WHY LIVE SIMPLY?
VOL.2
Proposing a change in habit.
KIMBERLY A. CHACRA
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WHY LIVE SIMPLY? Vol.2 Proposing a change in habit.
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For Our Future
Contents Forward Abstract
CH. 1: PLAN OF ACTION
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CH. 2: BAHÍA DE CARÁQUEZ, ECUADOR 22 CH. 3: ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH RESULTS 40 CH. 4: EXPERIENCE PROTOTYPING 58 CH. 5: PROPOSING A CHANGE IN HABIT 64 Conclusion Acknowledgements References
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Forward Syracuse University 5th Year Industrial and Interaction Design Thesis Project A design thesis project is a capstone experience that integrates principles, theories, and methods that were learned in courses throughout my Syracuse University education. It is divided into two main parts:
Part 1: RESEARCH
(September 2013 - December 2013) Creatively analyze, synthesize and communicate results of a self-identified course of study. It is about exploring an idea using the tools I have gained as a designer, following an idea through many phases of exploration and thinking about it in as many different ways as possible. The goal is to suggest many different conclusions, but not come to any one, difinitive answer.
After four years in the Industrial and Interaction Design Program, I have learned how to solve problems. My professors have taught me to question everything. I have been dared to alter prexisting systems, challenged to be an agent for change and encouraged to propose alternative solutions. The pages that follow reflect my thought process throughout this journey.
Part 2: IMPLEMENTATION (January 2014 - April 2014)
The coherent body of exploration from part one will be interpreted in many different ways as “design� in the second phase of the thesis project. This comprehensive design research document reflects these supported ideas.
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Abstract In Part 1: Research, I questioned how we could change our habits to prevent the production of waste. I set out to discover how to live simply.
take the shape of a sphere, a more easily dispensible shape.
What better way to do that than to live how someone in a 3rd world country lives? This winter, I raised $2,500 in just 2 months and packed my bag for a 2-week ethnographic research trip to Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, a developing Eco-City.
How can we design a modification in behavior to improve our understanding of environmental sustainability?
As I returned home and back to my American ways, I couldn’t help but reflect on the habits that I had just learned from the Ecuadorians. Making our own soap using the Jaboncillo plant by soaking it in water, a process that produces zero waste, inspired me to address our current system for purchasing hygiene products. How could we improve products that we know we need and are constantly going to purchase, to produce less hazardous waste?
Design Opportunity:
Design Challenge Statement: How might hygiene product companies make it easy for young professionals to understand the steps they need to take in order to be environmentally sustainable? How can they handle their packaging and container waste, so that they may continually practice these steps in order to develop it as a habit?
Living in Syracuse, I took interest in the interactive purchasing trends initiated by Wegmans Grocery Stores. Many of their aisles feature dispensers for products like granola, coffee and candy, where the customer has many options of products to choose from, control to purchase the quantity they would like, and an intuitive system of weighing and labeling their final purchases. In order to cause someone to change their habits you must create the least amount of barriers in order for the transition to be as smooth and effective as possible.
With the use of just one machine, shampoo and conditioner can easily change its form. Thus a product known to be a liquid can now
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01 Plan Of Action
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“Luck favors the prepared.” - Louis Pasteur (French Chemist & Microbiologist)
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01 Plan Of Action Something is missing. The problem is that, “Nature, the foundation of human sustenance, no longer surrounds us, and we are challenged to value that which we no longer experience on a daily basis.” (Design For A Living World, 19) What I had yet to experience was ethnographic participatory research, an approach to exploring cultural phenomena to represent the culture of a group. Being immersed in an unfamiliar territory would forge the empathic knowledge base I needed to be exposed to. A more inclusive field study would require me to walk in the shoes of the person I was researching. Conducting an immersive case report reflecting the knowledge and system of meanings in the lives of a cultural group that wasn’t my own would be an appropriate way to do that. A trip to a landscape that I was completely unfamilar with would act as an entry point to examine diverse roles in creating a sustainable world. Upon arriving in a new country, what I explore and what I document will be beneficial for several different reasons. Photographs will not only be useful because of what they tell us about their subjects, but because of what they tell us about ourselves. The Irish proverb that reads, “You cannot understand the needs of the hungry if you yourself are full,” reminds me that I would be unable to comprehend one’s needs if I didn’t put myself in their shoes. Their condition may not be my condition. I must have empathy
while discovering if the locals of a new area live in sustainable balance with the natural world around them. Through ethnographic participatory research I aim to see first hand how different cultures solve problems with what is available to them.
