CTS//Design & Social Change Seminar.

Notes from this morning's seminar with Richard, discussing potential topics and subject matter for my dissertation and dissertation proposal.

PROPOSED TITLE:

"How the ethical manifesto and production of the Innocent brand and it's retail products has helped to evolve the food and drinks industry within the United Kingdom."

- Works both side- both "Innocent" and suspicious. Look at the integrity of the Innocent brand in terms of their deal with McDonalds and their sponsorship of the 2012 Olympics.

- Profit sharing/sustainability/ethics.

- 8,000 words- 4 chapters, 1,500 words each, introduction and conclusion.

- The integrity of food and drinks brands after Innocent.

- TOPICS TO DISCUSS:

* Consumer Psychology

* Profit sharing

* Sustainable product sourcing

* Company brand and identity

* Sustainable methods of production

- READING MATERIAL:

* V. Papanek, Design for the Real World

* Cradle to Cradle

- DISSERTATION NEEDS: 

* Methodology

* Content approach > Ecological/Communication theory?

- PRIMARY RESEARCH

* Interviews

* Designers

* Study archives

* Imperical study (an observed study undertaken by yourself... Innocent packaging?)
* Our own interpretations of academic texts

- SECONDARY RESEARCH

* Books about topics/research

* Approach

* Primary research

- FIND AS MANY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT > FIND WHERE THE PRIMARY RESEARCH WILL COME FROM > SPECIFY CHAPTERS FOR DISSERTATION

- Literature search- 20 books (ish?), journals, periodicals, essays, TV interviews, Radio interviews, etc. 

DESIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (SPECIFIC INFORMATION)

- Design activism/political

- Baldwin, 'Visual Communication from Theory to Practice'... "All design is political".

- Graphic Design always supports one side of society.

- SUPERSTRUCTURE/BASE

- Balance of power and influence within society

- Dialectical materialism

- Economic measurable relations

- Superstructure is the higher power, Base is the economic reality

- FEMINIST STANDPOINT: 

- Men have control over the mass media. Various aspects of the media reflect their position of power (e.g. Page 3 in 'The Sun' objectifying women, within films... women are rarely the dominant figure).

UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE

- Who are these products aimed at? AUDIENCE THEORY.

- ECO POLITICS

- Ideology (get critical definition!) = Political programme (personal beliefs)//False consciousness (MARXIST theory... created by the dominant classes, naturalised by the entirety of society (cements itself as the culture of everyone)... False way of thinking about the world).

- Klein, N, 'No Logo'- seminal in it's publication, activist summary of the system of American consumer culture. "No logo generation", led onto the OCCUPY movements, 1%/99%, "WE ARE THE 99%"... generated class consciousness.

- AdBusters, culture jammers... Intervening in the superstructures/base cycle.

CHAPTER IDEAS (From Richard...for generalised social change subject matter)

- Historical context

- Dominant ideology of this time

- Communication theory (messages to reveal society reality)

- Case study

SUBCULTURE/CULTURE

- What are the differences?

- CULTURE is produced by the dominant classes in production.

- SUBCULTURE by the lower classes in production.

SEE LAST ESSAY for inspiration, sources, etc.

//

Discussed my proposal idea with Richard and the rest of the seminar group, and was really happy with the response I got, which seemed very positive. Just time for the research now!

CTS//Dissertation//Ideas for dissertation.

Brainstorming a few ideas before the CTS Dissertation seminars I will be attending next week to get a few ideas about my dissertation, and some of the subjects I may want to discuss/analyse. However, before researching a great deal more into the subject areas, and writing my proposal, I hope to go to the seminars with a reasonably open mind in the hopes that it may inspire more ideas towards my existing ones, and enrich my current thought process.


GENERAL IDEAS/INTERESTS//NOTES


- Existentialism (may prove difficult to link back to GD, a tenuous link, though philosophy-rich).
- Be specific and FOCUSED.
- 8,000 words (100 a day for 80 days, 200 a day for 40 days).
- Design and social change- V. Papanek, sustainability- particular interest, looked into during my pre- dissertation essay for this year.
- Social emancipation.
- Eco- politics.
- Ethics and sustainable companies.
- Sustainable print and manufacturing.
- Ethical companies, profit sharing.
- INNOCENT SMOOTHIES (Case study).
- In case studies, very broad questions can be asked, yet bought back down to a centralised focus (in balance).
- Social change/Philosophy/Psychology/Branding/Identity/Sociology/Consumer Psychology.


