FINAL YEAR PROJECT PROPOSAL
SUBTRACT TO ADD LIVING WITH MINIMALISM
PREFACE This proposal is wrtten by me, Tan Luting, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Jesvin Yeo from the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The following pages contain information on my area of interest for my Final Year Project which is due to be completed in May 2013. This proposal also explains my motivation, aims and objectives for the project as well as a brief literature review on the proposed topic. I would like to thank Assistant Professor Jesvin Yeo for her help in the idealization of this project and her valuable opinions.
CONTENT Section I: Project Motivation, Problem Statement, Research Question Section II: Research Methodology, Literature Review Section III: Schedule, Bibliography, Annex
SECTION I - Introduction to Topic - Project Motivation, - Problem Statement, - Research Question
“Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.� - Lao Tzu
PROJECT MOTIVATION Advertisements always tell us that to be happier, we need to buy more things. It seems to many people that a happy life is defined by the ability to own as many things as possible. However, research findings showed otherwise. In 2006, the Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey studied the stress level of wealthy business owners around the world, the result indicates that almost 57% of the rich showed high level of stress. The survey also ranked Singapore the 6th most stressful nation among the 30 countries surveyed. As mentioned earlier, stress poses a threat to our welling-being, and, in other words, happiness. Hence, to reduce stress is an important step towards happiness. My aim of this project is to explore ways to reduce stress and to increase happiness. I would like to propose an alternate lifestyle to replace the common materialistic lifestyle and attitude in our society. Minimalism falls on the other end of the spectrum as opposed to Materialism. Minimalism is a philosophy and a lifestyle which is the exact opposite of Materialism. To Minimalists, true happiness can only be found within priotization and subtration. Through this project, I would like to explore the possiblity of using Minimalism as a tool to reduce the stress level in Singapore.
Minimalist Living Space designed by Mobil Fresno
PROBLEM STATEMENT Consumerism interferes with the workings of society by replacing the normal desire for an adequate supply of life’s necessities with an artificial and insatiable quest for material success. Stress is a product of the pursuit of materialism.
OBJECTIVE To promote minimalist living in Singapore so as to reduce stress and improve the quality of life of the people.
RESEARCH QUESTION Can minimalist living improve the quality of life?
SECTION II - Research Methodoloy - Literature Review
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Mainly qualitative research methodology will be used in this project. It is because the subject I am investigating is on lifestyle and philosophy which cannot be expressed in numbers.Data are not inherently quantitative, and can come in the form of words, images, impressions, tones and gestures. Possible ways of data collection include participant-observation, natural experiment, case study, content analysis and secondary analysis. 1)Participant-Observation: To immerse myself in a group of people without revealing my purpose and observe their behaviors, impressions and gestures to study the effects of minimalism on them. 2) Natural Experiment: Split a group of people into 2 groups of people with similar backgrounds. One group will be the control group, while the other will undergo a series of experiment studying how minimalism affect the way they feel and the way they perform certain tasks, and then compare the results with that of the control group in order to draw conlusions. 3) Case Study: Data Analysis based on blogs and interviews of people living a minimalist lifestyle 4) Content Analysis and Secondary Analysis: Rely on journals and books as well as relevant research data collected by experts.
Is happiness relative to financial gain?
LITERATURE REVIEW
1)Lottery winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? (1978) Brickman P, Coates D, Janoff-Bulman R studied the relationship between financial achievement and happiness. The researches hypothesized that happiness level does not increase as much as expected based on Adaptation level theory. In theroy, contrast with the peak experience of winning a large sum of money should reduce the impact of ordinary joy and happiness, while habituation would cause the new pleasures from winning diminish. Study 1 compared a sample of 22 major lottery winners with 22 controls and as well as a group of 29 paralyzed accident victims. As hypothesized, lottery winners were not happier than controls and felt significantly less pleasure from a series of mundane events. The findings from this research poses a question to ourselves: If money cannot bring us more happiness, shouldn’t we free ourselves from the pursuit of money, but instead, live a simple, modest minimalist lifestyle which brings out the essence of happiness?