‘EXPLORATORY RESEARCH’: “Exploratory research should be an immersive experience for the designer, inspiring creative momentum and empathy through intense exposure to people and products relevant to the investigation, utilizing a broad variety of diverse yet complimentary methods. Depending on the area of design, research activities should focus on understanding the nature of the users’ world, their daily life routines, challenges, needs, desires, interactions, product preferences, and environmental context and use patterns. Methods should also build a comprehensive knowledge of existing, complementary, and competitive products, systems, and spaces. Exploratory research encompasses ethnographic design methods, as well as others.” (Universal Methods Of Design, 84)
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Image: Study Abroad Trip ‘13 Coogee Beach NSW, Australia
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The Trip From December 27th to January 9th 2014, I volunteered in Bahía de Caráquez, a coastal community in western Ecuador devoted to living a sustainable lifestyle through continued environmental conservation efforts. I was lucky enough to embark on this trip with Global Student Embassy, an environmental volunteering organization that mobilizes hundreds of students to participate in local and international community development projects. In collaboration with international peers, students generate and implement powerful community-based solutions to shared ecological concerns. GSE has already helped achieve a number of unbelievable goals, including the reforestation of over 1,500 mangroves and 8,000 trees at La Punta Gorda Nature Preserve. GSE has also helped with the construction of a greenhouse used for seed propagation as well as two school gardens, now used for education and food production in the city.
In less than 2 months I was able to raise the full cost of the trip cost, $2,500. This includes airfare, food, lodging, health insurance, ground transportation and contributions to the local service effort.
I was excited to volunteer my time because it allowed me to gain ethnographic research for my Thesis Project. By going to Ecuador I was able to observe how the people of Bahía de Caráquez solved problems by using what they knew and by their local resources. I implemented various research methods once I became acquainted with the area and the people. This trip is important to me because I used this opportunity to gain rich information about sustainable agriculture while being immersed into the culture of the new environment I lived in.
GSE
Global Student Embassy
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Fundraising Methods Peers, students, professors, friends and family members joined me in supporting the work that I set out to implement in Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador.
Fundraising Methods: • • • • •
Yogurt Land Promotion Event Bobba Suite Bubble Tea Promotion Event Pasta Dinner Party Coffee Sale (Nicaraguan coffee sale provides one meal to a child at the Sociedad Amigos de Los Niños Orphanage in Honduras and $5 goes toward our work in Ecuador) • Mini Cupcake Bake Sale • Donation Letters to Family, Friends and Professors for Money Contributions
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Image: Man carrying a found mattress back to his home. Source: Mary Panella
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How do you prepare yourself to live in a Third World Country? Simply put: the best way you know how. The first step was donating over 12 inches of my hair to Locks Of Love, a public nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantages children in the United States and Canada suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. I knew we would only be allowed 2-minute military showers and with my long locks 2 minutes just wasn’t going to satisfy. Donating my hair was the first step in following a simplier lifestyle. I also received multiple vacinations and medications for preventative measures. ‘THIRD WORLD COUNTRY’ :
This term generally stands for countries that have not developed to the same levels as OECD countries, and are thus in the process of developing. ‘OECD’ : ‘The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international economic organization of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.’
