masters year so far (mostly I have been soaking them up like a sponge without realising) through all the workshops, interesting and diverse speakers and team working projects. I now feel like a fully fledged designer with a good insight into the world of the ethnographer (thanks to working very closely with two on this most recent project) and feel that I have the knowledge and skill sets to tackle any problem and help come up with possible solutions through my design thinking.
Who knew that designers didn't just make the world pretty, they also have the potential to make a huge difference in many different fields with their diverse skill sets and ability to adapt to changing situations. I for one am proud to be part of the design community and happy in the knowledge that I could use myself as a designer in many different ways to add to an array of different projects.

Connected Communities week 9

A name change and shift of focus has occurred this week. We were still not convinced with our intended outcomes and felt we needed something more tangible if our intended research proposal was to be successful.
Our new title is Expanding Understanding which seems to embody what our research project is about. Helping to facilitate communication through or research by the outcome 'packs' and other outputs such as conference talks and papers. This seems like the best and most rounded way to spread the word of what has been achieved throughout the intended project.


Paper chain dollies seemed to be a good way of visualising our title of 'expanding understanding'. The imagery attempts to show that by the research body and new knowledge and tools created through the project, that people and indeed communities could become better connected. This has the possibility to have knock a on effect and expand to aid communication through all aspects of the participants lives. Broadening the reach of communication. While our main focus for the project is on people with eating disorders and how to help aid their recovery by strengthening communication in face to face situations, it is hoped that this model for communication could be adapted into other vulnerable groups.

Connected Communities week 8

A spectrum of support. This is what we intend to call our research proposal and the title our research group will operate under. Sounds slightly 80's... maybe it needs more thought so as to convey the correct attitude and stance that our research is based in.
Our research proposal seems to be coming together nicely even though we seem to change focus every time we meet, instead of moving the project on further. Confusion sets in into what will be the actual outcomes... this is a real challenge with team working as everyone has their own ideas and expectations. Even when things seem like a solid agreed upon entity, details and meanings can be confused leading to crossed wires and a lack of understanding. This could lead to communication break downs and disconnection from the project. However even though this process can be frustrating at times, and sometimes our methods and processes are different, having a good team that is willing to listen, communicate and understand others points of view while able to make their points in a clear way is essential if things are to be agreed upon.
Within our team we collaborated on all aspects of the project, from concept to proposal to presentation. This was a good way to make sure we were all aware of what was going on and essential so we could grasp the particulars of the project.
While it can be stressful and frustrating working to compromise so as to encompass everyone schedule into meetings, the benefits of this type of cross disciplinary team working far outweigh the negatives.
A project or idea is enriched greatly by having several different perspectives imputed into it. Alternate angles or methods for completion are also transferred which contributes new knowledge to the individual, helping to facilitate learning, broadening perspectives and opening up the individual to ways of thinking. Core skills can also be utilised in the best possible way when a multi disciplined team works together, each member bringing different abilities and issues to the group.

Connected communities week 7

Team working, can be a lot of fun and a good way to generate and move on ideas quickly, it can also cause the opposite to happen, a thick fog descends and you wander around trying to grab onto one coherent thread that will hopefully be spun and woven into something a bit more tangible. This can be a problem when there are a few team members as even though you are all working with the same brief in mind and have a similar endpoint or outcome ingrained into your thoughts, everyone thinks about things and tackles problems in different ways, we all have our own unique sets of 'methods' to get the job done, this can mean a lot of confusion and pushing and pulling to find a common ground or 'thinking space' between everyone. It is very difficult to work as one harmonious team, we each engage and become disenchanted by different points along the way so the challenge is to help each other through and each of us working to our strengths.
This connected communities project has been a real challenge, I think for the most part for me because it is not a real pitch we are making. While the call for projects under this umbrella title of connected communities exists, what we are creating does not so I have found it difficult to keep focused and to foresee exact expenditure over the three year project. Probably in the most part due to the subject matter, while I find it to be a very engaging and worthwhile piece of research I have found it hard to see where I might position myself within the team of researchers. While this (for the purpose of the assignment) doesn't seem to be a big issue, to me it is. I have no real expertise within the medical or psychological fields, I wouldn't even say I have particularly strong ethnographic skills, so what can I bring? I have learned that it is my design thinking and my process that are important and useful to projects not the little shiny,polished pieces of perfection I might produce. In this sense I feel that I have the potential to be very useful in this type of research as it might not be the first place you would expect to find a designer. Still the dilemma continues of costing... what do things cost? On researching costings of simple websites it seems are not so simple, you have to pay a web designer to actually design it, costs depends on the number of pages and features, you need to register and pay for a domain name, then pay the hosting fees, considerations of how it will be updated, who will update it are all thrown into the mix... perhaps having a blog integrated into it is the easiest and most accessible way of doing this...? Over all costs of a seemingly simple website... around £1000.