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008 How does materilism make us less happy? If so, what can we do to make ourselves less materialistic?
LITERATURE REVIEW
2) The High Price of Materialism (2002) Tim Kasser gives a scientific explanation of how our consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health. Other scholars have found out that once we have sufficient food, shelter, and clothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. Kasser goes beyond these findings to investigate the relationship between materialistic desires and well-being. He shows that people whose values center on the accumulation of wealth or material possessions face a greater risk of unhappiness, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and problems with intimacy—regardless of age, income, or culture. Based on empirical data collected in 10 years’ research, Kasser examines the consequences of organizing our lives around materialistic pursuits. He studies the effects of materialism our internal experience and interpersonal relationships, as well as on our communities and the world at large. He shows that materialistic values actually undermine our well-being, as they perpetuate feelings of insecurity, weaken the ties that bind us, and make us feel less free. Kasser not only defines the problem but proposes ways we can change ourselves, our families, and society to become less materialistic.
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008 If living a minimalist lifestyle means we can focus more on meaningful experiences, will it make us happier?
LITERATURE REVIEW
3) To Do or to Have? That Is the Question (2003) Van Boven & Gilovich investigates whether experiences or processions make people happier. In two surveys, respondents from various demographic groups indicated that experiential purchases—those made with the primary intention of acquiring a life experience—made them happier than material purchases. In a follow-up laboratory experiment, participants experienced more positive feelings after pondering an experiential purchase than after pondering a material purchase. In another experiment, participants were more likely to anticipate that experiences would make them happier than material possessions after adopting a temporally distant, versus a temporally proximate, perspective. The discussion focuses on evidence that experiences make people happier because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are a more meaningful part of one’s identity, and contribute more to successful social relationships. These research findings tell us that happiness is not based on material possession, but rather, meaningful life experiences. It is suggested that minimalism can be a possible solution to stress arised from the desire for material possession, as being minimalist frees a person from material pursuit so that the person can focus on meaningful life experiences instead.
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008 Minimalist Collin Wright and all his possessions
LITERATURE REVIEW 4) Reducing the worthless Colin Wright is a traveler, entrepreneur and author who actively seeks an alternate lifestyle that brings true happiness. In order to search for true happiness, he conducted an experiment on himself on how minimalism can affect his life. Having sold most of his possessions and travelled and worked in many countries and regions far away from his home, he realized that most of his possesions are not needed. His extreme case of ‘stuff reduction’ was an experiment done to see which possessions he can live without and for how long; the real purpose is to reduce the worthless while increasing the amount of value he is able to put out and the happiness he is able to experience. Getting rid of attachments to material possessions makes him freer and he felt less burden in his life. However, he also stressed that “the point is not getting down to the bare minimum, it’s about streamlining and refocusing your resources on the things you’re most passionate about.” He said, “What minimalism is really all about is reassessment of your priorities so that you can strip away the excess stuff, the possessions and ideas and relationships and activities that don’t bring value to your life.” From Wright’s experience, we can see not only the potential of using minimalism as tool to reduce stress and increase happiness, we can also see the potential of using minimalism as tool to improve productivity as being a minimalist involves priotizing the important while eliminating the not so important. This can definitely be one way to improve productivity.
Attachment is the root of unhappiness, letting go sets us free.
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008
LITERATURE REVIEW 5) Minimalism and Freedom: In Rob Dee’s Minimalism and Happiness – A Perspective, he talks about the Minimalism in the spiritual realm. According to the Buddhist notion of Impermanence - the existence of materials is dependent on external conditions. Everything is in constant flux, and so things are constantly changing. Things are constantly coming into being, and ceasing to be. Nothing lasts forever. Hence, the attachment of things is the root of unhappiness. In contrary, People feel free from the worries of acquiring and maintaining things that they do not really need. To many people who live a minimalist lifestyle, minimalism is about being able to move. Minimalists are able to go almost anywhere at any time because they do not have many possessions to carry and they are not tied to possessions. When people start keeping things they do not need, the unneeded things become a burden that tie the owner to a place. Attachment to too many objects create clutter and can severely hinder our freedom to experience memorable life experiences, whereas minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, meditate, work, expand, be debt free, be healthy, in other words, really living life to our full potential.
