Boredom by Design Studies

Boredom

Boredom.

By Sam Quinn and Shanna See.

INDEX

“Boredom is not a problem to be solved. It’s the last privilege of a free mind.” (Devi, 2015)

DESIGN PROPOSITION HOW MIGHT WE PRESERVE BOREDOM? RESEARCH METHOD 1: SURVEY SURVEY SCRIPTS RESEARCH METHOD 2: SENSORY BOARD RESEARCH METHOD 3: VISUAL MAP RESEARCH METHOD 4: MIND MAP OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS FINAL CONCEPT OBJECT EXPLANATION RELATION TO SLOW DESIGN INITIAL IDEATION CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES PROCESS OUTCOME JOINT REFLECTION PERSONAL REFLECTIONS REFERENCE LIST IMAGE LIST

02 03 04 05 1 0 1 1 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 7 1 9 2 1 22 24 30 37 38 39 40

Design Proposition: How might we design to preserve boredom? Keywords: Boredom, Slow design, Sustainability, Design Activism, Wellbeing.

Slow design is a paradigm shift towards sustainability. It encourages reflection and transition from the industrial model towards a regenerative economy.

Slow design celebrates the culture of largo; slow design is beautiful; slow design is about well-being; slow design is sustainable; slow design is durable; slow design is pluralistic. Alastair Fuad-Luke

HOW MIGHT WE PRESERVE BOREDOM?

RESEARCH METHOD 1: SURVEY

Boredom has everything to do with slowing down; it forces us to take stock of what is immediately present. It is a balm to soothe anxieties created by the fast world. It decreases our desire to consume mindlessly, favoring a more sustainable, qualitative design process over more quantitative-oriented models. It makes us contemplative, attentive and patient. These are all qualities that we must reclaim in order to adopt a slow model. The term ‘boredom’ is commonly described in negative terms such as dull, tedious or depleted. Wilson et al. (2014) conducted a study that showed the extent to which people avoid boredom - many subjects preferred giving themselves electric shocks instead of sitting alone with their thoughts. Goods The first research method we engaged was and services exist as marketable solutions a simple survey. We asked a series of questions relating to boredom and interpreted to our every problem. The negative the answers through the lens of slowness connotations surrounding boredom have and sustainability. We asked what qualities made people identify something as ‘bormade it a popular target and companies ing’. Among the answers, the word ‘repetition’ in one form or another was used most seem to have succeeded in ‘solving’ it, frequently (16%). This made us think of the given that we rarely find ourselves in a text exploring object aura by Harper, K.H. (2017), which implored designers to value moment where we’re doing absolutely repetition; to design for it, not in spite of it. This sentiment brings out the parallels benothing anymore. tween our attitudes toward objects and towards boredom. Boredom is no longer the absence of stimulation; we have begun to treat mental and physical stimulations like our fast-culture belongings - in a state of constant replacement. We don’t want to do the same things knowing there are alternatives.

Our design proposition was inspired by an article in The Guardian with the compelling headline: ‘Boredom is not a problem to be solved. It’s the last privilege of a free mind’. We have surrendered a lot of our time and thoughts to every possible stimulation on offer; within our phones alone there are millions upon millions of ways to suppress boredom. Our culture has convinced us that boredom is a liability, a fatal flaw in the age of ‘productivity’. Instant gratification and ease may appear Utopian, but the price we pay is our slipping grasp on boredom. In moments of stillness and boredom, our minds become frustrated and crave stimulation. This frustration is what forces our minds to turn to introspection, contemplation, observation, and reflection.

Our reliance on our phones has a paradoxical effect. Markman, A. (2012) wrote that control is a key element of boredom, namely lack of or little control. When faced with an unpleasant situation, our typical response is to change it. Boredom occurs when we are unable to do so. This may explain several of the answers we received to the question “what is the most boring thing/activity you can think of?”. 29.5% of them were related to school (lectures, studying, etc.) and 13% about waiting (traffic jams, post offices, etc.). In situations like these, we turn to our phones because it’s the quickest fix. “This might relieve us temporarily, but it shuts down the deeper thinking that can come from staring down the doldrums” (Thompson, C. 2017). We have become lazy and unable to deal with our own frustrations.

