Joe Pochodzaj in Conversation with Hefin Jones
This was a really interesting podcast to listen to, I gained more of an undrstanding about how to conduct a community project based around education. I thought it was interesting that Hefin said the method he used to engage the community was actually coming up with a fictional project to prove Wales' capability in space. I'm not sure I would ever have thought of this method and it's interesting to see how successful that was.
I thought it was pretty inspirational that he wanted to help children understand that they can do anything and to think outside of the box when it came to their futures. The outcome was really shaped by collaboration and listening to the people he was working with. The idea that you can improve the community by taking an interest in the development of individuals really is something to think about and take inspiration from.
Graphic Agitation - Social and Political Graphics Since the Sixties
I was so engaged with the reading [1] this week and it has given me plenty of jumping off spots for further research. I think the design of political posters throughout the centuries is really interesting. It's sad that a lot of the things people were protesting in the 70s - racism, homophobia, climate change, are still being protested today. It makes me feel like we haven't come as far as we sometimes give ourselves credit for.
It has also made me wonder if I can use this progression of design to show that the issues are still the same. The poor continue getting poorer while the rich protect their wealth. In my final design I want to make it obvious that things haven't changed and it has been going on for far too long.
Shelter - Evictions Ban
The pandemic presented tenants in private accommodation with a very real threat of eviction as they were unable to pay their rent. Homelessness charity Shelter used creative content across social media to mobilise its supporters, particularly on Twitter and Youtube, to maintain pressure on government to protect tenants from losing their homes.
“The campaign snowballed,” says the charity leaders’ report, and combined effectively with separate direct lobbying of civil servants in the Ministry of Housing. By the end of March 2020, ministers pledged to ban evictions and temporarily increased the notice period landlords were required to give from two to three months. [2]
I think this is such a great example of how people can collaborate and bring about social change. It is with a simple yet impactful video that states the facts and the effect the current times have on the poorest people. It was a surprise to me that the Tories actually listened as they are not usually know for their empathy but it worked and they did.
Workshop Challenge
This week we want you to identify a theme or issue that relates to your locality and present your findings on the Ideas Wall, prior to the design phase.
Research and discover issues that relate to your locality and post them on the Ideas Wall. Direct engagement and potential collaboration is encouraged to engage with relevant local communities to identify issues.
Distill your research to identify one issue you would like to resolve and reveal through a visual outcome.
Write a short 200-word project brief that reports on the issue to be solved.
Design and produce a visual summary to contextualise your issue and project brief. Your summary can be a digital, print or moving image, but it must be succinct, to enable third party viewers to quickly understand the requirements, needs and challenges.
Research
The first thing I decided to do was a survey online of what people think are the most pressing issues facing society in the UK at the minute. Here are the answers:
I was not surprised that the overwhelming number of responses said the cost of living crisis. The only other issues mentioned were climate change, right wing fascism and mental health but these were only said by one or two people.
My initial thought was to go with the cost of living crisis and wealth disparity and this confirms my belief that it is one of the most important issues at the minute.
On Wednesday 23rd March Rishi Sunak announced the spring statement which stretches peoples budgets even further than they already are. Wages across the UK are now falling at their fastest rate since 2014 due to inflation outpacing rises in pay packets and the cost of energy is sky rocketing. The government are not doing enough to support the poorest people in society and for this reason more and more people are falling into that category.
Some of the factors driving the current spike in prices include:
High demand for oil and gas along with uncertainty over supply due to the Ukraine conflict pushing energy prices up across the globe. This has led to higher costs for energy companies and subsequently, their customers.
Government support offered during the pandemic, such as reduced VAT rates in hospitality, ending.
Shortages in staff across a number of sectors including hospitality and transport. Thai is partly due to the pandemic but also compounded by Brexit, which saw many foreign workers leave the country.
Shortages of some goods due to supply chain disruptions across the globe. [3]
With his Spring Statement, Rishi Sunak has left 1.3 million people, including 500,000 children, at risk of falling below the poverty line. This will be the sharpest fall of living standards in the UK since records began in the 1950s. This is something the UK government should be utterly ashamed of yet still they do nothing.
Energy
The energy crisis has hit all corners of the globe as worldwide demand for oil and gas continues to outstrip supply. This has pushed up prices for everyone.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has worsened the problem as many countries import oil and gas from Russia.
