“what are the boundaries of design?�
“what are the boundaries of problems?
4
6 - 11 12 - 21 22- 41 42 - 49 50 - 85 86 - 101 104 - 117 118 - 119 120 - 121
5
RSA student design awards. secondary research. primary research. initial design ideas. design development. experimentation. refining. evaluation. bibliography.
6
RSA student design awards
RSA student design awards. the rsa 2017 student compeition is live. time to select a brief, and make a change.
7
8
RSA student design awards
9
donate at the gate winner of RSA awards 2011. a simple and innovative design idea that came from research. Helen Parry of Kingston University came up with the design concept of ‘donate at the gate’.
what if everyone in the underground donated 1p? Helens insight came from the data she collected. She recorded how many people go through the underground, and worked out how much money would be raised if everyone donated 1p.
The key to donations is awareness. The idea is simple and effective and the solution came from research. Defiantly something I ought to consider when it comes designing a solution.
10
RSA student design awards
mind your money. design a way for people to improve their financial capability and manage their money better. mindmaping and decoding the brief. I’ve chosen the mind your money brief. I now need to decode the brief, and begin to think of where to start the basis of my research. Finding out what the brief is asking is crucial as I don’t want to go off topic. Obviously there’s going to be a point where I experiment; but I want to ensure that everything I do has a purpose in terms of the design process. It’s clear to me that its essential that I gather research and gain insight; however at this moment I can write down what I already know on the subject. For example what came into mind was applications; I am already aware on the existing applications that are already on the market.
This then gives me a direction to where I can start my research.
who, what, when, where, why, how Finding out the key issues that surround this brief can also give me a possible area of research. This would include statistics, figures, and gaining personal insight from real people.
11
12
secondary research
secondary research. looking into behaviour patterns and dominant ideologies will allow me to understand why people are incapable of managing finances.
13
14
secondary research
1 in 4 students have never budgeted.
24% of brits can’t read a bank statement.
over 90% of shoppers make occasional impulse purchases that they didn’t intend to make.
15
85% of brits admit to buying goods they’ve rarely of never use. over the last 5 years, £6.2 billion has been spent on UK impulse buys.
in the UK alone, £1.2 billion is spent on impulse buys every year.
16
secondary research
daniel khaneman award winning psychologist. khaneman explains narrow framing and how people reassure themselves that they are financially able; whereas this might not be the case. Khaneman explains mental accounting and how people use this method to manage their finances. He explains hows this induces poor decision making as this is not an accurate method of financing.
narrow framing is a weakness of human decision making. Khaneman also explains narrow framing and how this is also induces poor decision making.
being numerate is a more sensible method of financing. He goes on to say that people frame things broadly to make it easier on themselves. It’s important to understand these habits as it gives me an opportunity to produce and design an alternative, accurate method.
17
[khaneman’s explanation on mental account is significant as it exploits the user as independently incapable to the management of finance] [khaneman also suggests that being numerate/ organised will improve peoples decision making]
“People are not fully rational and they make many choices that if they reflected upon them they would do differently. The major attendances is that people tend to frame things very narrowly; they make a narrow view on decision making, they look at the problem at hand and they deal with it as if it were the only problem. If people we’re able to take a broader view they would in general make better decisions, so that is certainly one of the weaknesses of human decision-making; we call it narrowframing. Mental accounting is a big deal; this is the way we live so we keep our money in different mental accounts for which we have different rules. There is a hierarchy on the accounts on which they touch.
you need to be numerate for certain kinds of decisions. More foolishly this sensible because mental accounting is a tool of self control. You need to be numerate for certain kinds of decisions, so numerate people have a significant advantage
over those who are not. Understanding a compound interest makes a huge difference whether you’re a credit card borrower or somebody who is saving, people have a very hazy idea of compound interest and it’s very departmental.
mental accounting is a big deal; this is the way we live so we keep our money in different mental accounts for which we have different rules. I’d say first of all you need to be numerate, then you need to frame things broadly, and then by taking the broad view it is very important not to have overly strong emotional reactions to events. Most of us tend to respond to gains then to losses, to changes that happen in our lives. Actually your better off if you frame things broadly, and you think of ‘you win a few you few you lose a few’ and you have very limited emotional response to small gains than to small losses; that tends to induce better decision making”.
18
secondary research
the iceberg model. I teamed up with a few other students; who were also doing the ‘Mind your money’ brief. we focused on dominant ideologies and behaviour hurdles. The concept of the iceberg model is to dive deeper into a simple idea to discover its reasoning. To start we listed events that relate to the mind your money brief. Statistics, facts, and opinions go here.
students are always poor. Then moving down the iceberg we listed the patterns; so what’s been happening - the result of the events.
nights out, and a lack of a student loan. A structure is what might explain the event/ pattern - it can be norms, cultures, values or even polices.
social norms, and harmful habits. And finally there are mental models. Deeply held beliefs and assumptions. This tends to be the birth of a behaviour.
people want to achieve social status and social identity. Social status is the idea of fitting into society. The sensation of being accepted into a social group. The iceberg model allows me to dig deeper into events and understand behaviour patterns that create this chain reaction, which thus creates a financial incapability.