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Research Kits 6 students from Syracuse University, 6 students from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry and 6 students from University of California Berkeley all signed up for Global Student Embassy’s agricultural reforestation trip to Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador. It occured to me that I could utilize the fresh, perspectives of these 18 different strangers. I knew it would be a challenge to take photos in Ecuador, an environment were I clearly stood out as a foreigner. I wanted to be safe but still gain footage. I bought mulitple disposable cameras in hopes that my fellow peers wouldn’t mind taking some photos for me through out the trip. I gave them verbal prompts once we landed in our flight transfer in Mexico City explaining to them that I would like them to take photos of things that surprised them, small fixes that Ecuardians did to make life a little easier that we have never seen before, etc. Expecting 18 strangers to do a favor for me for a duration of 2 weeks wouldn’t just happen on its own. I knew I had to express my gratitude and explain the tasks importance. I disguised this favor in a thank you tote. The tote contains items to get my peers excited about the huge adventure that we were about to embark on together. It contains practical items that one would expect to need when traveling; a metal water canteen, a camera, first-aid items, energy bars, and a pad of Post-its and a sharpie for writing thoughts of encouragment to our new travel companions. When brainstorming what I should deliver these items in I kept thinking back to a very successful example of sustainable design
achieved through the act of a change in materials. Puma approached Material ConneXion to collaborate with fuseproject and PE International to redesign the shoe box. They were searching for a more sustainable solution. They realized much to their surprise that the best solution ended up not being a box at all but a bag. Puma customers found creative ways to reuse that bag, for instance these bags work great for when apple picking. This solution saved about 3 million dollars a year just in cardboard, about 1 million litres of water, 1 million litres of diesle fuel and 1/2 a million litres of fuel oil simply by changing from a box to a bag. 1 ELIEL ANTILLA UC Berkeley
10 ELLEN KNAPPE UC Berkeley
2 EMILY BARRETT Syracuse University Geography & Anthropology
11 JEANNE MASTRANDREA SUNY-ESF Environmental Biology
3 KIMBERLY CHACRA Syracuse University Industrial & Interaction Design
12 MACKENZIE MCCOY SUNY-ESF Conservation Biology
4 BRITTANY CLIFFE UC Berkeley Earth Science
13 TOM OGASAWARA UC Berkeley Geophysics
5 SEAN COYNE SUNY-ESF Envtl. Resources Engineering
14 MARY PANELLA Syracuse University Psychology
6 WILLOW FAULKNER Syracuse University International Relations
15 MICHELLE POLIZZI Syracuse University Writing & Rhetoric
7 DARYL HARPER SUNY-ESF Envtl. Resources Engineering
16 ROBERT SWEENEY SUNY-ESF
8 TESSA JANICKE SUNY-ESF Environmental Studies
17 ANDY THOLT UC BERKELEY
9 MUNIRA KARIMI Syracuse University International Relations
18 MICHELLE WRAY UC Berkeley
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02 DESTINATION: Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador
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“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.� -Mary Anne Radmacher (Author)
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Image: Bush walk back to our home. Source: Sean Coyne
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02 Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador I lived as the locals did in order to discover first hand, how they solved problems with what was available to them. Because many locals barely have the necessities, the things they value are much different from us. For example, it wasn’t about owning the biggest house, a shack was a shack no matter what but if they could place their home on a hill, they had the opportunity to enjoy the view. i
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Image: Brittany Hurst (the University Campus Rep Coordinator for Global Student Embassy) leads the group back for lunch. Source: Sean Coyne
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Image: Our neighbor’s home. The men in this family built all of the furniture in our home (this includes 16 bunk beds). Part of their income is earned through their chicken and roosters. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Image: The view from our backyard. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Image: The trail to one of our neighbors’ homes. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Resourceful Locals are aware of their environments’ resources and take full advantage of its benefits. In solving everyday problems, Ecuadorians look to what they have in order to make their everyday tasks a little easier. For example, one of four main geographic regions of the country is known as La Sierra, or “the highlands”. It is the high-altitude belt running north-south along the centre of the country, its mountainous terrain dominated by the Andes mountain range. Through out the country are very steep hills that locals need to climb up multiple times a day. Imagine walking up this hill at least twice a day carrying your groceries. Ecuadorians learned that they could use their waste in a productive manner. These old tires serve as stepping stones along with bamboo shoots to act as a railing.
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Image: Part of the beverage selection at the main food market in Quito (The Capital of Ecuador) Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Practical Beverage companies, collect, clean and refill glass containers for reuse, instead of crushing them up and producing them again. Caring for the environment takes precident over competitive branding.
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Image: Moncho teaches us the proper way to plant trees. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Environmentally Conscious Ramon Cedeno Moncho, the Director of Global Student Embassy’s branch in Ecuador, teaches us the necessities in successfully planting trees. Over 19 tree varieties germinate in the recently constructed green house located just down the hill from our home.
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Image: Admiring the Ceibo Tree while exploring in Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador. Source: Sean Coyne
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Image: Ecuadorians take care of their environment and in return reap its benefits. This home features a garden roof and sits peacefully along the trails of the Andes Mountains.
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Image: Seed cultivation workshop on the floor of our home. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Biomimicry Seed cultivation workshop on the floor of our kitchen/entry way. We used the Jaboncillo plant to make our own soap.
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Image: Preparing the jaboncillo plant for soaking. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Beneficial One of the plants we worked with was called Jaboncillo (also known as Sapindus Saponaria). It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to North and South America. By peeling off the shell, the inner ‘seed’, which was black and marble-like in size, could be removed. The jelly-like shells were then collected in a bucket. Adding water and allowing time for them to soak allowed this mixture to turn into a liquid that can then be used as soap.