“We’re trying to swipe and scroll the boredom away, but in doing that, we’re actually making ourselves more prone to boredom…Our tolerance for boredom just changes completely, and we need more and more to stop being bored”

(Mann, S. 2019).

INTERVIEWEE 01: JACK

What is the most boring thing you can think of? Economic and trade union reform. Why is that? It’s just not very interesting, pretty slow stuff. I guess it’s because I just don’t understand the complexity of it all. Not to say that I wouldn’t find it interesting in the future, just now. What is it that makes something boring to you? Either a lack of understanding or a lack of appeal – actually no that’s a bit vague, I think it’s just the understanding.

INTERVIEWEE 03: HARRISON

What is it that makes something boring to you? That it doesn’t align with anything I’m interested in or doesn’t deviate from the norm.

When do you find yourself being bored? My 2-hour pathology lecture.

Do you think this is generally a negative thing? No, I don’t. Why? Being bored forces you to seek something more than boredom. It isn’t a super pleasant thing, but it pushes you to do something productive.

INTERVIEWEE 02: CHRISTOPHER

What is the most boring thing you can think of? What is the most boring thing you can think of? That’s hard, maybe Ancient history. Why do you think that is? I’ve just never been interested. I think it’s because it appears useless to me, yeah. You can’t really change it or control it. When do you find yourself being bored? When you’ve got nothing to do. Are there often times when you have nothing to do? In the holidays, when I’m not working much. Any times when you enjoy being bored? After a busy patch of uni, it’s nice - winding down.

Old people (laughs). Why do you think that is? Probably because they’re not interested in the same things as you, it’s harder to keep a conversation going.

INTERVIEWEE 05: EMMA

What is the most boring thing you can think of? INTERVIEWEE 04: ALEXANDRA

What is it that makes something boring to you? When its repetitive and not intellectually stimulating. If I’m not interested in the content. Also, when I’m not good at it for a long period time. Why do you think that is? You know, when you try something new but you’re not achieving anything. I think there’s a correlation between boredom and not making any progression, a link to not getting anywhere. Think about going to the gym, when you are seeing a difference. There are elements of boredom to it but it’s not exclusive. Humans have to feel like they’re progressing with something for it to be worth it otherwise they’ll get sick of it – that’s boredom. When do you find yourself being bored? Waiting, waiting for things, ugh I hate that. Appointments, traffic - I hate waiting for traffic, generally driving, you know, stopping at a traffic light. I think were overstimulated people. We need to train ourselves to not get bored. It’s a symptom. Sometimes when reading things – not finding content interesting. Maybe some conversations (laughs). What is the most boring thing you can think of? Just like sitting, something where there’s no stimulation, or the same stimulation. Any times when you enjoy being bored? Ah, no. I think that, boredom is the antithesis of enjoyment. If I want to relax, when life is busy, I need a less stimulating environment. If I’m enjoying myself it’s not boredom its relaxing.