19
20
secondary research
cognitive overload. having a lot on your mind impairs decision making and tends to result in the simplest, but not necessarily the best option.
empathy gaps. overlooking how you might feel in a different situation can result in unnecessary purchases, such as overbuying when shopping for food on an empty stomach.
optimism and overconfidence. having unrealistic expectations about the future can effect money management and leave you unprepared for a change in circumstance.
21
instant gratification. seeking instant gratification drives impulse spending and can undermine long-term planning and savings.
harmful habits. automatic behaviour can amplify a poor financial decision as it becomes a recurring event; such as buying your daily coffee.
social norms. we are heavily influenced by the actions of others, sometimes we also fall into peer pressure which could effectively de-stablize your budget costs.
22
primary research
primary research. finance targets a lot of users. primary research will allow me to note all the issues that surround financial capability.
23
24
primary research
25
bank insight. to gain insight I went into banks with a simple question - what services/ products do you provide that can help me manage my finances? Banks are there to safely store customers money, and to help those customers with financing/ saving.
there wasn’t anyone
I thought that this would be a good start to gain insight as banks come into mind when you think of finance. Since this brief is centred around the capability of finance, why not go into a bank, and see what products/ services they provide that can help customers with financial management.
those assistants
When I think of banks, I think of safe and secure; because after all, the bank is in charge of keeping our money safe. But banks need to make a profit, and so they rely on customers.
so now it’s interesting to see banks in the perspective of a business. When I walked into the banks, I made a few observations. I realised that each bank had a similar layout.
walking around to see if I needed assistance - instead were behind a glass window. My question to each bank was ‘what services or products do you provide that can help me manage my finances? Every response was ‘are you a student?’ I then said no. And then they went on to list the offers of switching my account, some banks had similar offers.
I said that I was a student to NatWest to see if their response was different, and it was. I then set up an appointment to speak to a senior personal banker - I can gain further insight from this.
26
primary research
an interview with a Senior personal banker at natwest. I was able to have an interview with a senior personal banker at natwest, who for the interview remains anonymous. So what can I do for you today? I’m really bad at managing finance so I was just wondering how NatWest can help me manage my money better.
When you say your bad with your budgeting - when my loan comes in I set aside money for food, bills, and rent. I try and manage but I always end up short.
Are you a full time student at the moment? I’m a full time student yes. And are you renting down here? I’m renting down here yes.
Do you work down here at all? No, full time student. Right, seems to me you must be struggling, how much do you get from student finance? It’s almost the maximum. And how much is your rent a month? £370.
Who do you bank with at the moment please? Halifax. [LIE] Okay, now have you got a student account with them? No. Is it just an ordinary account? Just an ordinary account yes, I’ve been to other banks to see which one is the best for me in terms of what products and services they provide that can help me manage my money. With your account with Halifax do you have an overdraft facility with that? No I don’t.
So what I’d say probably is, yeah your going to be struggling because you only got about £400 outstanding to pay bills and feed yourself, and go out. Well the thing is that I don’t know whether its myself that needs to finance better or whether it’s the banks and the products and services they provide.
27
28
primary research
Possibly partly both because with your finance we can only give you guidance, at the end of the day how you spend your money is entirely down to you.
what I normally say to students is when your loan comes in put some of that money aside and then each month transfer money across, stuff like your rent and your bills. If you open up a savings account then you can transfer some money over and say right this loans going to last me 3-4 months, that way your gonna know your within budget. Its never as easy as that in all fairness because with bills its difficult to predict when you need to pay and how much you need to pay, unlike your rent. Subject to a credit score we can offer you a student account with an interest free overdraft of up to £2000, that’s how it works. It is subset to a credit score, how that overdraft works is
when you finish your studies you go into a graduate account for two years. In your first year the interest free element is £2000. A year after you graduate you can still have the £2000 overdraft if you need it but the interest free element goes down to £1000, so you pay interest to anything above £1000 two years after you graduate; if your overdrawn you pay interest in charges on a normal standard tariff. However, you got to pay that back at some point when your working, in theory if you had an overdraft of £2000 and you were paying interest on it you’d have to pay about £32 a month plus a £6 usage fee on a standard account. Without being pedantic as long as you cover that each month, you’ll be fine. The worst case scenario the bank would call you up and say ‘can you come in to discuss stepping up your payment’. The idea with any bank not just NatWest is that we’ve got to follow a procedure. It’s not in their interest to say we’re going to call the debt up in 14 days.
It’s not in their interest to say we’re going to call the debt up in 14 days’ time, they will always try to work with the person that owes the money to repay. So when students graduate with that overdraft in mind, do they manage alright with paying back? Because I’m thinking here that its alright receiving that overdraft whilst in study but after graduation you realise that you’re in serious debt, not just to student finance but also to banks.
most of the students have the overdraft and most of them have used it to the maximum. About 70% of students go back to where their parents live.