The wonderful attribute about this plant is that it is actually better than the soap that Americans typically use. The nutrients in Jaboncillo amazingly enhances the color of clothing into a more vibrant, shinnier finish. This soap can even be used to scrub and wax floors too. What amazed me most about this activity is that by having certain knowledge of the environment I was living in, I was better able to cater to my everyday needs. By caring for the Jaboncillo tree it provided us with something that greatly benefited us. The Jaboncillo pod falls off naturally from the tree and the user collects the pods. We gathered together as a group and had a great time learning about each other while completing a very simple, low labor activity. My favorite part was that we solved a human need and caused no harm to the environment in the process. In the end... nothing. Zero waste created, zero money spent and we solved a human problem.
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Image: Natural remnants of Ecuador. Source: Kimberly Chacra
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Image: The compost in our Our front yard. conveniently located Source in our front yard. Source: Tessa Janicke
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Sustainable Habits Composting is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilzer and soil. It became a daily routine and it wasn’t as gross or as difficult as I thought it would be. We simply had 2 small bins under the kitchen sink. One for compost and one for items that could not be composted, recycled or reused. We took out our small container of non-compostables (our trash) the second bin a mere two times in a matter of two weeks. Compared to my home with my family where it is typical for an American family to take out a large trash bag every couple of days and fill an extra-large trash bin every week. The key to composting is layering your food waste between other natural elements. One of the great attributes of composting is that there are different kinds of composting for a variety of environments. The point is that you use what you have to decompose your waste. For example, because we were in a dry area, our resources were twigs and leaves whereas if I was in an area where I had an abundance of sawdust or other natural material, those would be better options for a compost in that area.
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Image: Our transportation. Source: Tessa Janicke
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03 Ethnographic Research Results
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“You cannot understand the needs of the hungry, if you yourself are full.” - Irish Proverb
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Image: Inside the refrigerator Images from the of The Johnson’s Polaroid camerasZero I Waste Hometoare destributed my containers that Bea traveler companions. Johnson takes to the store in lieu of using plastic packaging. She brings one jar for meat, one for fish, one for cheese, and one for deli. The remaining jars contain fresh ingredients from the farmer’s market.
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03 Ethnographic Research Results I expected to learn a couple of things in Ecuador...but what I ended up learning greatly surprised me.
‘ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH’ : Natural resources are material sources of wealth, such as mineral deposits, forests, fresh water, living organisms, fertile land, etc. that occur in nature, have economic value and are necessary or useful for our survival. The majority of natural resources are exhaustible, which means they have a fixed quantity, and can diminish if they are poorly managed.
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What I expected to learned: • I expected to discover an awesome material that could replace plastic. • I expected my travel companions to not fully understand my prompt for what to take pictures of. • I expected them to use at least half of the exposures up. • I expected people to be interested in my research. • I expected to learn how the people of Bahia solved problems with what they had available to them. • I expected to fail at my research in certain ways.
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What I actually learned: • I learned that it doesn’t hurt to be friendly. • I learned that when researching in another country you are going to want to take photos. But I didn’t realize how obvious it was that I wasn’t from that culture and how much I stood out. • I learned that you don’t need very much at all to survive. • I witnessed how life would function if I lived in a community. • I learned that I can push myself out of my comfort zone and be successful. • I wasn’t expecting to see so many creative uses for things that were considered to be trash. • I learned that our recycling system can be so different and function so much better because it is functioning that way so well in another area. • I learned that since they are living in very similar circumstances as their neighbor and have the same struggles, they all learn from each other and all know the little fixes that can help them get what they need. (like the tires) • I learned that having access to a breathtaking view is considered more valuable than living in a big fancy house. • I learned how to make the best of every situation. • I can learn something from anyone/ everyone. We all have different experiences. (Learned from Mackenzie about the project in Africa.) • I learned that safety isn’t much of a concern. 15 month old is sitting in lap of mother in front seat of truck. • During the ‘To Hell With Good Intentions’ Workshop I learned to not impose. ‘Their condition may not be yours.” Don’t assume. Observe first.