Connected communities week 6

The search for a title continues. It is one small and seemingly insignificant part of a project but a title or name can have such a big impact on a product service or person. Certain celebrities maintain that they would not be as successful if they hadn't reinvented themselves with a new name. If a title doesn't fit people will not engage with it. There was a public out cry when Kellogg's decided to change coco pops to choco rocks or something along those lines. Why? because people all over identified and loved the name? Was it down to habit and recognition? I am doubtful, I do not remember the same reaction when marathon bars changed to snickers, maybe because I had no love for the chocolate bar I didn't really care, that being said I had no great affiliation with opalfruits, but remember being very annoyed when they turned into starburst overnight. I don't think I have bought a packet since, not on purpose, it hasn't been a conscious decision to boycott the new branding, it is just that maybe somewhere deep inside my subconscious I do not see myself as a starburst person, I'm more of an opalfruit?
What I am trying to get at is that a project title is just as important as a persons name or brand of sweets. Branding, slogan and tag lines have become so important that in order to get anyone to sit up and take notice of anything you do it must be packaged in the correct way. To secure funding or proposed project must be branded and packaged in the correct way if it is going to stand out and be memorable. A snappy title with a stickiness factor is a good start.

Connected communities week 5

Whilst flicking through Real World Research by Colin Robson today in search of a rationalle of what techniques I should use to interiew and examine the data and feedback I will receive when I collect in my cultural probe packs in a week. I came across some very interesting and relevant facts about what types of obsevational studies can be used and are best to use to gather data while avoiding some of the more problematic and uncomfortable ethical issues that could be thrown up by the likes of intergrating yourself into a group as a complete participant. This is where you are pretending to be someone your not to fit in and gain the information you want. You are building up trust and relationships with people in the hopes they will share with you the information you require. I feel that while this would be very efficient to gain the data it is not ethical in the slightest, what could be the ramifications of miss-using peoples trust and the psychological damage they might face when the find out that the relationship you had bilt up was under false pretences and fictional? This is not the only problem that arrises from this type of observational study, you might end up lousing your objectivity and 'go native'. Because you are living the life, you need to talk the talk and walk the walk, you might louse your own identity and viewpoint and be assylimilated into the group. Your data then would be tainted and possibly worthless. If you are no longer impartial then clear aims and objectives cannot be achieved without there being an underlying agenda for the work and findings, data could possibly be manipulated to suite the skuewed desired outcome.
This approach seems to be best avoided within our conneted community project... back to the drawing board.

Connected communities week 4

After being lost in the fog of what we were trying to achieve with this proposal, we have eventually managed to clarify a focus to our subject area, instead of trying to find important points to hold onto in our very vague aim.
We have decided to focus on a health care aspect with the focus's being on how online and offline communities are embodied and work around eating disorders. What are the perceived benefits and negative effects that online communities or support networks might offer. We felt that this was an area where more focus should be put upon as it is a very real and dangerous lifestyle more and more people are adopting to deal with whatever stresses or problems they encounter. Why do people enter into this form of self harm and what type of support networks in forms of on and offline communities exist to support in the recovery or in the furthering of the illness.
This is not an area I had ever thought I would be looking into for a design project. It seems a million miles away from my undergraduate days, but I am up for the challenge and hopefully comming at the problem with a designers perspective we should come up with some very diverse and interesting ideas and proposed outcomes.

