Friday, 20 October 2017

CAT Trip 2017

Some quick ref pics of the group over at the Centre for Alternate Technology (CAT) this year. Always a good day, we had a welcome talk with Chris McLennan and then a lecture/workshop with Paul Allen - CAT's 'Zero Carbon Britain' project Co-Ordinator..

"This trip was a big eye opener to me as it made me aware to things that I had very little previous knowledge of. It was definitely a large inspiration to me and my work."
Student on the module taken from the submitted report.


Some of our group for the day en route over there..

The amazing water-powered cliff railway at CAT.

Students inside one of the cliff railway carriages on the
way up to the main site..

Our group for the day and design lecturer Andy

Paul Allen's talk on 'Zero Carbon Britain'..

The amazing Sheppard lecture theatre - made from 'rammed earth'..

CAT's head of education, Chris McLennan gives an overview talk..

A large slab of vegan cake that we 'user tested' in CAT's canteen.. :)

Monday, 16 January 2017

Gdes3003 Final Creative Concept Submissions for the Worcester eBike Project

Here's a selection of this semester's student submissions for the Worcester eBike project. These will now be passed out to partners involved in the eBike scheme and will be looked-over with making a shortlist of potential design treatments in mind. Katy Boom, UW's Director of Sustainability visited the student hand-in and explained the next steps in the process. Students were told that one or more of their visual solutions will definitely be used in any final project - amazing news!
"(the) Green Design module and the Worcester Cycling Network Project was very beneficial to me as I look at design (now) from a different point of view... I have also developed my skills from the 2nd year in terms of map-making and navigational design which I really enjoy doing... I believe that this project has a great scope and in the future it might bring something wonderful to Worcester.. I'm more than happy that I got a chance to work on it for a couple of months."
- Student comment on this project (sanctioned, from report).


“… Green Design and this brief has helped me develop as a designer.. Being more self-aware of all these (sustainability-related) factors in how we look at the production and design of projects, advertisements, print is definitely beneficial to how I look at potential briefs in the future.. Big brand companies are becoming more eco-aware, which in turn provides work and opportunities for people with the knowledge to make their products sustainable and have less impact on the environment.. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about different developments..”
- Student comment on this project (sanctioned, from report).

Joe Baber
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Gabrielle Booth
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Scott Booth
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Charlotte Bullock
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Markeec Butler-Stephen
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James Campbell
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Anca Coltofeanu
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Tom Hodgson
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Katie Ledgerwood
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Margarett Passos
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Anna Peskova
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Christina Pop
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Noa Rakic
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Lenka Simackova
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Anna Solcova

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Georgia Stanley
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Alex Williams
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Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Gdes3003 Prototypes Deadline Individual Tutorials & Feedback

This week I was keen that I caught up with all on the module to both see where students were progress-wise (Prototypes Deadline) and to review research gathered and your devt processes too. Below is a list of general tips and my own observations per person at this stage before next session’s peer assessment.

General Top Tips At This Stage

1. Make sure that you’ve revisited the brief and have devt work ongoing that addresses the various primary and secondary wants.

2. Consider some level of basic user testing to make sure that your key ideas are reviewed by at least 5x individuals who count as ‘general public’.. You can do this (refer to previous sessions and user test discussions) via questionnaires, interviews etc.
3. While the primary aim is to have the support booklet as a .pdf, it will likely be printed by some orgs and occasional individuals. As it’s A5 this means that the booklet will be ‘pocket-sized’. It may be printed ultimately as a short run too by orgs linked to the system – i.e. Worcs City Council in small quantities. If it is printed in this way then it’s likely it’ll be done so using both eco print considerations as well as sustainable paper and board.
Feedback to individual students attending tutorials
Joe Baber
Needs to collect all refs together so can populate a blog.
Great research on PPt to date + notes. Very good x-section of sketch devts + notes – needs to experiment more with layouts and some of the good visuals he’s been developing .. Not had chance to look at the blog in a big way as yet..