I don’t see someone week in week out with their finances. I might see someone and see them again in 6 months, a year, or even two years; I suppose its all relevant to whether their working or other circumstances.
29
[what I find interesting is that the senior personal banker does not see customers on a regular basis - is that because no one goes into banks] [he has no idea that I actually have an overdraft] [I’m being quite repetitive] [I don’t know whether its worth getting an overdraft because it puts you in more debt]
An overdraft facility is a fluctuated facility that will stay there provided the account isn’t dormant, in other words is that provided their account is being used when there’s money going in and there is some fluctuation on that. I don’t know whether its worth getting an overdraft because it puts you in more debt, and I question whether it really helps you manage money. It does because the majority of students that use the overdraft have to for their needs because their away from home, a lot of them haven’t got parental help. Their having to pay their rent and food and bills etcetera and things like books or anything relating to their studies from their maintenance grant which isn’t going to be a great deal at all. You’re going to struggle with that. I just feel with an overdraft it will help but I question whether it actually makes you manage money better. You can do it; I sometimes see students that don’t use their overdraft. I’d say probably 6070% of students use an overdraft, the rest are
funded probably by their parents because unless they’ve worked really hard for a year or two before going to university which I would find very, you know good luck to them. Have you got any other credit? Loans, credit cards? My mum has always told me to stay away from credit cards. It’s a bit like Marmite either you love them or you hate them, but again we do a student credit card of up to £500. Believing me students do use them as they are a full back while their waiting for their grant to come through or if some emergency comes up or just for general expenditure; people do use them. I probably wouldn’t go for either, I think if I try and manage with the money that I’ve got then it will be beneficial for the future. If you managed this well saying that you don’t manage well but not having an overdraft that you doing yourself a disservice; saying that you don’t manage money well you letting yourself down, being to harsh on yourself.
well the thing is that I don’t know whether its myself that needs to finance better or whether it’s the banks and the products and services they provide. possibly both because with your finance we can only give you guidance, at the end of the day how you spend your money is entirely down to you. 30
31
[I asked the question how can you help me manage my finance - because I told him that I’m a student he then goes on and on about overdrafts] [here he is saying that students that use the
Believe in me a lot of students have the £2000 overdraft with NatWest. In your first year you get a maximum of £500 within your first term up to Christmas. From about January onwards you can increase that to £2000, and I see students coming in first year take their £2000 max straight away.
struggle to climb out
Effectively if they’ve got a £2000 overdraft in January then they’re not going to be borrowing any more money from NatWest because that’s the maximum you can have till they graduate.
of it]
their student loans will
overdraft facility have a tendency to increase their overdraft to the maximum and then
come in and reduce [this underlines all
the overdraft but then
this talk about the
again their outgoings
overdraft facility. I
are going to take it
need research
back up.
further to see if this is legitimate]
I’d say if you want to manage money well then create a savings account and transfer money over for essential living, or you can try and get a part time job as that can help with finances. And there’s the NatWest app? The NatWest app yeah, we do online banking because obviously on the app you can transfer
money over between your accounts. You can transfer money to people, set standing orders up, direct debits up, its probably no different to the all apps the banks offer, but it is mobile banking. It makes things easier because with online banking you can check how much is in your account 24 hours a day and see what’s going on. Oh okay then thank you very much, I think that’s everything. I’ll tell you what here’s my card so that you can contact me anytime if you have any more questions to ask. Thank you.
32
primary research
Response to the interview. The overdraft system is both a positive and negative system. I can understand the pros but I can defiantly see the room for improvements. My initial views on student overdrafts was that their helpful when you’re in dire need of finance. If you’ve got an unexpected payment and you want a service that’s interest free, then an overdraft is great ‘get-out-of-jail card’. But then I looked at my bank account, I felt ashamed that its come to this point in time that I actually have no money what so ever. I’m actually living in this overdraft, I’m in the minus. My tuition fee as well as the maintenance loan is already a big sum, me being in this overdraft means that I’m further in this financial crises. I felt too ashamed to tell my parents; but why do I feel this way? Why am I at this point? Is it because I don’t receive financial help from parents? Or is it because even though I hit into my overdraft I still carried on with my spending habits,
and now I’m in a worse situation than I was before.
I wonder if its just me that’s in this situation, or if there are other students in the same boat as me. I previously spoke to a financial adviser at NatWest about how the bank can improve the management of my finances; he turned round and spoke solely about the student overdraft facility. He went on to say ‘we can only provide the services and products, but its down to the individual that dictates what they spend their money on’. This suggests that even though the overdraft is a good system in place (in terms of unexpected payments), it’s a little risky. Its down to me on what I spend my overdraft on; whether
33
that be on essential living such rent, bills, food, educational books; or buying luxury items and such desired expenses. I did a bit research online to see whether this problem had already been addressed. I came across an article on student overdrafts. According to the telegraph:
…students beware:
opposed to the things you want.
