OUGD601 - Extended Essay - Linking Information / Notes - Motives for increased consumption

Motives for increased consumption

No consumption impossible

Non consumption = no design, which is impossible to achieve (neon orange)

It is impossible to stop the need to consume and actually hinders positive change (pink)

Sustainable design is more realistic than non – consumption (neon orange)

Consumption and products will always be needed (neon orange)

Material objects are needed by everyone to some extent (pink)

The aim should not be to stop consumerism, rather to look for alternative ways of consuming (neon orange)

If we consume nothing it takes away the pleasure and enjoyment from life and has an economic impact (neon orange)

Products should add pleasure to life (dark green)

Physical consumption the problem

It is problematic when behaviour is shown in physical terms rather than metaphysical (neon orange)

Internal and external factors

Motives can be internally (hunger) or externally generated (environment) (orange)

Consumption choices driven by internal and external factors (regulation, identity etc) (yellow)

Consumption part of life / human behaviour

Consumption is part of life (pink)

Consumption is a natural part of human behaviour. Human behaviour fuels consumption cycle (neon orange)

The negativity associated with consumption hides the fact that it is a key human behaviour (pink)

Lack of something

Needs are at the heart of human motivations and actions, which occur when there is a lack of something – when we need something we lack something – needs drive human motivations which occur when there is a lack of something – when we lack something, needs drive human actions (pink)

Defining needs / satisfy needs / Maslow hierarchy of needs /motivation

Consumers motivated to satisfy needs (orange)

Two types of need, utilitarian which the consumer considers functional / objective aspects of the product and hedonic / experiential needs which the consumer considers the subjective, aesthetic and pleasurable aspects (orange)

The reasons for the need to consume are affected by emotional and psysiological factors (pink)

Maslow hierarchy of needs – description – self actualisation (orange)

Mcnulty (orange) link with class

Herzberg hygiene factors

VALs structure   

Needs are essential to live, whilst wants are add ons to meet desires (purple)

Blurred lines between needs and wants

What we need and want is hard to define in current consumerist culture where we have everything (red)

Increased wealth has increased expectations (green)

Drive for consumption

Subconsciously we are motivated to consume (neon orange)

Engage with the world

We are motivated to consume so that we can physically engage with the world (pink)

Products are a physical way to understand and engage with the world (pink)

Consumption allows us to learn, process and engage with the world through experiences – we process, learn and engage with the world through consumption of experiences (pink)

Reflection of self

Consumption allows for the reflection of self and allow us to interact with the world (yellow)

Things consumed and owned originally represented an individual and made them distinct, however this has now become a problem for the planet (neon orange)

Industrialisation

Waste

Systems have been designed to waste large amounts of resources (neon orange)

Cradle to Grave system vs Circular Economy

Products of the industrial system that is designed on a linear, one way cradle to grave model – current industrial systems are linear, ending in waste (dark green)

Our industrial system does not consider nutrients in any form (dark green)

Industry should be designed to have restorative effects on the environment allowing growth to continue for both this and the environment (dark green)

Damage certain

There will always be an impact on the environment through production and consumption – damage to the environment is part of the production and consumption cycle (dark blue)

Disregard for environment

Neither the health of natural systems, nor an awareness of their delicacy, complexity, and interconnectedness, have been part of the industrial design agenda – the environment has not been considered within these systems (dark green)

Capitalism / Culture / Society / success

Individuals / consumers try to keep up with others – there is a societal pressure to keep up – society puts pressure on individuals to keep up (pink)

Success within a capitalist culture is determined by wealth (pink)

Consumption is encouraged by society despite huge levels already (brown)

Growth and use of natural resources is still a central belief of society (brown)

Greens view on society are opposite to current capitalist views (red)

Society of churn, convenience and disposability (green type)

Communism and capitalism are indusrtrailist societies which believe that needs are met through continual growth of consumption and production (purple)

Quantitiy over quality

Culturally quantity rules over quality leading to less respect for quality design (brown)

There was a change from quality to convienience (green)

Consumers think more is best (yellow)

Design issues

The waste, pollution, crude products , and other negative effects that we have described are not the result of corporations doing something morally wrong …. The damaging effects created by industry are not the fault of companies but that of the system we reside (dark green)

Design production system

The current design and manufacturing process have little respect for the natural environment (brown)

The design process traditionally does not consider the impact a product can have on the environment (brown)

Fulfils the manufacturers desires and some of the customers expectations – design aims to meet the needs of manufacturers and customers but not the environment (dark green)

Trying to be green/ sustainable: Relationship of designer, consumer, manufacturers, companies and legislation in system

Manufacturers

The problems of choosing materials for a process or a finish can have immensely serious environmental implications (red dot)

It is not always clear where recycled materials are sourced from (green)

The rate of change in many materials fields is likely to accelerate in the near future as the demand for greener products and processes develops (red dot)

Consumer

Difficult for the consumer  to be green if design / production before is unsustainable (neon orange)

People want to help the environment but it is unclear for both the consumer and designers which path is best (green)