Gabrielle
Blog but only content is CAT visit/task. Needs to evidence all her primary and secondary research + her notes and thinking on this. Needs to add refs gathered from sessions. Has written session notes but needs to transfer these to blog posts. Has a small amount of devt sketches + some useful notes – suggest expanding these to help support final set of ideas. Like the fact that has started to look at where ads and key graphics will go on bikes.. Think there’s potential in the ‘E Cycle’ idea – needs to add an obvious Worcester ref though.

Scott Booth
Has some initial thinking in sketchbook + notes and ideas around naming. Has been out working for the university for large swathes of the last two weeks so is understandably not as far ahead at present as some of of his peers. Looking at info graphic style – simple, minimalistic. Has useful set of refs on blog – good that has asked the public about their thinking about this sort of scheme too.

Charlotte B
Has well populated blog with useful notes and imagery from research and sessions. Has set of devt sketches visible + early screen refs here. Advised to go back to brief and double check key requirements of brief for 3D artefact element.  Advised on some poss tweeks to graphics treatement and more symbolic ‘cycle’ elements to be brought into existing designs..

Markeek
Has contents and some research in sketchbook has had some computer issues but will transfer content to a new blog by next session. Has refs to eBooks and bike brochures – knows that ideally we need to see his angle and comments on these on the blog. Has evidence of thumbnail sketches and some basic notes in sketchbook. Has early examples of work in illustrator on screen linked to GTech bottle visual – like but wonder if needs to allude more to electric power too? Sugegstd positive/negative signs or eco-power like wind power etc.. Definitely revisit the brief to make sure has all required elements in hand.. Has early refs to one element of the guide – map.. Has early idea for barcode scanning which he wishes to develop further.

James C
Has contents on blog coming together – primary and secondary and refs to ebike trials and CAT etc.. Useful summary of brief + notes.. Has some useful ID ideas developed on screen – have suggested one stronger than others and maybe consider refining this a little more to suggest ‘cycles’ in some way. Suggested various small tweeks to typographic treatments too.

Anca
Content on blog appeared recently from notes some of the key aspects required appearing on here but I would say still some room for extra research into eco packaging, second life packs. Need to see electric bike test pics from session. Wasn’t able to show sketches at this moment or work on screen although Anca knows it’s the prototypes deadline today.  Next week is peer assessment and Anca assures me that she will have all elements here to show.

Tom H
Has range of refs on his blog + some useful notes. Some useful session refs, CAT post and electric bike test pics. Some issues with display of imagery at the point of tutorials - but has shown examples on phone instead.. Consids around user testing of ideas – make sure revisit brief to be sure that has ticked all key wants and also make sure that symbolic cycle-related imagery en route..

Katie
Good blog development of posts and well noted-out, good development of ideas and has had feed in from different tutors and used this to her advantage. Suggested user testing and going back to the original brief to double-check has all key elements covered..

Margarett
Blog seems to be well populated with ideas and research as well as concept work and ideas around 3D artifacts with paper and folds – good. On screen work is progressing well and has mix of typographic considerations textural and illustrative too.  Some unique ideas around fabric use too.

Anna P
Good developments on blog to date, session refs here, well noted out, clear x-section of rough devts. Has good range of refs primary and secondary research – needs to add CAT refs and pics to blog, is considering basic user testing ideas at this time. Anna double-checked about formats and I explained that manual was .pdf but as was A5 it could be printed out and used in pockets. As council is a  partner they may also have small run of printed-out vooklets which (would likely) use basic eco print and paper/board considerations..

Cristina
Good blog work ongoing – rounded set of posts with some still to populate fully yet with contents. Cristina has wrestled with her designs and has various angles on her key ID and early devts with booklet layouts too. Have advised a revisit of the brief and key wants and have mentioned idea of user testing if at all possible – albeit on a small scale.

Noa
Has not attended the booked tutorial. I’d urge her to get in touch so that we can best support her at this point in the module.