I was really bored today actually, driving back from Geelong, I was the passenger. You know when your driving and you get sick of music and you have nothing left to do. I find myself getting bored more often. I overstimulate myself all the time. I wake up and I gotta put on some music or an audiobook or podcast. It’s funny I got angry – “dad I have to get home – I’m so bored”. Someone called dad, to talk about arthritis and I was like thank god (laughter). We had just exhausted anything to talk about. I was so bored. Any times when you enjoy being bored? Ah not really, you know when you’re bored, and you start eating that’s pretty good. Food is quite stimulating mentally, physically especially if your making food. I don’t sit in my boredom I’ll find something to do. What is it that makes something boring to you? If it stays the same. And doesn’t continue to reengage your attention for an extended period of time. I think reaction to boredom increases in intensity with time. You start getting angry after an hour. You can be bored for a short period of time, but only if something breaks the boredom. When do you find yourself being bored? When I’ve been doing something for too long. I reckon it goes hand in hand with restlessness, if I‘m sitting or stagnant for a long period of time. Like an aversion to stagnation? I don’t think its that negative, just a desire to move around. I find actually a lot of the time its if I’m doing work or research or something. It’s intense cognitively, but your body’s doing nothing, it might be because you disengage from it, say reading because its intense and long. Anyway, we drove the scenic route, it was a really nice day, through the canola fields up near the You Yangs. If something is not aesthetically pleasing it is boring?

INTERVIEWEE 06: JACKSON

Its lack of end goal. I think of that quote by Dostoevsky, something along the lines of: The greatest punishment would be to make a man do meaningless work, over and over again. When do you find yourself being bored? When I’m alone Do you think you can be bored with others? It’s a lot harder but definitely possible. Why do u think that is? Something about doing a task with someone, there’s a solidarity. Something on your own sucks, but with someone else, something about it is nice even though it’s the same activity. What is it that makes something boring to you? Lack of stimulation. Lack of challenge. If the effort to reward ratio is too hard. Any times when you enjoy being bored? No, I think boredom for me by definition is I hate this, I want to stop this, I want to find something to do. What is the most boring thing you can think of? Totally meaningless task with no tangible result. Such as? At one of my old jobs, they asked me to do research on other companies like us to see what it is we do. I asked should I compile it into a report or presentation or something? Nup. Just do some reading, I remember thinking there is nothing in this at all.

RESEARCH METHOD 2: SENSORY BOARD

RESEARCH METHOD 3: VISUAL MAP

The next research method we engaged in was less factual, more conceptual. We decided to create visual maps illustrating boredom from our personal perspectives. We used prompts like “what color is it?” and “what properties might it possess?”. This was our way of actively engaging with boredom, attempting to make it visual and tangible. Feelings like happiness or anger have many representations (colors, songs, and even Disney characters); what if we paid boredom the same attention? REFLECTION

SAM’S INTERPRETATION OF SHANNA’S WORK

SAM’S

Many articles about boredom discuss the benefits of letting your mind wander freely. This is how I decided to approach this activity; I allowed my creativity to flow while following the key prompt of visualising boredom in mind. When I visualise boredom, I think of doodles. The kinds scribbled on notebook margins or textbook corners during especially dull classes. I forced myself to draw in silence without music in order to simulate the ‘boredom state’. I was initially stuck for ideas, trying too hard to think of what to put on the page. However, as I entered the state of seeking stimulation, the ideas began to flow easier. I found the activity quite freeing. I haven’t drawn for pleasure in a long time, the most I do is concept sketches for class. Each drawing branched out to unexpected things. (L to R) I drew shapes that reminded me of fruits and vegetables. I drew a ‘boredom’ character that was floating and eventually added a long line that made it look like the character was fishing in a pond. I drew a bunch of cubes and continuous lines because that’s what my friends and I used to do when we were bored. I find it particularly interesting that repetition and pattern were most obvious in my drawing; many people associate repetition with boredom and evidently I am no exception. Sometimes I find myself inviting repetition. It’s consistent, soothing. With our slow object,

My first impression of Shanna’s visualisation of boredom is one of a calming, happy air. Objects glow an aura, which reaches out into other objects. The patterns and characters remind me of little sketches on the margins of math books, evoking memories from the past. I ponder the relationship between boredom and nostalgia. Little sketches and doodles are unique to each person. They’re shaped by your experiences, interaction and influences. The boredom character at the top seems to overlook the complicated scene below. While everything is jumbled and abstract, things seem to work well together, creating a sense of harmony. I feel like the aesthetic styles and themes present could translate well into our design object.