I think what’s
But what if this service still provided the finance, but had this harsh focus on how you spend this overdraft. I might just be in better financial position, and it might just well improve the management of my finances.
designer is to not
the conditions of the
I was talking to some friends in the library on campus about this sudden idea. Then a student behind me gave her perspective on the student overdraft system. She said:
account or pay back
My student overdraft
money back in time.
is really helpful. I
the generous interestfree overdraft can turn into a money trap if you fail to keep to
This suggests that the student overdraft system is a little dangerous, advising that students must be cautious if there to go through with this facility. And then suddenly an idea came into mind.
What if I improved the student overdraft system? What if there was a focus on essential living, using this facility to buy the things you need as
receive no money from my folks. Without my overdraft I can’t pay my rent nor my bills”. I was left speechless, and ended saying ‘fair enough’, I felt that my idea was immediately shut down. So I’ve come to this position whether I go for a different idea or continue to work and think around this idea on improving the student overdraft system.
important as a just drop an idea because you think it might not work, but to experiment. In terms of this idea, its certainly an issue that I personally experience as a student. So what I need to discover is whether other students have the same issue. I need to gain further insight, recieve a much deeper perspective, collect clinical knowledge from other students in order to confirm that this as a recurring issue.
34 primary research
35
36
primary research
37
figuring out what questions to ask the interviewers. in order for me to require the answers I need, I need to ask some the correct questions. Now that I’ve gained insight from the banks, I need to understand the perspective of the consumers.
Money targets a lot of people, and I need
With a lack of student loans, nights out, and overdraft systems I’m assuming so. I need to prove this assumption, talk to students, and confirm that there is a problem with their financial capability.
to find out, whether people are genuinely struggling. A statistic shows that one in four students have never budgeted. I thought to target students because I’m assuming that a large amount of students struggle with money.
In order to confirm this, I need to conduct interviews. I will need to produce a set of questions to ask these students. I understand that this may be a sensitive subject, so I will need to be careful with what questions to ask.
38
primary research
What does management mean? Its sort of organising and arranging something in a certain way. Why should people manage their money? Because you’ll be poor if you don’t! It’s important to manage your money, especially when you’re in university. Most of the time your probably not making that much [money] or none at all, and you got to watch what you do with it; otherwise you’ll probably run out and you probably wouldn’t be able to get the things you need. How independent are you when it comes to managing your money? I’m not independent at all.
Are you aware of any products or services that help you manage your finance? I guess you can say your bank does, but it doesn’t really. But other than that I don’t really know any ones that are specifically catered to managing your money. So how do you manage your finances? So I lock myself an allowance every month or every week and I come up with a budget of what I should spend. Sometimes I spend more on a certain something which I’m sure everyone does from time to time, so I sort of compensate that by spending less on something else or not spending at all for at least a couple of days.
Do worry about your finance? All the time! At what point would you say you worry about your finance? Especially after a night out. Once the alcohol is running and you have your card on you, all of a sudden you’re the richest guy in the planet and you end up buying everyone drinks. You wake up the next day and you check your bank account and its not so great. How can you improve the management of your finances? It’s a good question. I usually set myself a budget for every month and I never really think of my weekly budget, how much I spend per week or per day for that matter.
at what point do you worry about your finances?
39
after a night out. once the alcohol is running and you have your card on you, all of a sudden you’re the richest guy in the planet and you end up buying everyone drinks.
40
primary research
41
the student interviews of managing finance. by conducting the interviews I recieved a lot of useful information, that will help me create some design solutions.
most of the students
very few of the
that I interviewed
students actually
worry about their
have an overdraft.
finances. Only a few spoke out and said that they have no issues. A large majority of them receive financial help from parents, and so they half help them budget.
Those that didn’t receive financial help from parents tended to be the ones that worried the most. They also tended to be the ones that don’t manage their finances. A few students budget their finances by keeping receipts. The students that did budget don’t worry about finances.
None of the students regularly go into banks for financial advice. The interviews went really well, and it opened up a lot of issues that surround financial capability. I now just have to go away and start coming up with some design solutions.
42
initial design ideas
initial design ideas. after all the research, interviews and insight I conducted it was time to start thinking of design solutions and ideas.
43
44
initial design ideas
fridge magnet. I thought of the idea of a message being complimented by its environment; that way the message is more memorable.
purchase message. when you’re at the cash point I thought perhaps a message there might make you think twice about the items you’re about to purchase.
45
wristband. the concept of this wristband is to keep reminding you that you shouldn’t fall into impulse buys. when you reach out to pay, the message would is then revealed.
reminders. what if you received a spontaneous reminder on your smartphone? these random reminders will tell you how much money you have.
46
initial design ideas
increasing duration. what if the duration of purchasing was slowed down? would this put shoppers off? the concept of opening an envelope to access your money.
overdraft account. instead of having an overdraft which extends your current account, why not have a separate account to help create more mental tabs.
47
money aid kit. the money aid kit would include a variety of stickers. ypu can put these stickers anywhere, so that you’ll notice the recurring messages.
apple pay sticker. for those that use apple pay, I thought of a sticker that goes on the back of your smartphone. then you’d notice the message during the transaction.
48
initial design ideas
the card sleeve. every time you access your card, you have to take off the card sleeve. the card sleeve would then have a message on it, telling you to put the card back in.
trousers with long pockets. these trousers with really long pockets will mean that users have to reach down to their ankles to access their money - thus slowing down the purchase.
49
the combination. the envelope, the band around the wallet, and the card sleeve work together as one to slow the purchase duration - to hopefully put shoppers off purchasing.
harmful habits app. this application calculates your daily/ weekly spending habits (coffee, cigarettes) and shows you how much this is costing you per week/month.
50
design development
design development. out of all the initial design ideas, one concept attracted me the most. it’s innovative, quirky, and I think it has real potential.
51
52
design development
the idea of trousers with long pockets. slowing down the duration of purchasing with a innovative and slightly comical idea. When I came up with the idea of trousers with long pockets; I thought of impulse buying. Impulse buying is about that quick moment when you see something (that you haven’t intended to buy) and think to put it in your shopping basket.
every penny, and you want to give the correct change. Otherwise it may seem awkward giving one-hundred pennies instead of a £1 coin.
the ease of
bigger figure, whether
purchasing makes you
that would be a note,
more susceptible to
a £1 coin, or even a
impulse buying.
50p - anything other
Recent technology has made purchasing quicker, with the usage of apple pay and contactless payment.
the easiest option would be to give a
than coppers.
imagine your at the
The concept of the trousers with long pockets is to intentionally slow down the duration of purchasing.
corner shop - and
what if everyone wore
you realise you have
these trousers? would
an extra £1 in your
people be put off
pocket; are you more
shopping?
likely to spend it? When you purchase with cash, you tend to give the cashier less coins because it takes a while for the cashier to count
53
54
design development
55
concept storyboard developing the concept through its narrative, - via motion graphics animation/ moving image. I needed to figure out how I was going to portray this concept - whether this would be an advertisement, animation, campaign, product or service. Because this is a comical idea, I can create a funny moving image. The idea of this being a moving image will enhance the understanding of the concept.
I’m 100% certain that no one will want to buy these trousers. If these trousers were on the market, I’m sure no one will buy them. Why? Because its quite a bizarre concept, it may be innovative but lets be realistic, everyday people want to shop at ease - no faffing about.
making a comical moving image, that leaves the user thinking.
Regarding the storyboard, the first stills show the user shopping. Then theres a quick montage of the different methods of purchasing (apple pay, contactless, cash, card transaction, vouchers).
I then come along, and say ‘try these on’. The user then carries on with their shop; the user then sees an opportunity to impulse buy. But when she comes to the cash point, she finds herself in an awkward situation. The cashier then waits politely as she scrambles down her leg to reach for her money.
The user then feels embarrassed by the cashier and the que behind her. Challenging the ease of purchasing, might well put people of impulse buying. Because when you add up those little impulse buys, it then becomes a problem.
56
design development
57
58
design development
59
branding the trousers. creating the visual aesthetic for the trousers (logo/typography/imagery). For this not being a real product (as this is going to be a moving image rather than an existing product) I need to create some false branding.
brand name? Even though I will create a visual aesthetic to make it seem that you can buy these trousers, users can not obtain the trousers, and its only for the means of communicating a message to my users.
I was trying to figure out the name of the trousers, until I came across Asperity trousers.
asperity - harshness or tone of manner. I thought the name fits, its unique, and the large amount of letters allows me to play around with the typography. I now need to figure out the visual language for this brand.
60
design development
61
62
63
64
design development
65
66
design development
67
68
design development
69
70
design development
71
72
design development
73
74
design development
finalising the brand and the visual language. to enhance the quirkiness of this concept I’ve created a quirky illustrations as part of the brand visuals. I’ve captured and visualised the movement of the arm going down the pocket as part of the visual language for the brand.
I’ve also played around with the typography. I’ve used a long and bold typeface that compliments the visual of a deep pocket.
dangly arms/
I’ve used an orange
grasping hands/ long
to exaggerate activity
legs/ deep pockets/
and creativity.
ankle swingers. The focus of this concept is the long pockets. When the audience hears about the trousers with long pockets; they’ll be intrigued to find out what, how, and why.
75
TRICKY TROUSERS. POWERFUL POCKETS.
76
design development
TRICKY TROUSERS. POWERFUL POCKETS.
THATS A LOT OF WONGA
WHAT IF EVERYONE HAD LONG POCKETS?
WOULD PEOPLE BE PUT OFF SHOPPING?
77
asperity trousers motion graphics animation. now that I have the brands visuals, I can now create the motion graphics animation. The motion graphics animation would enhance the comical concept of long pocket trousers.
how to tell the narrative? In my initial storyboard I had a real life user. For this motion graphics animation I will introduce a character. This animated character would represent average shopper.
This then gives the impression that this realistic.
I will intentionally create false advertisement. Effectively the trousers are a prop, they will be falsely advertised. Towards the end of the animation, a message would then be revealed, telling the viewers to think twice about impulse buying.
78
I’m false advertising the trousers because obviously no one will buy the trousers - its such a bizarre idea. but what if people tried them on? what if people were to engage with the trousers? would this communicate a more distinctive message? is interaction the key to this concept?
79
BUY THESE TROUSERS FOR £11.99! TROUSERS NOT INCLUDED, DON’T IMPULSE BUY.
GET YOUR ASPERITY TROUSERS AND TRY THEM ON YOUR NEXT SHOP!
80
design development
81
further development. the dynamics of this concept have changed, from a prop to a engaging and genuine product. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Before I lacked belief in this concept, by thinking that no one would buy these trousers. But what if I gave the opportunity for users to try the trousers on for at least one shopping experience?
introducing interactivity will enhance the user experience. Users will then have the verdict to whether they wear the trousers again or not. I’ll let them decide for themselves, instead of pretending that this product is existing. I believe this concept has the potential to create change, get people to ask questions, challenge the behaviour patterns.
creating a real product, means making it. For some, Impulse buying has become a behavioural pattern - a harmful habit. By changing the way people think, I can influence positive financial management. To change the way users think, I need to communicate a strong and coherent message that influences that change of behaviour. Therefore by enabling the user to interact with the trousers, it can create more of a dynamic influence. In order to create the connection between the trouser and the user I need create a link between the brand and the product.
82
design development
83
84
design development
design mock-up from false advertising to an existing product creating the link between the brand and the product. Now that the dynamics have changed in terms of this now being a real life product, I need to create the link between the brand and the product, and then the brand and the user.
branded trousers. This mock-up shows how I’ve merged the trousers and the brand into one. I’ve managed to translate the quirky aesthetic onto a real image of a trouser. After this quick development I can already visualise what the next step is.
I need physically create the trousers, and then allow user testing.
I can record and photograph these steps as part of an experiment. I can then use the images as part of a advertising campaign to stop impulse buying, and influence financial management. The video would increase the narrative.
I now need to experiment to emphasise the concept.
85
86
experimentation
experimentation. now that I developed the concept, I need to experiment, and further visualise its potential.
87
88
experimentation
89
making the trousers. I got some trousers, and cut out the original pockets, and then stitched on some longer ones on. Before I get the trousers, I needed to figure out who was going to wear them. As soon as I got the confirmation from my users, I was then able to search for the trousers.
I then cut the bottom of the original pocket and stitched on the new one.
I went into a charity
Once I finished one pair, it was straight onto the next pair. Once I finished all three pairs I was then ready for the user testing.
shop and bought three pairs for ÂŁ6. I then turned the trousers inside out, exposing the inner pockets. I took a long cloth and folded it sideways. I then stitched three sides of the cloth, to make a pocket.
for me it was difficult as I’m not a master of stitching.
90
experimentation
91
92
experimentation
an opportunity for user testing. I used the space of a photography studio to capture the user testing. I was able to gather four users, meaning I can potentially get four posters out of this shoot. To begin the shoot, we had to set up a high key set up, using soft-boxes, lights, and a white roll. Once the studio was set up I then brought one user in at a time. For the users being the first to try on the asperity trousers, I was able to gain clinical information from them.
‘there not very stylish’ One of my users first impression was that the trousers weren’t very stylish.
to improve on this I will provide a variety of styles for the users. The main reason why I had the pockets go all the way down the ankle was because I wanted to make it a real struggle to get your money.
However if the user is unable to get there money, then that’s a design problem.
‘the pockets are a bit to low’ The more younger users didn’t have this problem, however because I want to target daily consumers (which means all ages) I have to compromise.
to improve on this I will give a selection of different pocket lengths. Other than that I received a lot of appraisal. My users found the testing very amusing, and they really liked the concept.
two of the four users said they would wear them again.
93
94
experimentation
95
96
experimentation
UK businesses bring in ÂŁ1.2 billion a year from impulse buys.
Time for the trousers.
pockets, to put Trousers with really long your free asperity you off shopping. Get page; give us ook Faceb our on trousers a go on your next a like and give these ence. shop and Feel the differ
#awkwardtroursers #absolutelyatroscious
97
Over 90% of people who shop today make occasional impulse purchases that they didn’t intend to make.
These aren’t normal pockets.
pockets, to put Trousers with really long your free asperity you off shopping. Get page; give us ook Faceb our on trousers a go on your next a like and give these ence. shop and Feel the differ
#awkwardtroursers #absolutelyatroscious
98
experimentation
85% of Brits admit to buying goods they rarely or never use.
Give this a go.
pockets, to put Trousers with really long your free asperity you off shopping. Get ook page; give us trousers on our Faceb a go on your next a like and give these ence. shop and Feel the differ
#awkwardtroursers #absolutelyatroscious
99
Over the last five years ÂŁ6.2 billion has been spent on impulse buys.
Give these a go.
pockets, to put Trousers with really long your free asperity you off shopping. Get page; give us ook Faceb our on trousers a go on your next a like and give these ence. shop and Feel the differ
#awkwardtroursers #absolutelyatroscious
100 experimentation
experimenting with imagery. using my Photoshop skills I was able to experiment with the imagery of the asperity trousers in action creating a set of posters as part of the advertisement. Incorporating the brand and the images was an enjoyable experience.
I had great fun with the experiments. By editing the photos and bringing in the brands visual aesthetic, I was able to produce a set of posters as well as a banner as part of the advertisement of the asperity trousers. By experimenting with the advertisement, I was able to see what
works well and what doesn’t. Personally I think asperity trousers works well as a poster, banner and as well as a moving image.
I’ve also experimented with a giff. I’ve narrowed down the movement two four iconic stages. And I’ve captured those stages and created a giff, which will sit alongside the poster and the banner.
now that I have experimented, I make a clear distinction on what is effective and what is not. By experimenting I can now see a greater picture for the asperity trousers. I’ve already created a banner, poster, and a giff; but I can go further with this. I can create a Facebook page, a video, a motion graphics to enhance the narrative of the concept.
101
102 experimentation
103
104
refining
refining. experimentation is over. its time refine the concept to take the concept further.
Asperity Trousers Home About Reviews Videos Likes Posts
105
visit website
Videos
106 refining
the asperity trouser campaign. asperity trousers will be campaign to get people to not give into impulse buys, and to be smart when it comes to managing finance. The trouser is the product and the product is the link of communication between the brand and the user.
Campaign - work in an organised and active way towards a goal. The brand is effectively a campaign because the whole purpose of the trouser is to influence the user to spend less - to not make it awkward on yourself, and to not give into little impulse buys. Therefore by spreading the awareness through a campaign, consumers will think twice about purchasing.
the user will want to reach down as little as possible. I can take this further by going beyond advertising. I want people to engage with the trousers, to understand the message. I’ve illustrated a Facebook campaign page as part of the refinement.
Another intention is to use hash-tags - to create a viral trend.
For people to record their awkward reaches. Increasing the amusement, will influence others to interact with the trousers. Using recent technology I’ve also illustrated a Facebook Canvas - this enhances the advertising experience for the user, as the user is able to interact with the advertisement through their smart-phone. I’ve also illustrated a asperity trouser website, where users can order their trouser for free; with a variety of styles and sizes available. And finally I would want to emphasise on the narrative of this innovative concept, by producing a motion graphics animation, as well as a short video of user testing. Therefore users can further understand the concept, and feel more inclined to try them on themselves.
107
Asperity Trousers Home About
visit website
Reviews Videos Likes Posts
Videos
108
109
110
refining
WHAT IF EVERYONE HAD LONG POCKETS?
WOULD PEOPLE BE PUT OFF SHOPPING?
111
THATS A LOT OF WONGA
TRICKY TROUSERS. POWERFUL POCKETS.
112
refining
113
114
refining
115
116
refining
117
118
evaluation. The mind your money brief was almost like an open brief. Money targets so many people, and so many different people. Finance may be universal, but people have their own ways on which they budget. The unique thing about managing finance, is that there so many methods, and these different people are using all sorts of different methods. The most difficult moment for me was choosing my direction. I had to come out of my comfort zone - off my laptop - and into the real world of primary research. After conducting the insight from the bank, I was a bit clueless to where I go next. I didn’t want to revolve an issue around students, and student finances, (even though my interviewers were all students. I felt that it would be clichÊ of me to go down the direction of students - this being a student competition.
I needed to widen my horizon. I was so clueless that I went straight into initial design ideas. It helped me massively as I struggled to find the direction of the brief. But when I started coming out with these ideas, I realised that the large majority of them were bonkers. I mean seriously, a wallet inside an envelope, then a band round the wallet, and then to top it off the debit card inside a card sleeve. The idea was nuts, and unrealistic, but the message was there. It then made more sense the more I thought about it. And to emphases how bonkers this idea was, I thought a more drastic and exaggerated version would be trousers with really long pockets. The initial design ideas went really well. I loved drawing the little illustrations, and I loved letting my creativity and imagination take control of the pen. It was the funny illustrations that led to this humorous concept.
I really enjoyed making the concept come to life. I think one of the weakness of this project was my self belief in the concept. I really thought that this idea was so crazy that I couldn’t see this being a realistic concept. But then the strength came from opinions. I spoke about this concept to people, and they thought that I should actually make these trousers. Another strength of this project was its visuals. When I first read the brief, I thought to myself, an app. An app that helps you manage your finances. It was the first idea that came into my head, but then I found that there is already a large amount of existing apps. The brief influences visuals as it gets us to design something useful, rather this being a conceptual brief, with conceptual outcomes. My visual outcomes were a strength of this project.
119
What went bad? I guess nothing went bad. I have such strong beliefs in the project that I believe there was not a step out of line. Everything had its place, everything had a reason, and everything led to something greater. I’m really happy about these positive outcomes because this is probably one of the most innovative design works I’ve ever produced. I never thought I’d be stitching pockets onto trousers. But then again, that’s the joy of design. Design should never be biased, it should always be open, and you should never craft and idea that appeals to you. As a designer you are tend to design for a client. So in that respects you’re designing not for yourself but for someone else. If I there were any room for improvements, it would be the photography set up. I booked a photography studio, to user test the asperity trousers.
I half-know how to set up, so one of my friends that does photography helped me set up the space. I interviewed the users first and then on camera, and then I took photographs. I couldn’t obtain a microphone so I used the built-in microphone in the camera. The recordings halftook the dialogue, so unfortunately I chose not create a video for this project. If I was to improve on this I would use a microphone which would enable me to edit the clean footage to create a asperity trouser video (which would have enhanced the narrative). To further improve this project I would conduct a re-shoot. For the purposes of obtaining more photographs, and more higher quality photographs. To further develop this project I would experiment more with the design of the trousers.
Making the trousers more unique, and stylish. I would experiment more with user interaction, and come up with more innovative methods of engaging the trousers with the uses (experimenting on screen and with print). And I would like to try a motion graphics; to use the quirky branding to tell the narrative along with a video of user testing. Overall I really enjoyed this project. The mind you money brief started off difficult. But finally when an idea comes into mind, the project then becomes more fun. The project wouldn’t be the same without the insight that I gained from the banks, and from my users. The primary research propelled the initial design ideas which kick-started the experiments. All in all, I truly hope that there is a future for the asperity trousers.
120
bibliography. Adbusters. (2006). Design anarchy. Vancouver, B.C: Adbusters Media Foundation. Berger, A. A. (2010). The objects of affection: Semiotics and consumer culture. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Berman, D. B. and Spiekermann, E. (2008). Do good design: How designers can save the world. Berkeley, CA: New Riders Publishing. Butler, J. (2016). Student money survey 2016 – results. [online]. Available from: http://www.savethestudent.org/ money/student-money-survey-2016. html [Accessed 3 October 2016]. Carey, J. (2015). 11 stats that will change the way you think about consumerism. [online]. Available from: http://www. relevantmagazine.com/current/11stats-will-change-way-you-thinkabout-consumerism [Accessed 18 October 2016]. Chan, T. W. (ed.). (2010). Social status and cultural consumption. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Ewen, S. (1977). Captains of consciousness: Advertising and the social roots of the consumer culture. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Inc.,US. Eye Magazine and Howard, A. (1990). There is such a thing as society*. [online] 1990. Available from: http:// www.eyemagazine.com/feature/
article/there-is-such-a-thing-associety [Accessed 25 October 2016]. Foe(2009). Overconsumption? Our use of the world Ě s natural resources History.com. (n.d.). First things First: Design is history. [online]. Available from: http://www.designishistory. com/1960/first-things-first/ [Accessed 20 March 2016]. Klein, N. (2009). No logo: No space, no choice, no jobs. 10 ed. London: HarperCollins Publishers. Lury, C. (2011). Consumer culture. 2 ed. Cambridge: Polity Press. Marx, K. and Engels, F. (1975). Karl Marx on society and social change. 2 ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, Press Edition. Megginson, T. (2010). World industrial design day poster. [online]. Available from: http://osocio.org/message/ world-industrial-design-day-poster/ [Accessed 3 May 2016]. Nava, M. et al. (eds.). (1997). Buy this book: Studies in advertising and consumption. London: Routledge. Office For National Statistics(2016). Consumer trends: Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2016. Oxford Royale Academy. (2014). 10 astonishing statistics about UK student life. [online]. Available from: https://
121
www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/ statistics-uk-student-life.html [Accessed 26 October 2016]. Rosenbaum, R. (2012). Barbara Kruger’s artwork speaks truth to power. [online]. Available from: http://www. smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/ barbara-krugers-artwork-speakstruth-to-power-137717540/?no-ist [Accessed 3 May 2016]. Sassatelli, R. (2007). Consumer culture: History, theory and politics. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Schor, J. B. (2004). Born to buy: The commercialized child and the new consumer culture. New York: Simon & Schuster. The School of Life(2015). SOCIOLOGY Theodor Adorno Santander UK(2014). Santander SmartBank CheckingYourBankBalanceAphobia World Centric. (2004). Social & economic injustice. [online]. Available from: http://worldcentric.org/ conscious-living/social-and-economicinjustice [Accessed 25 October 2016]. World Centric. (2004). Social & economic injustice. [online]. Available from: http://worldcentric.org/ conscious-living/social-and-economicinjustice [Accessed 25 October 2016].
(2016). Journal of the mental environment. [online]. Available from: https://www.adbusters.org/ [Accessed 20 March 2016]. (n.d.). Frankfurt school: The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception. [online]. Available from: https://www.marxists.org/reference/ archive/adorno/1944/culture-industry. htm [Accessed 20 March 2016]. (n.d.). Designers and consumerism. [online]. Available from: http://www. thewanderlust.net/2009/12/27/ designers-consumerism/ [Accessed 3 May 2016]. (2016). Journal of the mental environment. [online]. Available from: https://www.adbusters.org/ [Accessed 3 May 2016]. (2016). Design for good. [online]. Available from: https://www.aiga.org/ design-for-good [Accessed 18 October 2016]. (n.d.). Story of stuff. [online]. Available from: http://storyofstuff.org [Accessed 18 October 2016].
122