Lenka
Has a range of blog research but ideally could do with  wider range of packaging, eco print and papers refs in here + comments. Ideally also pick out key things discovered in sessions to put on the blog to show as inspiration to your ideas.. Visual ideas at present are en route but have suggested that maybe consider more cycle or natural world references as backdrop to pages of booklet. Do also consider going back to the brief to double-check the key asks of the brief and do also consider some form of user testing if possible so that you have feed-in from tutor, your peers and even potential users of such a scheme.

Anna S
Despite time out working for the university Anna has still made additional progress design-wise on this project. I’ve suggested user testing ideas to help refine if at all possible and also to watch how the intricate details of artwork reduce down in size.. Artwork shows promise and Anna will supply further up to date examples of her work and research so that this can be peer assessed in the next session.

Georgia
Is slightly behind on progress with both her blog and also her practical work. After a tutorial Georgia is aware of the requirements for next session’s peer assessment. Georgia will add further refs and research gathered in paper from to her blog and seek additional interim feedback before the peer assessment session.

Alex Williams
Some good blog devts here, lite on sketch devts and comments on these at present.. Some early ideas on screen – poss need user testing to refine further. Make sure looked at brief again, at other hire schemes and what elements they use on their bikes visually etc..

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Gdes3003 eBike Test Run & Blog Post Task

While I'm away in London managing the University's UCAS stall I've arranged for you as a cohort to go over to Katy Boom's office in the Hines Building (nr the post room, back of the SU/Peartree Cafe by the crossing). 

Katy will be able to give you access to the UW test eBike so that you can examine one first hand and (if you wish, not obligatory) have a go yourself so that you know the nature of electric bikes. While this isn't the style of the eBikes proposed for Worcester's scheme it will still give an idea of the mechanics and experience of riding an electric-powered/assisted bike.

Linked blog task (please have completed before your session with Wendy):
While you're over at Katy's in the Hines Building I'd like you to undertake the following and put the outcomes on a blog post on your own blogs. These posts will then be expected (along with your CAT post) on final submission of work for the module:

1. Please take pictures of the bike as a whole and it's electric power plant and control mechanisms on the handlebars (+ any others you feel is useful as general primary refs here).

2. Describe 3x differences between the eBike you're looking at and/or sitting on and a 'normal' pedal bike.

3. Compare the test bike at Katy's to the GTech eBike, describe 3x differences - think in terms of either 'design', 'weight', 'ease of use' (or) notable differences arrived at on your own inspection/comparison.
To prove that I wouldn't ask you to do something that I wouldn't do here's a cheesy picture of tutor Andy on the test bike today:

Some of the mechanics in the eBike's electric power unit.

Cheesy pic of tutor Andy on the eBike
(I've ridden it powered around campus too!).

Gdes3003 Rough Ideas - eBike Brief

Here's a few quick ref snaps of student rough work spotted at our 'roughs' deadline this week in session. There's a wide range of treatments and ideas and some have created pencil ideas to date and some have moved on to trying out early ideas on screen..

Some great early roughs here. Loads of possibles and I really
like the notes to help clarify separate ideas too.

Simple pictogram style imagery - bold, clear. Some ref visually with
the lower section to the NHS though seemingly.

Seemingly a bit further down the line than sketch roughs,
simple, like the idea of different colour treatments..

Loads of potential here with various possible treatments.. Great roughs.

I like the use of leader lines here to point to bike specifics. Useful for a manual.

Interesting play on the idea of cogs, power.



Friday, 28 October 2016

Gdes3003 Lecture Visit to The Centre for Alternate Technology

We'd like to pass back a huge 'thanks' to Paul Allen, CAT's Co-Ordinator for the 'Zero Carbon Britain' Programme that the Centre has produced. Paul gave a talk about Zero Carbon Britain at the UN Climate Talks in Paris, 2015. This week Paul kindly shared some of his thinking with our own Green Design students who are made familiar with Zero Carbon Britain early on in their studies with us.