Consumers perception of sustainable is not necessarily sustainable ( neon orange)

People do not think legislation is strong enough to deal with the problems and encourage a stronger line (neon pink)

Public think maintaining competitiveness of companies should not impact on environmental actions (green type)

Consumers do not think it benefits industry to be more environmentally friendly because the current economic structure pushes for growth and profit (neon pink)

People feel politics and profit can hinder environmental action, however they realise change is being made (neon pink)

People believe we are responsible for the planet and can make a difference however think government and companies are to blame (green type)

Consumers think they are responsible and should sort out the problem rathe than passing it onto the consumer (green type)

Only conscientious consumers consider the ins and outs of ethical aspects – the general public prefer a brand to take responsibility of that for them – M&S campaign (green type)

Government / legislation

Government action has forced change in industry leading to new production methods (black)

Regulations provide a pass to continue destructive behaviour (dark green)

Regulations are general which doesn’t encourage creative solutions (dark green)

Designers

Understanding makes you complicit

Once you understand the destruction taking place, unless you do something to change it - having understanding of the damage created by the system and not acting to change makes the designer part of the problem / complicit (dark green)

Designers have ignored the effects of design on the environment (red)

Not completely responsible / responsibilities

Designers are not responsible because it is their job (neon orange)

The designer is not responsible for all the negative impacts a product may have (black)

Designers must ensure that by providing solutions to one set of environmental problems they are not creating or increasing others – an outcome should not further impact the environment (red dot)

Designers try to be sustainable for moral reasons (brown)

There is an ethical responsibility for commercial design as there is more impact created, compared with independent small scale design (neon orange)

designers have a responsibility for the effects their design has and for creating safe products (brown)

Product or environment

The designers must prioritise the role of the product first (black)

Designers need to consider the bigger picture not just the product (dark green)

Designers need to think about the environment first (red) 

A designer does not aim to make waste, but does have to consider the life and purpose of the product and packaging systems that exist (green)

Materials

Designers are forced to make decisions about which materials to use despite this (dark green)

Designers should not have to decide between problematic materials, instead there should be a solution (brown)

Designers are not responsible for working out whether materials are safe this is for governments and industry to determine (brown)

Designers now have access to a range of environmentally low impact materials (pink)

The decision is often made by choosing the less damaging option (dark green)

cradle to grave/ LCA / holistic

Considering effects early – impact throughout life cycle

There is a need for a holistic approach to solutions  - holistic thinking is needed for projects (red dot)

Impact on the environment can be reduced through LCA planning (yellow)

Traditionally the concern of the designer has ended with the launch of the product but the green designer should think about its complete life from cradle to grave ( red dot)

A holistic overview will determine whether the right product choices are made – for the right product choices to be made a holistic overview is needed (brown)

Cannot only focus on one aspect of sustainability, LCA more effective (yellow)

Design stage programming

Environmental impacts are set during the design stage (neon orange)

Design can help change by considering sustainability form the beginning (yellow)

Impacts have to be considered early on in the design stage for them to be reduced (black)

Design stage dictates 80% of impact on the environment (neon orange)

Middleman – have influence

Designers have connections with both sides of the production system – designers are the middlemen within the product cycle – designers have connection with both consumers and producers (red)

Designers create a bridge between product and consumer making them important facilitators of environmental design (black)

Want to help

Designers want to help but feel overwhelmed by the environmental problem or inhibited in making change (black)

People want to help the environment but it is unclear for both the consumer and designers which path is best (green)

Sustainable knowledge / design is not growing quickly enough to keep up with the problem (neon orange)

Designers educating the client and public pressure is needed to change consumerist retailers (red)

New design concerns

Designers more than ever need to understand the motives of consumers and consumerism as well as improving product efficiency (yellow)

Needs need to be considered within a design whether these be ecological, economic, cultural preferences (dark green)

For system to work better

Environmentally responsible design requires a clear policy, a structured approach and reliable, unbiased information (red dot)

Design problems / designers issues in sustainable design

Environmentally responsible decisions will rarely be straightforward and the different benefits and disadvantages will, as always need to be balanced out carefully’ – sustainable design needs to balance the negative and positive impacts of the design on the environment (red dot)

Production systems can make it difficult for designers to know which materials to use but they try to use the knowledge they have (brown)

Sustainable knowledge / design is not growing quickly enough to keep up with problems (neon orange)

Design in general - Design increase consumption /plays on lack / creates desires

Marketing / branding contribute towards consumption problems (yellow)

Design has continually encouraged the consumer market (neon orange)

Advertising encourages the consumption of products people don’t need (neon pink)

Design encourages the consumer culture (neon orange)

Although there is more sustainable awareness, design can be considered to be superficial which encourages a culture of brevity and excess (neon orange)

Manufacturers play on these feelings of good and bad through advertising (dark green)

Advertising is used to tempt, buy latest and sometimes eco ethical (green type)

Consumption could be highlighted if the moral issues of advertising were highlighted – advertising has moral issues when sustainability is considered (purple)