Zen values emptiness and experiencing life in quietness.
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008
LITERATURE REVIEW 6) Janpanese Zen philosophy The concept of Minimalism is often associated with the Janpanese Zen (or Chan Buddhism) philosophy. Zen is about reducing Sufferings and increasing happiness, Sufferings arise from the inability to let go of attachments. When a person is occupied by attachments to things, the focus of a person is scattered, and it creates chaos. The core value of Zen is simplicity and the letting go of attachments to material things. Believers in Zen generally live a simple, non-materialistic lifestyle. The freeing of themselves to materials allow them more room and space for meditation, to listen to their inner voice, to understand the cosmic laws and to achieve enlightenment. The Zen philosophy has also influences the Japanese aesthetic principles, The Japanese aesthetic principle of Ma appreciates empty or open space. Ma requires the removal of all the unnecessary internal walls and opens up all the space between interior and exterior. The Japanese sliding door is a form of manifestation of Ma. The Japanese philosophy of Wabi values the quality of simple and plain objects. The absence of unnecessary features allows people to view life in quietness and the most innate character of matierials is therefore revealed. For example, the Japanese floral art requires the removal of unncessary parts of a flower to reveal the most beautiful part of the flower. From a designer’s point of view, it is worthwhile to examine how Minimalism is manifested in aethestics and visual styles
A poster by Muji’s Ceative director, Kenya Hara
Chen Wenling, God of Materilism, 2008
Muji’s clean, minmalist design has a earthy feel to it.
LITERATURE REVIEW
7) The art of selling Minimalism Inspired by Japan’s Zen philosophy, Muji is an outstanding example of how minimalism can be incorporated into commerical design. Muji's full name, Mujirushi Ryohin, translates into "no-brand quality products." Muji’s brand philosophy is all about products that are simple and functional. However, Muji isn't just another generic brand. Its post-industrial designs tap into the less-is-more esthetic visible in Japan's temple gardens and haiku. The packaging design of Muji is also in the forefront of the area in the world. The whole design is succinct and simple, representing a new philosophy of life and advocates the simple living style. In “MUJI Packaging Design Features of Minimalism”, the reseracher attempts to analyze the non-substantial aspects and visual transmission of modeling by analyzing the cultural background of the Muji.The success of Muji shows us the potential of integrating minimalism in our daily life without sacrificing comfort. It also offers insights on how a designer can translate minimalism into aesthetically appealing commercial designs.
SECTION III - Schedule - Bibiliography - Annex
SCHEDULE March-April 2012: Idealization, Drafting of Proposal 17 April 2012: Submission of Proposal May 2012: Discussion on topic and direction with FYP supervisor June-July 2012: Background Research on Topic, Content Analysis and Secondary Analysis Early Aug 2012: Confirmation of FYP topic; First presentation on Project direction Second half of August 2012: Preparation for Experiments September 2012: Conducting Experiments, Gathering data First week of October 2012: Drafting/Amendment to Survery Questions Second week of October 2012: Conducting Survey Second half of October 2012: Data analysis, Conducting additional experiments or surveys if needed
First Week of November2012: Idealization of Final Outcome Second Half of November2012: Research on Materials and mediums, Initial Mockups December 2012 School Holiday First Week of January 2013 Presentation on Final Outcome Mockups Second Week of January 2013 Adjustment to mockups if needed Second Half of January 2013 Completion of Final Outcomes First Half of Feburary 2013 Improvement on Final Outcomes First Draft of FYP Report Second Half of Feburary 2013 Improvement on Final Outcomes Second Draft of FYP Report March 2013 Finalize Final Outcome Third Draft of FYP Report Prepartion for FYP Presentation Final Draft of FYP Report First Week of April 2013 Submission and Presentation