In my attempt to visualise the forms and feelings that I associated with boredom, I found fluidity and process moving most into my attention. Initially, I began in drawing only in black, as I felt it was apt to keep the colours monotonous for the theme. It was at the conclusion of my sketching that I decided to add glimpses of hidden colour. This, along with the abstract processes shown, attempt to visualise the attributes of boredom. I see boredom as a process that fosters creativity and reflection. Although it may be difficult or obtuse, the end product has the potential to create beauty. There is a large presence of randomness of form, natural motions and diversions. The image resembles some kind of Rube Goldberg machine.

SHANNA’S

VISUAL

MAPPING

we might work to reorient how we perceive repetition. This ties well together the ideas of aura and quiet activism that I am interested in.

VISUAL

MAPPING

REFLECTION

I think this translates well into my experience of the unpredictability of thoughts when in a bored state. Strange thoughts jump around and clash

SHANNA’S INTERPRETATION OF SAM’S WORK • Similar to mine, I see repetition. Repeating fluid lines, the brick-like objects, the line pattern on the bottom right… • I liked the use of primary colors and ‘building’ elements (bricks, paint…); both have the theme of foundation. Boredom as a foundation for creativity? • The shapes are either basic of organic. Does boredom come with no harsh geometries? • It has a nice flow to it, the one-thing-leadsto-another nature very much reflects our train of thought during states of boredom

with other timelines in my head when I am bored. This leads me to question the temporal state of boredom. Can boredom be pinpointed, extracted or created? Perhaps this is difficult when it seems to be ephemeral and transitory.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

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RESEARCH METHOD 4: MIND MAP

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Final Concept.

The final object we present is speculative. We imagine our continued eradication of all boredom from our lives has brought us to a Huxleyan dystopia; free from boredom, saturated with distraction. Our “infinite appetite for distractions” (Huxley, 1958) has fuelled a future where people no longer understand the concept of boredom, as it doesn’t exist. It aims to prompt discourse into our relationship with boredom; how we see it and interact with it. A gap in the market!

THE OBJECT

To us, the word ‘preserve’ alludes to threat of extinction. We created a speculative design piece for the near future when boredom doesn’t exist anymore. We took a satirical approach to it, picturing boredom as a novelty item; sort of like buying fake dinosaur bones from museum gift shops. Our stand was created with lab apparatuses in mind; simple, sleek and sterile-looking. Unearthing boredom is serious business. Our capsule was inspired by Japanese vending machines that dispense capsules with toys in them (gashapon). The machines often have different themes with a set of toys; the machine dispenses them at random and consumers are urged to collect the whole set. In keeping with our theme of repetition, our version offers only one ‘toy’, presented as a ‘set’. Seeing that the biggest threat to boredom is our smartphones, our ‘toy’ is a smartphone part encased in resin (like a bug preserved in amber). The egg, made of wax, is placed on the dish and melts slowly with the heat of a tea candle. ‘Boredom’ isn’t the object inside the wax capsule, it’s in the interaction; the waiting, the repetition and delivering no more or less than what was expected.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

INSTRUCTIONS

Ever wondered what Boredom feels like? Well wonder no more, because for only $3.50 AUD, you can get one of your very own!

This is not a limited time offer, so you can do it again, and again, and again!

Simply retrieve your fragile capsule from the machine, then place it on your Boredom Stand, then light your Boredom Candle, then wait approximately Boredom ten minutes as your wax capsule slowly melts, revealing your useless Boredom object. It’s that easy!

But don’t stop there, collect all four! Which boredom will you get? Boredom, Boredom, Boredom or Boredom?

You can swap your Boredom with your friends or keep them to yourself, it’s up to you.

RELATION TO SLOW DESIGN

According to Strauss & Fuad-Luke’s slow design principles (2008).

RELATION TO SLOW DESIGN

According to Strauss & Fuad-Luke’s slow design principles (2008).