Connected Communities week 3

Social dynamics of online communities and their effect on offline communities is the very snappy title for our group project. I think that we need to come up with one that rolls of the tongue a bit better while encapsulating what we propose to do within this project. It is interesting putting a project plan together when the possibility of you actually undertaking the project is slim. I think that it has the possibility to hinder the creative process and imaginings of what is actually possible. For me however I think it is rather freeing and opens up the possibilities for all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas. I feel that this sort of 'free thinking' helps facilitate different sorts of thinking and can substantiate alternative ideas. What do people actually want out of a community? Are they happy with the types of social interaction that they participate on a daily basis? What could be gained from further study in this field? I guess just what is the actual point in it all? In this world of virtual communication it is becoming ever more difficult to communicate with people on a face to face basis. I have found this the case, while I can put down in an email or text what I am thinking, feeling, views on certain subjects professional and personal the balance to be able to verbalise and communicate this is becoming ever more difficult. Why would you meet up with someone to discuss a certain topic when you can send an email, which would probably get your point across faster and in a more understandable way(in some case) not to mention save on your carbon footprint (you can communicate with people all over the world from the comfort of your own home) but what effect will this sort of 'distance' communication have on people psychologically. People are social creatures, loneliness and depression can become a major problem when we become isolated from physical contact or interactions. However online communities cold offer comfort to people separated by vast distances, when actual physical contact is not possible. There are issues however of children getting upset because they do not understand technologies such as skype who seem to offer the solution to bridge the gap giving people separated by distance an actual face to talk to. The emotions and mannerisms of your nearest and dearest can be seen so you do not in theory feel as disconnected. In some instances this becomes more distressing for users, especially the young as they cannot understand why they can see but not touch, like a cruel trick being played, it can make the separation more painful.
What then is the answer...?

Connected Communities week 2

It is clear to me after today's lecture that I have no idea what things cost... I now see that a £600,000 grant doesn't stretch very far. I see this as a vast amount of money but by the time you factor in wages, overheads and contingency costs there seems to be little left for anything else. I now have a clearer understanding of why research grants are so hard to obtain and there are so many hoops to jump through, research costs a lot of money and it has to be proven that it will be spent in the right places. Underestimating costs are a huge hazard as shows you have no real concept of what you are going to need to achieve your goals.
It has opened my eyes up to how much things actually cost and the importance of choosing the right conferences to attend and speak at... as it could cost you up to £2,000 for travel, accommodation etc things have to be a good fit or you are simply buying a scratch card with little hope of a decent result.

Connected Communities

How can we build connected communities with all the fragmentation of society today? I am hoping through this team project entitled connected communities to find some sort of solution or at least to better understand why society today is so disconnected.
At my first Transition Town Tayport meeting last night,(no I have not moved to Tayport. I ventured across the water to a meeting as I am entering into a collaboration with the guys over there, to help design some reusable recyclable bags and t-shirts, to promote their cause), and I learned what they are trying to do is to reconnect their community. Their motivations are at a slight juxta position to this brief but the methods are the same. They intend on creating close knit communities which will in turn help them to live more sustainably. Not only do they intend on sharing land to grow food and are hoping to arrange annual litter picking days they have been interviewing older members of the community who have seen it fall apart in the hopes that they can understand what went wrong and gain an insight on how to 'rebuild'.
I think a lot of value can be gained by using participatory exercises such as the litter picking to facilitate community wide conversation, that in turn would hopefully lead to bonding, and a build up of trust. This would mean not only would you feel safer in your environment, have someone to chat to on the bus but your day could also be brightened by a smile or a hello, making you feel less alone in the digital world we inhabit today, where everyone communicates buy text and email and constantly have earphones in there ears listening to their newest download and ignoring the world round them as it crumbles.
I'm not sure what the Creative Communities project will unearth but I am looking forward to whatever comes next.

ambaba

Ambaba is a company who are designing environmentally sound re-usable nappies that intend on lasting a child from birth to potty. This is to hopefully cut down the impact that the disposable nappy market is having on the environment with around 400 tonnes of them being sent to land fill every year.

I found Mel Woods talk about her company which she runs with partner with Roz Henderson very interesting, as it is something I am very interested and concerned about too. I spent a year working at a nature nursery, where the children were in real nappies so I understand the practical issues of sizing, folding and all the different layers that go into a reusable nappy that Mel talked about. The comfort and movement issues of these nappies also concerned me, while I believe re-usable are better for child and environment alike, they are at least three times bulkier than their disposable counter parts. For the early crawlers especially, it was a mission for them to get around, not to mention the elastic being too tight for the 'chubbier' of babies, or the ones that were 'between' sizes, and I wont go into the leaking issues if everything wasn't secured or folded correctly!