BIBLIOGRAPHY Books 1) Kasser, Tim. The High Price of Materialism. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print. 2) Wright, Colin. How to Travel Full Time. Kindle, 2011. Electronic. 3) Babauta, Leo. The Effortless Life: A Manual for Contentment, Mindfulness, & Flow. Kindle, 2011. Electronic. 4) Babauta, Leo. Focus: A Simplicity Manifesto in the Age of Distraction. West Valley City, UT: Waking Lion, 2011. Print. 5) Babauta, Leo. The Power of Less:The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential- in Business and in Life. New York: Hyperion, 2009. Print. 6) Babauta, Leo. Zen Habits: Handbook for Life : Hundreds of Tips for Simplicity, Happiness and Productivity. West Vally City, UT: Walking Lion, 2009. Print. 7) Kanai, Masaaki. Muji. New York: Rizzoli, 2010. Print. 8) Fowler, Merv. Zen Buddhism: Beliefs and Practices. Brighton: Sussex Academic, 2005. Print. 9)Obendorf, Hartmut. Minimalism: Designing Simplicity. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print. 10)Pasztory, Esther. Teotihuacan: An Experiment in Living. Norman: University of Oklahoma, 1997. Print.
11) Edwards, Jane, and Andrew Wood. Asian Elements: Natural Balance in Eastern Living. London: Conran Octopus, 2008. Print. Journals: 12) Brickman, Phillip, Dan Coates, and Ronnie Janoff-Bulman. "Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 8th ser. 36 (1978): 917-27. American Psychological Association. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. <http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=198001001-001>. 13) Boven, Leaf Van, and Thomas Gilovich. "To Do or to Have? That Is the Question." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 6th ser. 85 (2003): 1193-202. Print. 14) "MUJIâ&#x20AC;? Packaging Design Features of Minimalism." Philosophy and Humanities Research Paper (2012). P-papers. Web. 7 Apr. 2012. <http://www.p-papers.com/46503.html>. Website: 15) Wright, Colin. "Colin Is My Name. What's Yours?" Colin Wright. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://colingwright.com/>. 16) Dee, Rob. "Minimalism and Happiness - A Perspective." HubPages. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://robdee.hubpages.com/hub/Minimalism-andHappiness-A-Perspective>. 17) Williams,Vanessa. "Living with Less: An Interview with Minimalist Ryan Nicodemus." A Simple Good Life. 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Apr. 2012. <http://asimplygoodlife.com/2012/01/11/living-with-less-aninterview-with-minimalist-ryan-nicodemus/>.
ANNEX I: SAMPLE SURVEY The objective of this survey is to examine the lifestyle of our respondents and to study how their lifestyles have impact on their happiness level, productivity, creativity and stress level. It also studies the possible outcomes of a minimalist lifestyle. The respondents should be from 2 groups - minimalists and non minimalists. Questions: 1)How many pieces of clothing do you own? A. About 10 basic items B. 11-30 items C. 30-60 items D. More than 60 items 2)How is your bedroom like? A.clutter free, I only have what I need to live comfortably B.relatively neat with little or few clutters C.The storage compartments of my furniture cannot store all my belongings hence there are some clutters in my room, the room is a quite messy D.I have clutters everywhere, there are even things piling up on the floor, it is very hard to find my things 3)How would you describe your living space? A.neat, clutter free B.messy with a lot of clutters 4)What kind of feeling do you have when you enter your living space? (choose as many choices as you want) A.calm B.cosy C.uplifting D.depressing
E.frustrating F.boring and dull G.sad H.Quiet and soothing I. Relaxing J. Unmotivated 5) How often do you go shopping (including online shopping)? A. a few times a year B. once or twice a month C. once a week D. almost everyday 6) Do you think that owning more things make you happier? Please Explain. ______________ 7) When you see a very attractive advertisement about a product, will you consider purchasing this product if you already own something similar? A.Yes, definitely B. Maybe C. No D. Not sure 8) Do you usually sleep late? Yes. (proceed to question 9) No. (proceed to question 10) 9) Why do you sleep late? ____ 10) Why do you sleep so early? Do you sleep early because you have accomplished your goal for the day and thus there is no need to stay up late?_____
11) How do you describe the picture below? _______
12) When was the last time you go travel? _____ 13) How often do you travel? A. twice a year (proceed to question 15) B. once a year (proceed to question 15) C. once every few years (proceed to question 14) D. almost never (proceed to question 14) 14) If you don’t travel much, why? (multiple choice) A. I don’t have enough money to travel B. I am busy with work to earn more money C. I don’t like to travel D. It’s troublesome, I have to many things to carry with me.