Our students are more likely to be asked to consider sustainability in their design practices on graduation nowadays due to CSR's or Corporate Social Responsibility Charters. Large companies such as Marks and Spencer, Nike and Heinz now build in sustainability to their procurement process - even when it comes down to services such as design of goods and packaging.
“The visit to the Centre for Alternate Technology was an essential moment during my process of understanding the principles of sustainable living. That was when I fully understood that it is my responsibility as a designer not only to look at materials uses, but also to be more aware of responsible (graphic) design and how crucial it is to (help) educate the public..” Design student comment.
“For me the inspiration came after our visit to the Centre for Alternate Technology… The visit not only meant that we got an insight as a designer, but after the Zero Carbon Britain talk led by Paul Allen the subject became a concern.. Which I think made me feel empathetic to.. How -we- can ‘fix’ the problem in our own way as designers.” Design student comment.
 
An interview with Paul at the Paris Climate Talks:



Here's a few pictures from the day's events:


Students note down points from Paul's lecture.

Some of the re-used/re-purposed elements in CAT's grounds.

The Sheppard Lecture Theatre - made largely out of compressed earth.

Paul Allen takes a Q+A session after his lecture to our students.

Students within the Sheppard Lecture Theatre.

Paul Allen during his lecture - discussing some of the psychology
behind marketing methods.

One of the many natural areas on site at CAT.
Student Feedback:
Students attending the trip have been asked to feed back on a set of question so we can see their thoughts on reflection after the trip and lecture.

Margarett Passos
 

Had you heard of CAT before you came on this module?

No I hadn't
 

Decarbonizing our power generation infrastructure via renewables - can it be done, is it feasible? What will it take before changes on the scale suggested by Zero Carbon Britain could happen - government intervention or market forces?

In my opinion, power generation via renewable sources is possible and it's something that some countries are already starting adopt. I believe it depends on the country's environmental policy and history. Some less developed countries might look at renewable energy as a cheaper solution to power the country while others are still so dependent on fossil fuels that these changes might take a while to happen. As discussed in the lecture laws are one way to go, enforcing environmental friendly policies on all companies, and impose green lifestyles are things that might not work in a global scale. I think the solutions depend on the countries and that it should suit each one the best way it can.

Decarbonizing our transport infrastructure - electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered - are they feasible/have you heard of them? Air travel - is it feasible to lower it to the levels suggested in Zero Carbon Britain (?)

I've heard of a few projects involving electric vehicles, by using rechargeable motorways for electric cars, etc. I believe that it's a process. Electric cars are becoming more and more appealing to the current market and starting with cars and proceeding to public transportation, the transport infrastructures can become green themselves. As for air travel, I haven't personally heard of any other renewable sources that are able to reach air travel, but we will be able to gain the technology to do so.

Decarbonizing our food infrastructure (according to Zero Carbon Britain) means lessening our reliance on meat and it's various production methods. When grazing land is freed up, it can be 'better used' to grow crops (which ZCB says is a much more efficient use of it). What do you feel about this? Is it feasible? Would you personally want to lessen your meat intake in the week (unless already a vegetarian)? Does the very thought of this annoy you?

I quite liked the fact that Zero Carbon Britain worked with nutritionists to reach a solution that won't alter diets extremely, it will in fact make us healthier while still decarbonizing. I think that some changes are being made when it comes to food waste, but even today the distribution of food globally can be inefficient. I haven't heard of any country that altered their diet in order to reach such goal. It's a simple idea, and I personally if offered a vegetarian option that I would enjoy I go for it, and because I come from a country that lives also of not only meat but also fish, my diet already differs from the current meat intake of others.
 

Please tell us your thoughts, concerns and/or proactive suggests on the 3x most notable things seen on site at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 emissions, or maybe their Cob Oven setup/Covered social area or maybe the food on site etc).