• I learned about seed propagation. There were about 10 different kinds of seeds that we worked with. The seed I was assigned to was a pretty interesting plant. • I learned that journaling was extremely helpful. I included a lot of details in my journal that I otherwise would have forgotten about. • During the New Year’s Ano del Vieho I learned to let things go. Burn them. It is in the past. • I learned about strength in community in ‘Taking Root’ the movie. • I learned abour waste management and maintaining a proper food inventory throught the women who cooked for us and her granddaughter (chef and su chef). Lucus: ‘Do you know how to cook for 20+ people?” Rosa: “That is what I do everyday.” • I learned: What is the best part about a road trip? A road soda. (A beer to go) • I wasn’t expecting to be able to communicate so much without speaking at all. • I learned that a smile is universal. • I learned that the disgusting herbal supplement that Lucas gave me saved me life. • I didn’t expect to over come such huge battles. (Getting over being the sickest I have ever been, learning how to mountain bike, traveling alone, etc.) • I didn’t know I was that strong.
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Design Opportunity As I switched my habits back to the American ways, I couldn’t help but reflect on the habits that I had just learned from the Ecuadorians. Making our own soap using the Jaboncillo plant by soaking it in water, a process that produces zero waste, inspired me to address our current system for purchasing hygiene products. How could we improve products that we know we need and are constantly going to purchase, to produce less hazardous waste? How might we make one slight change in our behavior to improve our understanding of environmental sustainability, highlight the importance of caring for our Earth’s resources and lead to drastic improvements for the care of our environment? Taking inspiration from Third World Countries: How might we imagine purchasing and using hygiene products in the future? How might we take inspiration from Third World Countries to imagine how we can sustainably purchase hygiene products in the future?
and using hygiene products is discovered some things. For example, I questioned what is the relative impact of any part of the whole? Time is an issue-- not every person who uses these products is involved in the whole process. Goals: - Give brands a surface to brand on (don’t take away their identity, provide them with a sustainable way to highlight it.) - Must keep product fresh - Eliminate at least one layer of packaging? - How can I make packaging visually appealing and attractive yet sustainable and not distract from the brand that its sustainable or maybe highlight it? hmm - It needs to make action happen. Anaylzed the most successful soap brands. Thought of many different materials I could use for the packaging. Analyzed the various forms that hygiene products come in: solids, gels, sprays/airosols, liquids, cream, foam, powders, oils, and other (dental floss, whitening strips). I also looked at the various types of containers these products are delivered in: boxes, bags, paper, cans, bottles, tubes, etc. And what materials those containers were made of.
Challenge: Think about ways to get hygiene products (body soap) from where they are made to the customer’s home (main location of use). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) = which assesses the environmental impact of a product from cradle to grave. In mapping out the U.S. experience of buying
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IN ORDER TO CHANGE A HABIT...
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YOU MUST CREATE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF BARRIERS OF CHANGE IN ORDER FOR THE TRANSITION TO BE AS SMOOTH AND EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
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Narrowing The Scope: THIS WASTE POLLUTES OUR EARTH
ENVIRONMENT
LIVE SIMPLY
RESOURCES
LIFESTYLE CHOICES (HABITS) HUMANS CORPORATIONS/ COMMERCIALISM/ CONSUMERISM
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*OPPORTUNITY = THE WAY WE PACKAGE OUR PRODUCTS CREATES A LOT OF WASTE
*OPPORTUNITY = THE CHOICES WE MAKE
OFFICE SUPPLY FURNITURE
HOMEGOODS
TOYS
OPTIONS = TYPES OF PRODUCTS WHERE THEIR PACKAGING COULD BE LESS WASTEFUL:
HYGIENE PRODUCT PACKAGING
* HOW MIGHT WE IMPROVE A SYSTEM THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SALE OF PRODUCTS THAT WE KNOW WE NEED AND WILL CONTINUE TO NEED?
AMAZON SHIPPING ELECTRONICS
COSMETICS
FOOD
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DESIGN CHALLENGE STATEMENT:
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HOW MIGHT HYGIENE PRODUCT COMPANIES MAKE IT EFFORTLESSLY EASY FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO UNDERSTAND THE STEPS THEY NEED TO TAKE IN ORDER TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN HANDLE THEIR PACKAGING WASTE, SO THAY THEY MAY CONTINUALLY PRACTICE THESE STEPS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP IT AS A HABIT?