REVEAL

ENGAGE

“Slow design reveals experiences in everyday life that are often missed or forgotten” (Strauss & Fuad-Luke, 2008). Our slow object aims to reveal the experience of boredom – highlighting its attributes, as well as our interaction and attitudes towards it.

The object was crafted as a collaborative process. For the user, the object does not directly rely on collaborative processes, as boredom is often something experienced alone. But perhaps the obscurity of the object invites collaborative interaction? It provokes thought and conversation about our need for instant gratification. As a collectable object, it can be traded with others or kept for oneself; the choice is that of the user and how they want to interact with boredom.

EXPAND The presence of e-waste aims to expand the perceived functionalities and lifespans of the material. Can retired phone material act as an object of boredom rather than a product which aims to ‘cure’ boredom?

>> Excerpt from interview 06:

When do you find yourself being bored?

When I’m alone REFLECT Through its initial uselessness and obscurity, the slow object aims to induce contemplation through boredom.

Do you think you can be bored with others?

It’s a lot harder but definitely possible. Why do u think that is?

Something about doing a task with someone, there’s a solidarity. Something on your own

EVOLVE

sucks, but with someone else, something about it is nice even though it’s the same activity.

The materiality of the object continually moves forward in embracing and fostering decay, aligning the acceptance of transience and imperfection of a wabi-sabi aesthetic. The previously used and worn materials will further evolve; the black soot of the candle will stain the copper and melted wax will drip down, solidifying in stalactites, only to be deformed once more by the candle heat as the melting ritual is repeated.

PARTICIPATE The object invites the user to become an active participant in the process of melting the wax egg, and waiting, to reveal the hidden object of boredom. The aim of the roughly five minute wait time was to be long enough to be bored, yet not too long that it can be left.

INITIAL IDEATION

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES

The Process of Repetition.

SANDING THE WOODEN BASE

HAMMERING THE METAL DISH

CREATING THE WAX EGG

CREATING THE BOREDOM OBJECT

Outcome.

FINAL PRODUCT

HOW IT WORKS

JOINT REFLECTION

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

SAM

Our work seeks to engage in a different slow design narrative. One that doesn’t hide behind pretty eco-packaging; we still utilise aesthetic sensibilities, but we use it to play up an unpleasant emotion - boredom.

“They failed to take into account man’s almost infinite appetite for distractions” Aldous Huxley

Boredom shouldn’t be designed away, it should be designed for. The link between slowness and boredom was obvious to us, we agreed early on that we wanted to engage with the more unpleasant end of the sustainability spectrum. We are ruining our earth and our minds very quickly in a short span of time; the problems are too pressing, it doesn’t seem right to skirt around them. Our object doesn’t take a condescending tone. Sustainability can be a tricky topic to maneuver, aggressive approaches have caused people to become defensive and closed off. We employ humor and wit in the hopes of engaging with the user. We intend to open a conversation with the user, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. Information tends to stick better when we discover it ourselves. We engaged directly with slowness, boredom and sustainability throughout the process of creating the object. Processes were repetitive, organic and slow. Materials were upcycled, considered and treated with care. The process was aligned with the values of slow design; collaborative, pluralistic and regenerative. We found this activity extremely effective in helping us immerse in slow design. Not having to focus solely on aesthetic value allowed us to explore more avenues, enriching our understanding of slowness.

QUINN

Ridding ourselves of the traditional constraints of economic viability, feasibility and desirability, I found we were unhindered in our exploration through the fields of slow design and boredom. The removal of these frictions gave us freedom to really delve into our subject matter. What I found most interesting was the social survey method. Boredom is something very personal in the sense that it is unique for everyone. I thoughourly enjoyed discussing people’s opinions and thoughts on boredom and slowness. Getting little insights and ideas that had never occurred to me before. I think the act of starting dialogue concerning slowness is crucial in the shift towards a more sustainable society. Working with Shanna was super easy. As a collaborative project, we seemed to work quite well together, feeding each other’s trains of thought, finding interesting, novel places.