These countries have been scrambling to wean themselves off Russian supply in order to avoid financing Putin’s regime. This disruption has pushed up prices even more, with petrol hitting a record price of 155p per litre in early March. Energy companies have faced higher costs when purchasing wholesale gas, and in the UK these extra costs are being shouldered by consumers in higher energy bills.Prices have been creeping up for several months, but bills will skyrocket in April for many as the energy price cap is lifted, with prices rising by as much as 54 per cent.
The price cap places a limit on how much energy companies can charge their customers for their usage.
When this is lifted in April, those who are on default tariffs and prepayment metres will be affected, with the price cap rising by 54 per cent.
Those who are on default tariffs will see an increase of £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 per year, while prepayment customers will see an increase of £708 from £1,309 to £2,017. [3]
Rent
As you can see from the Shelter video, rent is unaffordable to the poorest in the country and in the last year, there have been increases in rent of up to 8.6%, completely outstripping pay rises. In addition to this, council tax will rise in April pushing people even further into poverty.
Groceries
Foodbanks are already seeing an increase in demand and this is only going to get worse. With inflation set to rise again in April, and the conflict in Ukraine creating disruption to supply chains, prices are expected to continue rising. Brexit has also been a big issue for the price of groceries as importing costs and the cost of labor has continuously risen pushing prices up even further.
Taxes
From April 6 to April 5 2023 national insurance contributions will increase by 1.25 per cent in order to tackle massive backlogs in the NHS and historical underfunding of the social care sector.
National insurance is paid in part by employers, and in part by employees.
The proposals have been particularly controversial because those over state pension age, who are likely to benefit most in the short-term, do not have to pay it.
Travel
Rail tickets are going up by 3.8% to offset the loss during lockdowns and make up for the historical underfunding under the Tory Government. In spite of calls to scrap it, the government defended its decision to go ahead with the rise, saying the hike taking place in March gave commuters ample opportunity to purchase season tickets at old prices. Labour have criticised the decision, however, saying that commuters will see average fares rise to 48.9% more than they were in 2010.
This is like the perfect storm of issues making people stretch their budgets and some fall below the poverty line. In a country where austerity has been preached for so long as the way to make the country better, I really think this makes it clear that is not working.
Project Brief (200 words)
One of the most pressing issues in the UK at the minute is the cost-of-living crisis. With the perfect storm of energy prices rising, groceries getting more expensive, rent increasing at a higher rate than ever before, national insurance contributions on the rise and travel becoming unaffordable, it means that more people will fall below the poverty line and not be able to afford the essentials. I don’t want to live in a country that protects the wealthy while letting the poorest people starve. Something needs to be done about this. It has been reported that this is the sharpest fall in loving standards since records began in 1950. This is completely unacceptable in 2022.
In this project I want to take inspiration from protest art and successful mass movements of the past to not only keep this issue at the forefront of people’s minds but also force the governments hand to offer help to those struggling most. I want this service design project to make things better for people, to act as a central mouthpiece of a movement to change society for the better and make sure everyone has what they need to thrive.
Visual Summary
I wanted my visual summary to have a handmade, zine feel, like the punk zines of the 70s. This is because the 70s was the last time cultural revolution was even a possibility and I think we need that attitude again now. We need to use the collective power of the people to change the way our society is running to stop mass poverty taking hold in the UK.
I think one of the errors I have made in this project plan is to jump to a conclusion too quickly - on page 6 I have divided the possible solution into 3 sections. In the third section I have said an app would work but upon reflection and after a tutorial with Paul, I think I need to go back to the drawing board and consider how people actually get their news, A large proportion of the people affected by the cost of living crisis may not have access to the tech or the data needed to use an app. This is something I need to develop in the next couple of weeks as I think there will be a better solution.
References
[1] McQuiston, L., (2015) Visual Impact: Creative Dissent in the 21st Century. London: Phaidon. Available from: https://content.talisaspire.com/falmouth/bundles/5c62b80d69df506330522374
[2] Lepper, J. (2021). Charity campaigns that changed politics in 2021. Available: https://charitydigital.org.uk/topics/topics/charity-campaigns-that-changed-politics-in-2021-9043. Last accessed 26/3/22.
[3] Wilson, S. (2022). Five ways the cost of living is rising – and how to get help if you’re struggling. Available: https://www.bigissue.com/news/politics/five-ways-the-cost-of-living-is-going-up-and-how-to-get-help-if-youre-struggling/. Last accessed 26/3/22.
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