I think that the ambaba nappies are fantastic, especially if they are simpler to use than the ones on the market at the moment. Lots of parents I spoke to wouldn't use the reusable nappies at home because felt they were too complicated and bulky to fit under their babies clothes. Aesthetics are everything, even to a 10 month old baby it seems. So if ambaba can solve all the problems of the current reusable while injecting a seance of style and fun into the look I think that they can achieve their goal of bringing their nappies to mums across the country and persuade them to choose re-usable over disposable.

This company works well and their ideas are so successful because they take in to account all of the practicalities of a nappy. Mel and Roz have a lot of experience in the field of changing nappies, they are both mothers, due to this knowledge and having the passion to realise their vision they have the motivation to succeed.

Ambaba could be developed for use at the other end of the life scale proving that you never no who your market could include.

**Update on Ambaba - Mel is no longer with the company as she has taken up a full time position at Dundee University and Roz is now going it alone. In my above post I talked purely about Mel, as I had met her and herd her talk about the company. I have now had the opportunity to find out a bit more about Roz so here is her vital statistics Roz Henderson is a designer and fabricator with a background in film, theatre and animation. She previously lectured at The University of Northumbria and Dundee University, and was costume fabricator and sculptor on the films ‘Star Wars’ and ‘The Mummy’. Roz is also the driving force behind New Leaf Naturals - the Perthshire based ethical grocery store. www.newleafnaturals.co.uk

I wish Roz well with the project and I cannot wait to see Ambaba products in stores.

RESQROLL

What is the RESQROLL? Its a tool to aid medics or any person, to protect the spine, when trying to extricate and move an injured person, be it from car crashes or slipping and falling in the bathroom. Spinal injuries worsened by the incorrect movement of trauma victims are a real problem according to Brian Carling who invented the RESQROLL. This ingenuous invention which as Brian put it is a very simple design, and it has to be so people can use it with ease, retaining the knowledge a long period of time after training. (Brian pointed out that a doctor can louse up to 92% of skill retention after a year has elapsed from performing any given task, and here I thought it would be like riding a bike. The two years between my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees when I was out in the world gaining 'life experience' I rarely picked up a screen and a squidgy to print but I am still able to print with ease, all my tacit knowledge was retained... however this probably is not the best comparison as I am sure it takes far more skill and precision to administer injections or perform intricate surgeries than it does to print on a piece of fabric.

Brian was very professional in his talk and made a very engaging speaker, his business and design is very unique and seemed at the start of his journey to belong to a very niche market, however as it has evolved the possibilities of where this spine saving equipment could be used seem vast. Mike and Jonathan made the point yesterday that your market and target audience might not be who you think, and on reflection I guess this is what Brian was saying to, or at least that is what has happened to his business. He thought it would be used within the NHS but the armed forces have taken on the idea along with the oil industry, formula 1 and the possibility that everyone could have a RESQROLL in their boot.
I am sure the RESQROLL will continue to be a success preventing spinal trauma victims from permanent paralyzation, and for me the message is clear, that good ideas can make a difference with a lot of passion, nourishment, a bit of help and a lot of hard work.

Funding with Sara Keith

The nightmare that is the funding world was explained to us today by Sara Keith (who is a textile artist, currently finishing her PhD and she also works as a consultant on the panel for the Scottish Arts Council looking at grant applications) She was a very engaging speaker as she was able to give her advise and experiences from both sides of the proverbial funding coin. In the sense that she applied to the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) for funding for her PhD and also helps decide who should receive funding from the Scottish Arts Council.