15) Why do you go travel so often? (multiple choice) A. Travelling broadens my perspectives B. I have enough money C. Spending money on travelling makes me much happier than using the money on buying more things. D. Travelling is the best experience 16) How would you describe yourself? (multiple choice) A. happy, live life to the fullest B. busy, I have no time to stop and think about life C. stressed out, there is heavy burdens on my shoulder D. creative, I am able to come up with original and interesting ideas easily E. productive. I finish work faster than my peers F. focused, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get distracted easily G. other(please specify)______ 17) How do other people describe you? (multiple choice) A. efficient B. absent minded C. creative D. happy E. sad F. busy G. fun and interesting H. stressed I. other (please specify)______ 18) On a scale of 0-10, how stressed are you? 19) On a scale of 0-10, how satisfied are you with your life? 20) Do you know your piroity in life, what are they?___
ANNEX II: LIVING WITH LESS, AN INTERVIEW WITH MINIMALIST RYAN NICODEMUS January 11, 2012 by asimplygoodlife.com So you may have heard the term “minimalism” thrown around lately. Minimalism, when applied to life, means stripping down your life (and your belongings) to the bare essentials, under the premise that with less things, you can focus on what matters. It is, in many ways, an anti-consumerism movement reinvented. Through blogs like Zenhabits and The Minimalists, the idea has gained popularity. But what’s it really like to live a minimalist lifestyle? I sat down with Ryan Nicodemus to discuss his journey as a minimalist and find out. A simply good life. (SGL): How did you first learn about minimalism? What attracted you to the movement? Ryan Nicodemus (RN): I first heard about minimalism from Joshua. The thought of pairing down my stuff and not pursuing the accumulation of more stuff was a freeing thought. Seeing others who were experiencing that freedom also attracted me to minimalism. SGL: What has been the hardest thing for you to let go of? Why? RN: For me TV was the hardest thing to let go of. I didn’t realize how much it was part of my routine i.e. getting up in the morning and turning on the news, coming home to watching the news first thing, catching up on TV shows that friends recommended so we would hae something more to talk about etc.
SGL: What has made the biggest impact? RN: Giving up TV had the biggest impact for me. I have a lot more time to take care of more meaningful tasks, as well as picking up on more meaningful habits i.e. reading, writing, time with family etc. SGL: You were recently laid off from your job, how has minimalism helped or hurt you through this transition? RN: It has helped tremendously with my expenses. Minimalists have less bills! SGL: What has minimalism allowed you to do that you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise? RN: It has helped me be more aware of everything in my life. the good and bad. It has helped me stay focused on what is important/most valuable to me and those closest to me. SGL: If someone is just getting started down a minimalist path, what would you recommend their first steps be? RN: First they need to focus on themselves when it comes to their journey with minimalism. They shouldn’t worry about how others will react or if others will go along with their journey. I would also recommend they do a packing party (where one packs up all their belongings and only removes what they need when they need it). A packing party is a great way to start one’s minimalist journey. SGL: How can minimalism lead to happiness? RN: Minimalism can give you a clearer definition of what happiness and well-being means to you. SGL: How can minimalism lead to happiness? RN: Minimalism can give you a clearer definition of what happiness and well-being means to you.
Tan Luting U0939497E