SHANNA SEE “One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress.” - Viggo Mortensen Slow design is hard to get a grasp on, one may never fully grasp it and I find that very fact liberating. A movement that deals with continuity for the future should never stop redefining itself, allowing new narratives to open up over time. I thoroughly enjoyed this project and class overall. It was refreshing to engage in a more inward process instead of the usual user-centered designs and aesthetic research. It has changed the way I approach slowness and designing; it’s very easy to get swept up in the midst of deadlines and grades, focusing on intention and process allowed me to partially block out the white noise. Sam and I had a very fun and collaborative process because our views were very aligned from the beginning. We were able to bounce ideas off each other easily; we found our process and final outcome through free-flowing discussions of ideas, each more far-fetched than the last. We took a humourous approach to this topic and our joint sense of humour fueled the entirety of our process and later on, outcome.

REFERENCE LIST

IMAGE LIST

Cheng, J. (2019). The Slow Web. Jackcheng.com. Retrieved 20 October 2019, from https://jackcheng.com/the-slowweb/ Devi, G. (2015). Boredom is not a problem to be solved. It’s the last privilege of a free mind. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/28/boredom-cures-privilege-free-mind Fuad-Luke, A. (2002). ‘slow design’ - a paradigm shift in design philosophy? Falmouth, Cornwall. United Kingdom. Harper, K. H. (2017). Aesthetic sustainability: Product design and sustainable usage. Retrieved from http://ebookcentral.proquest.com Created from Monash on 2019-02-18 14:42:11. Huxley, A. (1983). Brave new world revisited. London: Triad/Panther. Mann, S. (2016). The Upside of Downtime: Why Boredom is Good. Robinson.

Figure 1. (n.d.). I.pinimg.com. Retrieved 24 October 2019, from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/5b/0c/9a5b0ca40f70fc366d34d9b9fca46bf6.jpg

Markman, A. (2012). What is boredom? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/ blog/ulterior-motives/201209/what-is-boredom

Figure 2. Most Used Physics Lab Apparatus for School and College | Kepzone.com. (2019). Kepzone.com. Retrieved 24 October 2019, from https://kepzone.com/most-used-physics-lab-apparatus-for-school-and-college-in-bangladesh/

Packard, V. (1960) The Waste Makers. Aylesbury, Bucks, Great Britain. Hazell Watson & Viney Ltd.

Figure 3. Jewelry, B. (2014). Bugs in Amber Fossils. Barbara Michelle Jacobs Jewelry. Retrieved 24 October 2019, from https://www.bmjnyc.com/blogs/blog/14780497-bugs-in-amber-fossils

Strauss, C., & Fuad-Luke, A. (2008). The slow design principles. Proceedings of the Changing the Change, 14. Thompson, C. (2017). How Being Bored Out of Your Mind Makes You More Creative. Wired.com. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2017/01/clive-thompson-7/ Wilson, T., Reinhard, D., Westgate, C., Gilbert, D., Ellerbeck, N., Hahn, C….Shaked, A. (2014). Just Think: The challenges of the disengaged mind. Sciencemag.org. Vol. 345, issue 6192. Retrieved from https://wjh-www.harvard. edu/~dtg/WILSON%20ET%20AL%202014.pdf?utm_source=zapier.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zapier Zafarmand, S. J., Sugiyama, K., Watanabe, M., Ono, K. (2005). Exploratory Inquiry on Aesthetic Boredom and Product Replacement: An Inverse Approach to Product Aesthetic Durability (I). Japanese Society for the Science of Design. Vol. 53 No. 1. Retrieved from https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jssdj/53/1/53_KJ00004320136/_pdf (2012). The Slow Web Movement. I Done This Blog. Retrieved 28 August 2019, from http://blog.idonethis.com/theslow-web-movement/

All other photos are from our personal collection. Product photos by Nicholas Wong.

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