Sara's talk has reinforced my belief that applications should be carefully checked over before submission to make sure that you are actually answering what is being asked and that it should be legible and not dogeared or late! As lets face it what sort of impression does it give off when you yourself receive something to that effect... in my case not a good one. It comes down to a trust issue and if you think someone is going to deliver or not as the case may be. Why would you give someone money when their application is late, creased and has a big coffee ring on it...? Doesn't give off the best first impression does it...? What would I do with it...? Well I have that answer, put it in the bin and not even consider them. A bit harsh I no but I think all these things come down to respect and professionalism. Last week we had a workshop on improving our CVs we were given one as an example, the credentials were impressive however it was submitted after the deadline, had a few obvious spelling mistakes, questions set were not answered correctly and over all presentation was poor. This gave me the impression that this person was unreliable and took very little pride in their work, or at least had little interest in the job they were applying for as little effort was made. So while a number of the class went on the credentials, I went on the feeling I got when looking at the presentation of the document. I wouldn't want to hire anyone who seemingly didn't take much time or effort in completing a task. Your application or CV is the first the first point of contact so it has to convey who you are and why you want to work at their company. I now understand why upon graduating and sending away what seemed like millions of CVs I got a very limited response, and all saying the same thing, thanks but no thanks. I had not tried to impress individual companies of how I could add to their team or the passion id bring for what I do, I simply sent in a list of credentials showing no personality or drive... I hope now I have had this revelation I will not fall into the same trap again... I had never considered it from the other side, I did not have the understanding to see this fact or the tools to counteract it. (the masters course is really helping me with all aspects of my professional life, I would now view myself as a designer where I never would have before... upon hearing 'that' dreaded question on meeting someone for the first time "so what do you do?" Id mumble something about working in a shop but that I had done textiles at university, but by this point the person I was talking to would have glazed over and wandered off).

As I am seriously thinking about doing a PhD it was good to have a chat with Sara after her talk about her experiences with funding, as forms like these always make me nervous, especially when having to sum up what you intend on doing in 500 words. A necessity though, as it outlines in a coherent way exactly what you want to achieve. Not only will this help the research council understand you and your work, it will help you to grab onto and be able to get across your main points. A task I struggle with, and always end up leaving something out, like last week when I was summing up my project I omitted to mention the disastrous effects the fast fashion industry is having on the world and the people producing it through every stage of production, which is why I'm doing my masters! So now I have made up a wee map of knowledge swatches at my desk which helps me to talk and think through my project in a clearer and ordered way. Something I am finding very useful as I can add notes when I find something new.

As I am moving through higher education it seems to get harder to gain funding, research has to be justified and everything down to contingency plans needs to be outlined. A far cry from when I filled in my SAAS forms for my undergraduate course, this while still an extensive form wasn't about justifying your work, it was more about showing your income or lack of it as a reason to obtain a loan and to get your fees paid (this was always seen as pretty much a certainty as long as you got your forms in on time, not like the highly competitive AHRC funding).
The competition for this scares me a lot, how do I make my proposal stand out from the crowd? With all the hints and tips from today as well as an extensive list of funding bodies and people to speak to for advice on the subject I think I will be OK. They are not scary forms trying to catch us out, just a list of questions carefully engineered to retrieve the information required to ascertain if you are an eligible candidate for funding. And at least I am aware that if I am not successful with one body their are other ones out there that I might be a better fit for me and my work.

Facilitating Communication

This morning we had a talk by Norman Alm who talked to us about his Circa project which deals with Facilitating Communication For People With Dementia Using Multimedia Technology.

Even though this is a subject matter that I am not engaging within my project this year I found his lecture to be very insightful and surprising. You never no what information you with find out when doing user studies. And indeed what insights into your own project or life you will get when reading, listening or watching something you view as totally unrelated.

This brings me on to what Hazel and Jonathan were saying about being aware and just letting yourself be subject to all sorts of things as somethings might prove to be very useful.

Something Norman said really struck a cord with me in that interaction is work, hard work sometimes... he noted in some of his user testing that stress levels went up when participants had conversations, even when that conversation was with a friend. I found this to be very enlightening and a useful piece of information. It is difficult to convey meaning when talking to someone, and sometimes the most mundane of conversations still require thought and careful execution, and as a friend told me on the way in this morning, this process can be exhausting. This answer was given when I asked how he could have stayed up so late last night watching back to back films that must not have finished till well after 1am, when at times he falls asleep when visiting me at 9pm! In response he told me that when he is on his own in his room he does not waste energy talking to anyone, so is less tired than when he is in company. That mere conversation, no matter how seemingly unremarkable actually demands a lot of energy and concentration! Just fascinating! I have now realised that I have been in the same situation. Sometimes when amongst friends I can become increasingly tired. At least now I wont seem rude or bored I can tell them they have tired me out with conversation.

