Reconsidered why I am here?
This is substantially the initial step of this semester to destroy my tendency to create design until now.
I went back to the time before starting this course. I applied to this course because I felt that I was like a factory machine as a designer. Technically, my skills have improved every year. However, it was difficult to make a contribution to this society as an individual designer; I was a small part of the gears of the capitalist society.
For that reason, I aim to deepen my understanding of the line of enquiry derived from my experiences growing up in Tokyo, a capital city in Japan. Moreover, I seek to visually articulate this interpretation rather than relying on verbal expression.
Initial Question:
While residing in Japan, I frequently observed a tendency for individuals to make purchases without a conscious and deliberate thought process.
For example, during my part-time job at a coffee shop ten years ago, I successfully boosted sales of products nearing expiration by strategically placing them on the pastry shelves near the till. I used the psychological strategy, in which people tend to move their eyesight like a Z shape from top-left to bottom-right.
In addition, Japan has a cultural tendency to blend in with others. For example, students wear formal uniforms until they turn 18. Even in college, where people can wear casual clothes, many dress quite similarly.
This trend extends to Fashion Buildings, where the available clothes often share similar designs. Additionally, the rapid annual shifts in fashion trends create a cycle of continuous consumption, compelling individuals to purchase new clothes each year. Failure to do so may convey to others that one is not keeping up with the latest fashion.
Consequently, in Japan, there is a prevalent perception that people buy clothes not solely for fashion but largely to conform to societal norms and expectations.
Conclusion:
There are various types of manipulation behind people’s purchasing behaviour and as an individual,
I have always lived my life trying to compete with them. Yet, as a designer, I had the contradictory feeling that I was always contributing to the Manipulation side. I started this course to face such contradictions.
Line of enquiry:
In the first step, I depict the structure which we used in Unit 2, Position, to organise how to explore this project.
For the next, I set my line of enquiry as below:
- To explore human-centred design (NOT USER-CENTRED DESIGN) that does not sacrifice the environment and animals.
- To visualise the consumption in a more transparent.
Studio Work:
The publication expresses the process from the time a pig is born until it is eaten by humans as a medium. Regarding material, it mixes tracing paper and clear film depending on the transparency of the process to consumers. Some words make the reader feel pain, particularly in the slaughter process, so I avoid using illustrations and pictures.
Feedback:
It was the first time that I succeeded in reflecting on my questioning of the visual outcome. I noticed that questioning is the starting point of all the projects, and it is important to find the most appropriate medium after that. I have the tendency to find the solution at the very beginning of the project.
This week, I used most of the time to find my question. Therefore, I could not get time to make the polished design. However, I would like to reconsider my question first, which may be more connected to consumerism rather than animal rights.