The Plan Of To Dos For Over The Summer 2011

ASSIGNMENT 5B  –

5 design related reads :

1.  IN THE BUBBLE  John Thackara. – Looks at design not designing for something BUT designing with ….. I like the idea of reading something which looks at how to design with the world and people around us instead of against them and it, being in a design bubble. 
2.   CRADLE TO CRADLE   Michael Braungart, William McDonough. – Looks at sustainable and reusing what we already have. I like the ideas of reusing what we already have and get the most out of things. Just last year we were given the choice of getting blue and brown lidded bins for our rubbish and I was over the moon being able to recycle without having the hassle of asking friends or family to take me the recycle centre. Also I use real nappies with my little one and love the washing and reuse process too, I would love to read further into sustainable and see what else I can do.
3.  DO YOU THINK WHAT YOU THINK YOU THINK?  Julian Baggini and Jeremy Stangroom. – Challenging what we think and why it is we think, we think we like that. I like the idea of reading something which will question my thoughts and make me think why we think them. Are they our thoughts or have some of our thoughts been put there by what our parents, peers and the media think.
4.  BLINK: THE POWER OF THINKING WITHOUT THINKING  Malcolm Gladwell. – Looking at snap decisions made in a blink of an eye can be more right than the ones thought out. Again looking at the thought process and questioning the best ideas of thinkings and decisions, the snap ones and the well planned out ones.
5.  MISTAKES WERE MADE (but not by me): WHY WE JUSTIFY FOOLISH BELIEFS. BAD DECISIONS AND HURTFUL ACTS  Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson. – How we respond to conflicting ideas. I like the idea of looking at how people deal with conflict and see if it will help me in the future when I am in a situation of conflict.

So I feel I would like to look further into designing with the world around us, look at sustainable and the reuse of things we already have and question how we think and deal with conflicts. The reason I would like to deal with these issues is because I am a person who always questions my thoughts and I think why do I think like that, why do I worry about silly things and then worry about things which have not even happened. It would be good to read about the thoughts of thinking and see if I can lie some of my thoughts at bay and change things. As I have said I use real nappies with my little one and recycle where I can with in home but I would love to learn to do more and help to get the word out there that reusing is good and helps the planet in the long-term. I even reuse wrapping paper and write on the backs of greetings card. I chose to look at reading In The Bubble by John Thackara as it was one recommended by RedJotter at her lecture and it sounds interesting and will hopefully help me look further at the design process.

5 things to change or update on my blog :

I feel over the month of March I have already made a few good changes to both blogs :

quacking design ideas –

• I started adding links as I was writing my posts so that if I wanted to it was easy to find them again and put them under easy headings to understand what was what.
• I started posting up tags with each post but feel I could perhaps use these better.
•  Instead of having one page for assignments I decided to make up two one for semester1 and one for semseter2 so that it broke it up a bit and was easier to write on.  
• And at the side I added the calendar of when I make updates and I also made my tags visible.

Quacking Designs –

• I started listing useful links to the side which were related to projects and knit as a topic.
• Added the tags and the calendar of when I make updates so it was all visible to the eye.
• And as writing up posts started listing tags.

But perhaps I could change and update a little more while I am blogging over the holidays :

1. Tags – To check through my tags again and make sure they make sense.
2. Link to twitter – Starting making better use of my twitter account and make that link from my blog.
3. Flickr – Set up a flicker account and see how it works, perhaps also link it to both blogs.
4. delicious – Look into what it is about and perhaps set up a link from here to design blog.
5. Avatar – Now that I know the Gravatar in WordPress in the same as an Avatar it is time to set up one for both blogs.
6. Pages – Perhaps look at the pages I have again and tweak them a little.

I plan to do all of the above to both blogs over the month of June, I especially cannot wait to take a look further at Flickr, delicious and what I will make my Avatar for both pages.
 

5 people/companies to contact :

I have come across some postcards from the degree show which D.O.J had at Vision for year 2009. I remember liking these students work so I thought I would email them or get in contact and see what they are doing now and see where the are on their journey :

1. Fiona Walker – fionamwalker86@hotmail.com
2. Lynsey Coke – info@lynseycoke.co.uk  and web- www.lynseycoke.co.uk
3. Jenna Makein – Jennamakin@hotmail.com and web http://jennamakein.blogspot.com

Here is hoping these emails and web pages are still ongoing, but I will check and see if I can find them via Twitter or even Facebook too.

I may also get in touch which some companies who produce yarns to see the cost of perhaps having my own small selection here at home.

1. Uppingham Yarns – uppyarns@wools.co.uk
2. Texere Yarns

Perhaps I will also contact some of the artists and designers who are part of the Perthshire art festival. www.perthshireopenstudios.com

1. Cloth Paper Stone – www.cloth-paper-stitch.co.uk
2. Acorn Studios –  cherryelder@hotmail.com
3. Di Lana designer knitwear –www.dilanaknitwear.com

I like the idea of contacting the local artists and designers on my door step and take more of an interest of what is going on around me and get out of my Viv bubble.