Context of Practice Presentation - Extended Essay and Practical Proposal
Key bits of interest from other peoples presentations that could work within my own project / essay:
- not everyone can engage in sustainability, aimed a certain people e.g. middle class
- role of branding in sustainability
- some people don't care
- consider the role of class being an issue in sustainability - Sociology
- brands are aspirational. Is sustainability aspirational, if accessible to the few?
- Consider the context the brand is seen within
- Luxury vs Basic range. Is there a social issue in the need for both?
- Is a basics range ore sustainable?
- Psychology - Do we have a choice over what we buy or are drawn to?
- Does packaging design influence the purchasing behaviour of the consumer
- sustainability can be used as a ploy
- Shopping with Freud by Rachael Bowlby
- Influence: The psychology of Persuasion by Robert B Cialdini
- The Green Machine by Aaron Marcus
- Shelf Life: Supermarkets and the changing cultures of consumption
- Maslow's hierarchy of needs
- Behavioral Psychology: Behaviour Modification, Positive Reinforcement
Feedback from Presentation:
- The question for the essay is fine and allows either aspects (reuse or branding) to be explored if wanted
- It was suggested that class plays a part in the purchasing and use of sustainable goods, often they are more expensive therefore lower earning consumers can't purchase them.
- In contrast it was suggested that things like zero packaging shops, which are perhaps more sustainable than conventional supermarkets, stock items in bulk meaning that prices are reduced for consumers making sustainable goods affordable for lower income consumers.
- An example of a zero packaging shop is JarTree in Leeds
- Consider how not everyone engages with sustainable goods and in some cases don't care at all
- Visual Analysis examples around this subject can be broad and draw upon marketing, advertising, packaging etc but will mostly focus on branding influencing sustainable consumption
- Good to highlight role of government and how they decide how issues such as sustainability are tackled through legislation. This perhaps doesn't go far enough and blame instead is passed down to consumers who feel like it is their fault however don't have influence over the system as a whole
- Having an awareness of the problem of the system is important to highlight as there will always be a flaw to sustainability in the current system
- Consider how graphic design can be used to persuade people to be more sustainable
Thoughts from Feedback:
- The essay and visual analysis should explore the focused point of how sustainable consumption is encouraged within design and how this is explored in branding, advertising , packaging etc
- Considering the role of class within the essay will help with working out target audience for the practical
- Linking to the wider system and consumption throughout the essay is important
- Considering more psychological aspects such as how people can be persuaded / influenced to buy sustainable products will be useful in the essay
- Perhaps focus more on specific theories within each of the areas that have been picked out e.g. Maslows theory within Psychology