‘HABIT’ : A habit is a routine in behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously. lix
04 Experience Prototyping
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“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.” - Chinese Philosopher , Lao Tse IDEO p.2
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Image: Mapping out the schematics of hair care product shelf realty space. Source: Roseda Lo
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04 Experience Prototyping Mapping out the schematics of hair care product shelf realty space. Because we must not forget, “Information becomes more vivid and engaging when it resonates with personal experience.� (IDEO, p. 2) Many rounds of prototyping and testing lead to the creation of Schema. Through various rounds of prototyping I realized that I had a huge opportunity to create an experience that was so compelling that it would hide that fact that there were perhaps a few more steps in the process of purchasing hair care products. Overall this new habit would prevent the product of containers designer for a onetime-use of plastic that causes extreme damage to out environment.
Although this issue I’m after to solve is aextremely important and affects everyone, that is not enough to create changes in our failing habits. This is where design comes in. Design is an opportunity to beautifully present information in a compelling experience...if done effectivelly.
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Form Studies First approaching the problem of transporting hair care product in a ill-efficient manner led me to address that if I changed the form of the actual product, perhaps transporting it would be easier. So I thought...what if shampoo was delivered in the container that the ingredients came in? For example, if the product had coconut milk in it what if it was served in the shell of the coconut. Thus...it would utilize the product’s whole (both inside and outside) and it would emilimate the time, energy, cost, resources and labor involved in producing massive amounts of plastic containers.
utilized for centerpiece displays for weddings and other occasions. More on that on the next page. All of these approaches highlighted that the importance should weigh more on the actual product that the user is purchasing rather that the importance of branding on packaging and containers that sques the customers perception of what they are really purchasing. The current system acts in just this way.
In my next study I took a look at soap to analyzed various options for how the experience of using hand soap or body soap could change in order to improve how we care for our environment. Another study, investigated how bubble tea boba (spheres of juice that add to the experience of drinking tea or smoothies). The production process of creating these juice balls uses just one machine. I decided to try this out my self. I injected soap into these silicon like shells that dissolve when rubbed together. Another study looked at anything that comes in a small solid shape that later turns into a jell or liquid when pressure is added. For example, gummy candies. Upon this study I discovered water beads. Water beads are extremely small beads (sprinkle size) that when dropped into a container of water, will absorb the water and turn into water spheres. The main application of these beads is to display your plants or candles in, mainly
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Image: Water beads, before water is added and after water is added.
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Feasibility With the use of one machine, we can turn shampoo and conditioner, a product known to be a liquid, into a sphere, an easily dispensible shape.
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Image: Wegman’s dry foods aisle. Source: Wegman’s
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Target Audience/Location Living in Syracuse, I took interest in the interactive purchasing trends initiated by Wegmans. Many of their aisles feature dispensers for products like granola, coffee, candy, etc. where the customer has many options of products to choose from, control to purchase the quantity they would like, an intuitive system of weighing and labeling their final purchases.
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Image: Initial ideation for design of shower experience.
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Image: Analyzing the level of use of the 5 senses in the current system of purchasing shampoo and conditioner and what the ideal future experience would measure up to be.
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Steps Of The System V.1 Now that the user, stakeholders, and environment were solidified the design experience could be solidified. What would it be like to re-imagine the future of purchasing haircare products? How would the experience change? We must remember that 10 cents of every dollar we spend is used on packaging. What if we maximized on the new trend of using refillable containers instead of buying plastic containers every single time we needed shampoo or conditioner? We could have a beautifully designed container that we live with. Part of the success of establishments like Subway, Chipotle and YogurtLand comes from the user experience. Chipotle is a mexican food restaurant where you walk down the kitchen prep counter and name the ingredients you would like on your burrito. It is made fresh for you and you can see it being made, same with Subway and their sandwhich assembly line. YogurtLand is slightly different in that you have more control over the portions that you would like. For instance, you grab a cup and dispense various frozen yogurt flavors into your cup. Next your take your frozen yogurt and add which ever toppings you would like from the toppings bar. This type of user experience maximizes on the experimentation, the user is more open to trying new things because they only have to buy a very small amount of it. This highlights the product rather than how the product is delivered. Because in reality that’s all we really need. Right?
10¢
of every dollar we spend is used on packaging.
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Steps Of The System V.2 Scaling the model up to lifesize allowed for user testing. A very important part of the design process that allows for the system to actually be tested again and again. At this stage the steps are physically numbered. Addressing the need for the final design to be so intuitive that labels would not be needed.
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Image: Initial ideation for design of purchasing experience.
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User Testing By having various strangers walk through this experience, I discovered what aspects were important, which were not, which were being ignored and other that just weren’t of value at all to the user experience. For example, through various people testing this prototype, I realized the order of the steps within the system needed to changed.
‘INFORMANCE’ : Informative performance. ‘BODY STORMING’ : Physical situated brainstorming.
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Image: Initial ideation for design of system functionality.
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Image: Sketches of store dispenser functionality.
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Image: Logo development.
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05
Proposing A Change In Habit
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“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.� - Albert Einstein
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05 Proposing A Change In Habit As I switched my habits back to the American ways, I couldn’t help but reflect on the habits that I had just learned from the Ecuadorians. Making our own soap using the Jaboncillo plant by soaking it in water, a process that produces zero waste, inspired me to address our current system for purchasing hygiene products. How could we improve products that we know we need and are constantly going to purchase, to produce less hazardous waste?
THE 5Rs :
1. Refuse what you do not need. 2. Reduce what you do need. 3. Reuse what you consume. 4. Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse. 5. Rot (Compost) the rest.
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Image: Schema pop-up display in Wegman’s haircare aisle.
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Schema Schema is a sustainable way to purchase hair care products. • It prevents the excessive production of one-time-use containers. • It utilizes plastic as a long term investment for grocery store dispensers. • Its’ containers also refillable cartridges for shampoo and conditioner. Adapting a habit of reuse allows the user to follow a path to a more sustainable lifestyle. Schema allows for our cleanliness to take precident and our environment to take precident.
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Image: Schema homeshower shampoo and conditioner dispenser.
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Schema This system works by utilizing the containers as cartridges for refilling your supply into your home dispenser that is in the process of being fabricated.
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Image: Schema pop-up display in Wegman’s haircare aisle.
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Schema A slight change in behavior can lead to drastic improvements for the care of our environment. The Schema system is a solution that allows for our cleanliness to take precident AND our environment to take precident.
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Conclusion By exposing our inefficient ways of living I learned that we have to recognize and admit to ourselves, that if our actions are not helping us to live healthier, better lives, than we need to change our habits. Something that has always stood out to me is how much we as a culture consume and waste. We are far beyond the point of making sustainable decisions an option. It is now an obligation and priority to our world. “Nature doesn’t have a design problem. People do.” (Cradle to Cradle,16)
Going from country to country finding solutions for how they can use their land’s natural treasures in the best way possible. I hope to connect people back to the roots of how their belongings were made.
We no longer have the option to choose whether or not to care for our environment. That is why I strongly believe: It is a designer’s responsibility to choose environmentally appropriate materials that support, rather than deplete our world’s natural resources. Successfully communicating our Earth’s dire need for a change in human habit emphasizes our obligation to modify how we currently misuse our inventory of materials. By participating in ethnographic research in Ecuador I saw first hand how different cultures solve problems with what is available to them. I propose a shift in our current way of functioning to access our ideal capabilities and minimize the human footprint while doing it. So back to the question that directed me from the very beginning: what do I want to know how to do better? Through travel, I hope to learn how to find appropriate applications for a specific area’s resources.
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Acknowledgements I would like to extend my gratitude to the following people who contributed to the creation of this book: Most importantly I would like to thank my mother, my father and my sisters, Stephanie and Danielle who consistently act as my backbone and support system. I would also like to thank: Barnett Klane, Nina Morrissey, Roseda Lo and Tate Chow. who have supported me throughout this journey.
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REFERENCES: Books “Natural medicine—or nutritional medicine—works by treating the whole body as a system.”
Bowden Ph.D., C.N.S., Jonny. The Most Effective Natural Cures On Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What Treatments Work and Why. Massachusetts: Fair Winds Press, 2011. Print. “Imagine what a world of prosperity and health in the future will look like, and begin designing for it right now. What would it mean to become, once again, native to this place, the Earth—the home of all our relations? This is going to take us all, and it is going to take forever. But then, that’s the point.”
Braungart, Michael. Cradle To Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things. New York: Allyn, 2002. Print. “As an exploration, research is purposefully flexible, meaning divergences from planned protocols and the collection of information from spontaneous interactions and observations are encouraged.”
Hanington, Bruce; and Martin, Bella. Universal Methods Of Design. Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, 2012. Print.
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“It is therefore ‘better that the material speaks than that we speak ourselves’. This denial of the self and of emotional introspection conveys a canonically modern sensibility toward function and away from the obfuscating potential of art, or the privileging of the ego.”
Hemmings, Jessica. The Textile Reader. London: Berg, 2012. Print. “Telling stories is about transforming the stories we heard during research into data and information that we can use to inspire opportunities, ideas, and solutions.”
IDEO and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Human Centered Design: An Introduction 2nd Edition. Chicago: AuthorHouse, 2011. Print. “Caring for our future means caring for our past and understanding the basic components of our existence—air, water, the food we eat. But importantly, understanding needs to enter the equation; it is the missing link in the ecology of the planet.”
Kostigen, Thomas M. You Are Here: Exposing The Vital Link Between What We Do And What That Does To Our Planet. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2008. Print.
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REFERENCES: Books “Professor Keen might have thought I was crazy, but he didn’t assume I was joking.” - William ‘Bing’ Gordon
Lingwood, Dave; Nemtin, Ben; Penn, Duncan; and Penn, Jonnie. What Do You Want To Do Before You Die?. New York: Artisan, 2012. Print. “For the human race to thrive, we must choose to preserve and respect the natural world upon which we all depend.”
Lupton, Ellen and Miller, Abbott. Design For A Living World. New York: Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Smithsonian Institution, 2009. Print. “A good design is one that changes customer behavior for the better.”
Ries, Eric. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. New York: Crown Business, 2011. Print.
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“Good design will inevitably call for a reevaluation of needs. It will also introduce new behavorial patterns.�
Vivaldi, Gabriella. MATTER. New York: Material ConneXion, 2013. Print.
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REFERENCES: Articles “...the role of the designer is not to ‘create meaning, but rather to render meaning apparent’.”
Bao, Mingxin; Delong, Marilyn; and Wu, JuanJuan. “May I Touch It?” Textile. Volume 5. (2007): 34-49. Print. “He created, at a monumental scale, an impeccably balanced system of shapes and of force relations that at the same time propitiated the interplay of tensions that produced an alarming instability. It was also an entirely carnal, sensual, and quasierotic work of art.”
Benko, Susana. “Ernesto Neto: Leviathan Thot.” Art Nexus. Volume 6 Number 64 (2007): 90-1. Print. “However, material culture, as the name would imply, centres ‘on the idea that materiality is an integral dimension of culture’, and that ‘the study of the material dimension is as fundametal to understanding culture as is a focus on language’.”
Bristow, Maxine. “Continuity of Touch—Textile As Silent Witness.” (2011): 44-51. Print.
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“Consequently, beyond selecting a material that meets a functional need, designers started to raise questions regarding the meanings that materials express: It is luxurious? Is it convenient for a cozy and friendly room? The problem however is that meanings do not (always) seem to be properties of materials; the same material may represent different meanings under different conditions. In order to convey their intentions properly, designers must understand how a material acquires its meaning and what kind of variables play a role in this process.”
Hekkert, Paul and Karana, Elvin. “User-Material-Product Interrelationships in Attributing Meanings.” International Journal of Design Volume 4 Number 3. (2010): 43-52. Print. “The eye is the usual route for incoming data.”
Mensing, Margo. “Touching is Believing.” The Presence of Touch: Art Institute of Chicago: Fiberarts. Vol.24 (1997): 45-50. Print.
“Now we are aware of very little, if any, of the making of the things we need. It happens elsewhere, often overseas. We are able to have many things because they don’t cost what they would if we ourselves were the makers.”
Scanlan, Joe and Stockholder, Jessica. “Art and Labor: Some Introductory Ideas.” Art Journal. Winter. (2005): 50-51. Print.
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REFERENCES: Articles “Humans have been weaving fabrics since the dawn of civilization, but researchers around the world are now cooking up myriad new textiles capable of containing explosions, protecting astronauts, thwarting bacteria and even keeping buildings standing during earthquakes. These new fabrics are also finding more commonplace uses, such as helping to keep people cool in the heat or ensuring that clothes stay clean and smell fresh.”
The Economist. “High-tech Fabrics: Material Benefits: Advances in seemingly mundane textile technologies promise to make the world a safer place—using a variety of tricks.” Technology Quarterly. Q3 (2013): 1-5. Print.
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REFERENCES: Videos TEDxTC Talk: How to live to be 100+ By: Dan Buettner “The fact that this culture has yielded these numbers suggests strongly they have something to teach us.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_buettner_how_to_live_to_be_100.html TEDxEQChCh Talk: Want to help someone? Shut up and listen! By: Ernesto Sirolli “If people do not wish to be helped, leave them alone. The first principle of aid is respect.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/ernesto_sirolli_want_to_help_someone_shut_
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“It is going to take us all, and it is going to take forever. But then, that’s the point.” Cradle To Cradle By: William McDonough & Michael Braungart
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NOTES:
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