The fact that interactions between people can raise stress levels is good to be aware of, especially when undertaking such tasks as cultural probes or any type of user studies. We need to be aware of the possible stress we may impart upon our users and be empathic to their needs.

Jayne Wallace-Cultural Probes

This morning we received a lecture by Dr Jane Wallace who is a contemporary jeweler working now with assimilating digital technology into her work. She currently works with Culture Lab in Newcastle.

Jayne talked to us about the cultural probes she used within her practice and gave us a really good insight into how to adapt and develop our own probes. I loved the rosettes she gave to people with first prize printed on them. She asked people to say what they would want to win first prize at. Although she later gave people a pack with second prize rosettes, I liked this even better as I feel it gives the user the chance to reveal their dreams and wishes in a more realistic setting. They might omit to mention something of great importance to them as they recognise they could never be at the top of the game, but they dream of making a positive contribution and to enjoy whatever task it is even though they no full well that it is impossible to be no1.

Whilst speaking to Jayne about my project we came up with a few cultural probe ideas. I like the idea of having a washing line set up with items of clothes attached. People can come along and choose a piece of clothing and along with this item will be given a pack of customising tools and a disposable camera and a way of recording their thoughts and feelings while interacting and wearing the item. This will either be a lining which the user could write on or perhaps a small roll of paper hidden in a pocket or attached to a label. I want to find out why people become attached to an item of clothing and why sometimes they do treat them as disposable. Is it the cost, the material, the design, the fact its a one off etc. When the week is over the user will return the garment to the washing line with their camera, their 'storey' of their attachment to it and how they have changed it and photos of how they wore it and when and the feelings that the whole experience conjured. It will also be interesting to find out if they are willing to part with the item easily or if they have grown attached to it and why they feel that is.

My first meeting with Polly

So Ive just had my first session with my new study advisor Polly Duplock. She has really helped me to focus my project and has told me about two exhibitions that I really want to go and see.

Hussein Chalayan's exhibition at the Design Museum in London. I think this will give me good insight into whats going on with fashion at the moment and where I could possibly fit into the equation.




And Donna Wilson's Escape to the Woods exhibition at the Lighthose in Glasgow. This should help me to focus on the human side of my project, Polly made the good point that it is all very well being passionate about something that has moral integrity but whatever I produce has to have a human face. Its needs to be able to speak to people and make them want to connect with it and feel that it is special and loved, if not, it might turn out to be a futile episode of gathering research and samples. I fully understand this as I received one of Donna Wilson's make your own monster kit's for Christmas and sat sewing him together on boxing day, I have yet to give him a face as want to get it just right. This is because even though unfinished I have formed an attachment and bond to this little pile of randomly stitched together swatches of fabric. I think that Donna's exhibition will reinforce to me the great need for a narrative and a storey behind an object, that an attachment for said object grows as it ages and changes. Some of my favorite possessions are the old slightly faded and worn ones. My nephews most prized possession is his bunny, (well its actually a dog, but he gets very cross when the reality is suggested) even after all the Christmas presents he received (which as you can imagine were countless) he still holds 'bunny' in higher regard than them all, despite the fact 'bunny' is faded, drawn on and lost half of his stuffing so now appears rather limp, none of this matters in fact this is probably the reason he is no1, goes everywhere with Lewis and is loved by him like part of the family. The point that I am trying to get to is that for us to care and value an object we need to feel that it is special and even if others deem it as ugly, it is beautiful and dear to us in every way.


Throughout my project I need to remember this point so I can come up with ideas that not only help ease the impact the fast fashion market has on the world but also makes people care and connect with them.

As well as visiting exhibitions I also want to meet with Helen Storey (Wonderland-'dissolving dress', below), J.R Campbell and Random International in the hope they will be able to help me understand more about the technologies I want to work with and inspire me to develop on my ideas further.


I also intend to start creating some test pieces which will help me understand the limitations of technologies available to me and how I can adapt then to suit my needs.

Communicating Culture through Making

I just went to my first Space and Place talk, a series of lunch time lectures about Communicating Culture through Making. It was given by Dr Thomas Hawson who recently completed a practice-led PhD on Contemporary Craft in Iceland.

Tom is a furniture maker interested in sustainable cultural craft and practices. He gave a refreshing insight into how he works and how the lifestyles of the people he met while in Iceland were very rich, not necessarily in the monetary sense but in actual living and knowledge. They lead a very subsistence life style, and understand how things work, which I feel give them good problem solving capabilities, so can be more self sufficient and sustainable. This notion seems almost alien in our current climate although very inspirational.

Their knowledge and heritage was reinforced by Tom's project. He encouraged the makers and crafts people he worked with to document and reflect on their practices by video, audio and imagery. Uploading them so they could be shared and discussed. Something they had never done before and were reluctant to try even though the technology was readily available to them. Perhaps they felt as though these outlets were not in keeping with traditional practices or that their was little reward for this type of documentation. However Tom uncovered that this type of working brought about great benefits. It gave these practitioners good experiences of collaboration work, physical communication and reflection. They learned how to express themselves as crafts people in their own right and found they were getting credit and positive feedback for their work, no longer did they feel second fiddle to designers. Hopefully this will mean the boundaries between craft based and pure design based subjects can be broken down and skills can be interchangeable and no one deemed better than another. A more fluid level of working can be achieved instead of hierarchical. Because the feedback he got from them was so positive and the fact they felt that these were really useful tools, reinforced to me Jonathan's points from yesterday about reflective writing and the importance of doing so. It will hopefully help me grow and learn more about myself, my craft and how to communicate my ideas with others as well as being able to understand their comments and adapt them to help with my own practice and vice versa.

Another point Tom made was that in our very British society today we tend to remove all of the 'risk' elements from children's upbringing. He showed us a group of seven year old whittling with little axes. This would never happen here as people feel the risks out weigh the benefits. If all choice and considered risk is taken out of our decision making capabilities we will not have a good perception of hazard awareness which is worrying and potentially dangerous. People could fatally injure themselves as they do not realise the risks of certain tasks hold for themselves and others. ie crossing a road/driving to fast.
I worked in a nature nursery of sorts for a year and I feel very strongly that children should be given the chance to learn things for themselves and to be able to manage their own hazard awareness, I think the Whistlebrae Nature Kindergarten near Braco in Perth (where a colleague of mine went to work) is a fantastic institute for learning, the children are outside in all weathers learning about nature and the world instead of being placed in a brightly coloured room surrounded by plastic toys(chemical leaching that may occur from these mass produced products I feel are more hazardous, than letting the children saw a piece of wood). The Brao kids sit around camp fires and have a good understanding that it would be dangerous to get too close. They are actively learning from first hand experience.

Reflective writing

So what is reflective writing? After a lecture yesterday by Jonathan Baldwin the water is slightly less muddy. Instead of sitting down and forcing ourselves to write a fantastic piece that would win the Pulitzer. We must not think about and consider every word, we must instead simply write, start anywhere about anything and as the words spill out we will eventually have something worthwhile. Or at least an accurate account of our thoughts for that day which could spark off other thoughts and ideas. So we must write these thoughts down so as they do not disappear into the ether.

I had stopped writing my ramblings over the Christmas vacation and became increasingly stuck for ideas or paths I should follow. I was back in class for a matter of hours and the ideas started to flow again. I feel this is because we were set the task of explaining our projects to Christine who will be taking us for our mindful design practice module. Even though I normally clam up and fear presentations, the challenge of putting together and telling the storey of my research(something that I am very passionate about, summed up in one minute with the aid of a few images), i found did not fill me with the usual fear and dread. Perhaps It was not the most coherent and descriptive talk I have ever given but on watching it back in the afternoon(our attempts were videoed for this purpose) I learned that actually I could do it and perhaps the massive amounts of worry stress and preparation I normally put into a talk is not always the right way to tackle public speaking. The information I need to get across is in my head I no it is their even though sometimes I find it hard to access, but with the help of a few visual aids and tangible props, public speaking can become for me in this instance more manageable.

I guess everyone is nervous or worried about how they come across and if they will be able to deliver their points clearly and interestingly giving the audience something profound or at least memorable to take away. I think the art of public speaking, as with the art of writing will come in time and I will find my own style. Johnathan says if you feel you cant wright, wright more not less, this way you will feel more comfortable with it and it will not become this big issue. The pink elephant in the corner can be dispelled with a little practice and self belief.
I myself find writing as difficult as public speaking but for different reasons, when I wright I do not no when to stop and when I speak I do not no where to start.