To create drive in consumers marketing encourages a new desired state , which means making the consumer feel dissatisfied with their current state (orange)

How / what it uses - Desires created by consumer led design - Playing on Needs / Lack / Desires

Consumer led design aims to be desirable – consumer led design plays on human desires rather than needs (red)

Consumer led design encourages materialism and makes consumers unfulfilled (red)

Advertising plays on the idea of lack by relentlessly suggesting alternative lifestyles / futures enforcing a sense of lack on the consumer (pink)

Branding marketing aims to play on consumers needs to get them to buy products (yellow)

Do we actually want all of these things or are manufacturers and advertisers taking advantage of consumers by making up these needs or aspirations to et the consumer to purchase their product (red)

Consumption due to desire leads to short lifespans and is mostly metaphysical (pink)

Often things seen as needs are wants which we have been persuaded to think are needs …. Persuasion converts wants into what we see as needs meaning we wouldn’t lose much with less consumption (purple)

Marketing defines a need as a perceived lack (orange)

Consumer realizes they need something then the need becomes reality (orange)

Newness

New products are marketed to improve earlier products (red)

Constantly improved convenience products encourage consumerism (red)

Consumers are never satisfied and want more from products – the market creates desires that are met temporarily by a constant supply of new products (red)

A cycle of newness then old is created (neon orange)

New only lasts for a short time (neon orange)

Progress

Superficial design creates a sense of progress, which is desirable, however only for a short time leading to frustration and ultimately encourages waste (pink)

People have a need for progress and design makes people want to be with current trends, but by designing new things this encourages people to want more , fuelling consumerism (neon orange)

Transience / Meaning  

Short lived nature of the pleasure from consumption, makes it so addictive (light blue) pg 80

Products quickly give their meaning away and do not fulfil expectations (pink)

Green consumerism / green technology  – increasing consumption

Is green consumption green? – the switch to green consumerism from traditional consumerism may lead to the same problems of consumption and identity -Dideriot effect created (yellow)

Green consumption could increase rather than reduce consumption (yellow)

Weak sustainability quote managerial using technology

Green and grey consumerism are not sustainable in the long run, there are limits to growth – green consumerism is too much like the current system which is unsustainable – a new system is needed (purple)

Green consumerism is not green (purple)

Technology

Recycling can help justify more consumption (pink)

Recycled materials are being consumed more now rather than new resources – rather than using new resources, recycled materials are being consumed rapidly in wasteful ways (pink)

Technology seen as a solve all solution (brown)

Recycling on its own will not solve the problem (pink)

Recycling is only part of the solution of overconsumption – recycling is a plaster on the larger issue of overconsumption (dark green)

Not always environmentally friendly

Recycled materials are not always environmentally friendly especially if not designed to be (dark green)

Usually recycled materials are more environmentally … recycled materials are not always better than virgin materials, this is dependent on factors in recycling process (green)

Consumer love for recycling  

Recycling is loved by consumers (neon pink)

Recycling allows consumers to feel better about their negative impact / actions (pink)

Legislation

People do not think legislation is strong enough to deal with the problems and encourage a stronger line (neon pink)

Designers educating the client and public pressure is needed to change consumerist retailers (red)

There is a need for sustainable design because there is more awareness from consumers and increasing legislation by government (neon orange)

Technology

Recycling can help justify more consumption (pink)

Recycled materials are being consumed more now rather than new resources – rather than using new resources, recycled materials are being consumed rapidly in wasteful ways (pink)

Technology seen as a solve all solution (brown)

Recycling on its own will not solve the problem (pink)

Recycling is only part of the solution of overconsumption – recycling is a plaster on the larger issue of overconsumption (dark green)

Technology will not be enough to solve the problems of consumption (purple)

Recycling confusion / misleading

Recyclable materials are not always recycled (brown)

Recycling arrows can mislead consumers into thinking they can recycle their products anywhere (neon pink)

This confusion puts pressure on local services and puts off consumers from engaging in recycling (neon pink)

Not always environmentally friendly

Recycled materials are not always environmentally friendly especially if not designed to be (dark green)

Usually recycled materials are more environmentally … recycled materials are not always better than virgin materials, this is dependent on factors in recycling process (green)

Consumer love for recycling   

Recycling is loved by consumers (neon pink)

Recycling allows consumers to feel better about their negative impact / actions (pink)

Technology solution?

Recycling and renewable energy are not the complete solution to sustainability – as resources are finite making consumption impossible at current rates – but they do make up part of the solution (purple)

Continuing with current consumption levels and using recycling – an industrial technique – as a technological fix creates the impression of a solution, but it is only part of the answer (purple)

Technology will not be enough to solve the problems of consumption (purple)

Technology creates growth, whilst at the same time will prevent it in the future (purple)

Technology cannot create infinite growth using finite resources

Technological solutions do not reduce consumption, instead just hide the effects (purple)

Technology will not be enough to solve the problems of consumption (purple)