Title idea...


"How the ethical manifesto and production of the Innocent brand and it's retail products has helped to evolve the food and drink industry within the United Kingdom"


Very vague, needs refining, though potentially a good starting point (discuss with Richard on Monday in the seminars?) Looking more towards ethical profit sharing and branding/it's effects on the retail consumer as opposed to sustainable print/packaging.
Whilst this is still an interest, I believe that my interest will be far more easily maintained with the issues of consumer psychology and evaluating brand and identity within the sector. However, this may be a little scant in terms of sourcing theoretical/psychological theories... definitely one to discuss further!

CTS Lecture//Dissertation seminar.

All information for the dissertation, and forthcoming details can be found on Moodle- such as binding guidelines, more general information.
G06 Yasmin Coggins (Dissertation administrator)


CONSTANTLY check college email to pursue links sent by Yasmin which are of importance during the dissertation programme.


Directly after the lecture, Yasmin will send us a link to the dissertation proposal form.


*CONSIDER- WRITE ABOUT THE ETHICS OF FOOD AND DRINK COMPANIES- CASE STUDY OF INNOCENT SMOOTHIES. HOW DOES BEHAVIOUR AND THE IDENTITY OF A COMPANY INFLUENCE THEIR RETAIL PROFIT AND GROWTH WITHIN THE INDUSTRY*


G23- Academic Support for all students
Academic Writing Course available, run three times- G23 to sign up (back wall packet sign up- first one is next week, two more opportunities in the Autumn term, September- first come, first served basis).


* Arguing for the subject that you are looking at- persuasion.
* Informed, structured, coherent.
* Choose area of interest, start collecting information which is relevant to this area of interest.


* RESEARCH a philosopher who discusses the ethics of design.


* See appropriate marking scheme on moodle, IMPORTANT CONTENT:


// A BREADTH OF SOURCES (Exhibitions, films, galleries, books, internet, journals, magazines, newspapers).
// DO ALL OF YOUR RESEARCH OVER SUMMER- photocopies, leaflets, cuttings, disks of information.
// HOW YOU HAVE SELECTED EVIDENCE FROM THESE SOURCES.
// ACADEMIC QUALITY OF WORK (NOT PERSONAL).


GET TO MOODLE INFORMATION...


Cross- College > Level 6 Dissertation


THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IS THE KEY TO A STRESS-FREE DISSERTATION


You can't begin to write without the information to base it upon!


GOOGLE SCHOLAR for references


Spend 30 mins a day (for around a month or two) collecting information and sources towards my Dissertation- breaking it up will make it far easier to digest.


Write letters/contact companies who can help with information.


VISIT FRUIT TOWERS (SHEPERD'S BUSH, LDN)


The FIRST STEP is to fill in the dissertation proposal form


- Add working title


Thursday 7th June 2012, 4pm SUBMISSION DEADLINE


Working title can be changed, feedback given after submission.
Issues/Questions can also be written down- things you want answered, things you want to know more about.


What theoretical perspectives will you use? Sociological explanation, psychological, etc? Signifiers, semiotics?


NEED a theory/perspective that will compliment the perspectives.


SOCIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTALISM
CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY


Anaologies- John Stories (looks at visual culture, accesible way to establish certain perspectives).


Disucss PRIMARY sources of inspiration... interviews, gallery showings, photography- first-hand interaction with people and objects


Discuss SECONDARY sources and discuss


RELEVANCE to main area of study- why it is relevant to me as a practitioner, and my interests. 


PERCEIVED PROBLEMS/DIFFICULTIES- Availability, constraints, etc.


***


IDEAS


* BRAND PSYCHOLOGY
* IDENTITY
* BRANDING
* SUSTAINABILITY & GLOBALISATION
* INNOCENT SMOOTHIES V MCDONALDS
* ETHICAL DESIGN
* CHARITY PROFIT SHARING

CTS//CTS Dissertation seminar options.

In today's module briefing with Fred today, we found out a little bit more about what to expect from the future CTS dissertation lectures, and the options we have for sign up sessions (limited to just 12 places per seminar). Below, I taken note of the options, highlight the sessions I wish to attend.


DESIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE (Ethical implications)
DESIGN FOR ACCESSIBILITY
DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY (Ecology and Environmentalism)
DESIGN FOR CONSUMERISM (Brand and identity)
DESIGNING THE FUTURE
DESIGN AND INTERACTION
DESIGN, FORM AND FUNCTION
GLOBALISATION AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES