Lecture
The main thing I took away from this interview with George Lee and Jonathan Collie was the idea that people should always be at the centre of your design. This is something I really like and I think this is the way I design. I have worked at charities as a designer for the past 7 years so people have always been at the centre of my practice. I like the idea that design can be used to make people's lives better and that is what I want to do with this project.
I think I can use The Age of No Retirement as inspiration going forward, as a way to engage the community and speak to people on a level that doesn't always involve technology as not everyone would have access to that. I love the idea of talking groups and other ways to get people talking about problems and using the community to solve them.
The Listening Project
Since 2012 The Listening Project have been collecting intimate conversations between friends or relatives, to build a unique picture of our lives today. They have collected over a thousand so far, and most will be broadcast across BBC radio, while all are archived by the British Library, preserving them for future generations. [1]
After Paul mentioned this to me in a tutorial I decided to go back through the archives and listen to some of the conversations people had. What struck me the most was the openness of the people talking to each other, it's almost as if this format means people feel comfortable to speak the truth to each other and seek advice from people they probably never would have otherwise.
Capturing these conversations that would previously gone unheard is such a beautiful way to record a shared history. It can also help the people listening to it, if they suffer with the same problems it can be a vital resource for not only advice but also just to know people feel the same way can be a powerful thing.
Speakers Corner, Hyde Park
Speakers' Corner is a traditional site for public speeches and debates since the mid 1800's when protests and demonstrations took place in Hyde Park. Speakers' Corner is located on the north-east edge of Hyde Park, nearest Marble Arch and Oxford Street. Historic figures such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and George Orwell were known to often use the area to demonstrate free speech.
In 1872, an act of parliament set aside this part of Hyde Park for public speaking. Even today, on a Sunday morning, it's not unusual to find crowds gathering at Speakers' Corner to listen to enthusiasts expounding their views. Anyone can turn up unannounced to speak on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful. [2]
I love this idea of using free speech to tell personal stories, talk about a subject and even start a revolution. I feel like these are the kinds of things we need to encourage around the cost of living crisis in the UK. To tell personal stories about the way government decisions are effecting the people would be a great use of this which makes me think maybe there is a way to start a speakers corner type thing outside the houses of parliament - taking the problem to the only place that could solve it. Have people that have been affected by the cost of living crisis talking to the public, sharing stories and even sharing advice could be a powerful way to use the power of the people to change the social and political landscape.
I think the historical precedence for protesting is there, Speakers' Corner was the focus of a huge rally in February 2003 against military action in Iraq. The number of people who attended was estimated at between 750,000 and two million. The speakers and supporters included the actress Vanessa Redgrave, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, former MP Tony Benn, playwright Harold Pinter and the Hollywood actor, Tim Robbins. The rally was one of the most recent in Hyde Park about war. In 1859, there were demonstrations about the Franco-Austrian War.[2]
Maybe I wouldn't need to set up a new location in Parliament square and actually using Speakers Corner for this purpose would be both historically relevant and also powerful enough to create change.
How do people get their news?
In last weeks workshop task I realised that by suggesting an app I was assuming people would know how to use it and have access to WiFi or data to be able to look at it. I think a really valuable question to ask is how people consume news and get their information.
I found the most recent Ofcom report, these were the conclusions: [3]
I think this is really interesting a I would have assumed internet would be higher. However, when you take into account all of the older people who don't use technology or people without access to the internet, it does make sense. This has shown me that I need to come up with an alternative idea to an app in order to reach the highest number of vulnerable people.
Workshop Challenge
Option 2: Conclude your own service design project, which you outlined over the last two weeks.
Think broadly about the relevant media you may wish to deploy when answering your chosen design challenge, e.g. social media, public installation, viral, product or other digital or technology innovation.
Crazy 8 Sprint
I decided to do a crazy 8 design sprint to think about how I could communicate with people without the use of an app which could be unaccessible for some people. This really helped me to think outside the box and consider different ways with clear influences of my research into Speakers Corner and The Listening Project. I think this has given me a solid basis for developing ideas further and coming up with some form of solution or at least a way to help people navigate through this crisis.
I feel like the more research I have done into this subject the more questions are uncovered rather than answering any. The scale of this problem is huge, and I know that no one solution will change the current society for the better so rather than solving a problem, this project is more about helping people feel like there is something they can do, whether that is to help people, find help or begin the lengthy process of trying to change things.
Idea Development
From my research and development I have come up with the idea of doing a "festival for change" in Hyde Park. I picked the location because it is where Speaker's Corner is which I think has very relevant history for this project. It has been the traditional site for public speeches and debates since the mid 1800 and in 2003 it was the scene of a huge rally against military operations in Iraq. I think this is the perfect place for my idea of a Thrive Not Just Survive Festival for Change. If we want to change society for the better, I think this is the perfect place to start.
Although I think protests are an invaluable resource for the oppressed and people wanting change, I don't think in this situation that is enough. This is why I have come up with the idea to make it more of a festival, where people can come to get information on where to get help like bursaries or grants as well as speakers corner where people can tell their stories. Inspiration for this was not only taken from Speaker's corner itself but also from Radio 4s the Listening Project. My hope is that encouraging people to speak out and tell their stories will also encourage conversations about how to help and even just a sympathetic ear.
I want to protest the government and force change when people are in such dire straights but also offer people somewhere to go for help. This could also include sending the information out to people in certain areas and making it available online - reaching as many people as possible.
The Logo
I think this event needs a logo to tie it all together. It needs to be something easy to replicate so people can make their own posters and I want it to retain that handmade "by the people for the people' theme.
I wanted to mock up the logo in colour. I chose the colours of the London Underground as London is where the people who can make the difference are. It is also the location of the festival for change so it ties it in. However, having multiple colours on it means it is harder for people to replicate and more expensive to print - the whole point of this is to raise awareness about the cost of living crisis so that really should be the front and centre - affordability. This is why I chose to also develop the speech bubble design. The bubble comes from my initial designs for the visual presentation of the problem, it also ties into the idea behind this festival of having people's voices heard.
Final Logo
I like the simplicity of this logo. I think it gets the point across strongly and is easily recognisable and easy to replicate. The idea is to get this in as many places as possible and for people to know immediately what this is about. I think this successfully does that.
Posters
I want to keep the posters very simple and straight to the point. They will be branded with the Thrive not just Survive logo and say simply what the problem is.
i have changed the colours to red white and blue to reflect not only London but also the UK flag. I think this routes it in a place and makes it really recognisable I want these posters to be easy for people to replicate and make their own slogans as it is about people having a voice and telling the truth of their situation.
I am really pleased with the overall branding I have designed for this festival/protest. I think it is easily recognisable and also gets across the message- people shouldn't just be expected to scrape by, everyone should be given the tools they need to thrive in the current climate.
Flyer
I also want information to be readily available for people to take home and also be sent out to people unable to attend the event. I want it to include information on all different kinds of costs - including the 5 main ones I have mentioned; energy, food, rent, tax and travel.
This is just an example of the cover and a double page spread. It would be basic information and then pointers of where to visit to get further help. Because the festival of change will include stalls from relevant charities offering help to people, I want to use the flyers to point them there. The information that will be sent out will be more in depth and not include these pointers to stalls.
Map
I think part of the package for this festival of change and protest is a map showing all the important areas for the day. It will help to show people where to go, where they can get help and where they can listen to people's personal stories at speakers corner.
I could take a detailed map like one from google however I think this would be confusing trying to label the elements of the festival. I need to strip it right back and go with something very simple.
I used the same straight line shapes I used in the posters and flyers to retain the identity of the festival. I think this is a successful map however it doesn't have any transport links on. As I want as many people to come as possible, I think I need to add tube stations on.
References
[1] BBC. (2022). The Listening Project. Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01cqx3b. Last accessed 6/4/22
[2] Royal Parks. (2016). Speakers' Corner. Available: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/hyde-park/things-to-see-and-do/speakers-corner. Last accessed 6/4/22.
[3] Ofcom. (2018). News Consumption in the UK. Available: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/116529/news-consumption-2018.pdf. Last accessed 6/4/22.
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