I tend to watch programmes that involve people designing their dream houses, and how they look for environmental friendly solutions when it comes to isolation and energy reduction. But it was great to enter a house and a room that is build in such way. Also the fact that the amount of energy that is used in houses without one actually thinking about it, was quite eye-opening. There was a panel in a house that showed the watt percentage used by household items, and it was quite interesting. The food on site also had not carbon footprint as it was grown on site and used no transportation, which made CAT almost as a country on it's own. They produce all the food, energy and infrastructures they need, and that could later on serve as model for the country.
 

Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your own ideas and developments for the various aspects of the eBike brief? Please explain your answers and any proactive suggestions in as much detail as possible.

The CAT visit was important for me as I gained more insight on the type of research that is being currently done on renewable sources of energy, transport and food. It also made me see the type of design challenges we could face when exposing this research to the public, as it can be intense and quite a heavy read and it opened my eyes towards what I might face with the eBike brief. I'm considering reaching design solutions that are environmental friendly throughout.


Katie Ledgerwood

Question 1
Had you heard of CAT before you came on this module?

I hadn’t heard of the centre for alternative technology before this module.

Question 2

Power
- Decarbonizing our power generation infrastructure via renewables can be done because you can use renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, hydro and tidal; these produce energy and heat. Also wind energy, on shore and off shore provides an energy supply. The gorverment could help changes by providing free solar panels for every house, they could also adapt a marketing campaign to make the public aware of the options that are avaliable to help achieve the zero carbon britain scale.

Transport
-I think electric cars and other economical modes of transport are feasible as they are being used now. And by people walking or cycling when its not necessary to drive is also helping. I dont think the air travel could be lowered as much as they want as I think to many like to go on holiday and travel that they wouldnt be willing to give it up.

Food
-I think it’s definetly feasible to reduce the amount of meat we eat but it’s whether people would be willing to do this. I personally don’t eat a lot of meat anyway so I would be willing to give it a go .
Question 3
Please tell us your thoughts, concerns and/or proactive suggests on the 3x most notable things seen on site at CAT.

No answer.


James Campbell
(Andy - These Q's from the sheet at CAT as I understand)

How do we remove the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that we cannot wholly eliminate from industry?

• My proposal would be to increase oxygen by increasing the amount of plants and algae we already produce and secondly by introducing more renewable energy sources to our environments in place of fossil fuels.

In our zero carbon Britain research how do we propose to solve the problem of variable energy generation from renewable sources not necessarily matching up with the times at which energy is required.

• I would propose using mainly renewable energies for our main sustainability whilst using fossil fuel based energy only as back-up energy reserves and generally means using more bio-methane in

what percentage of the UK green- house gas emissions are caused by food production. what behavioral change would be required to reduce these emissions?

• I would propose to eat meat less in our lifestyles as I believe this is a difficult yet one of the most effective approaches, also to inform people of effective alternatives to foods such as soya in place of milk and suggesting the benefits to it over milk.

Overall, form looking at the information on the amounts of carbon produces from the different sectors of the UK society, langue and industry, what proposition are, as individuals able to reduces from the changes in our lifestyle?

• My proposition would be to greatly reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products we consume; this would be the more straightforward approach but others would be growing your own organic products to eating a more plant based diet.
secondly using less cars and perhaps using public transport more frequently or other means such as bicycles.


How might we extend our influence to reduce green-house gas emissions from the other sectors?

• Improving various city based infrastructures to promote alternate transportation, second proposal would be to convert garbage(biomass) to be converted to methanol and the process is more efficient than cellulosic ethanol we currently use. 


Charlotte Bullock

1) No, I haven’t heard of CAT before this module.

2)      

Power:
I think that it would take the government to give some kind of incentive to the public whether that is giving them the renewable power generators for free or with some money off the cost. The main problem for the renewables, in my opinion, is their storage. The public aren’t going to want to go from having power 24/7 to only when the suns out or the winds blowing. For the public to be okay with the change, the power would need to be at the same flow as it is using fossil fuels. I don’t think nuclear power is something that the world should be getting involved with.

Transport:
The same kind of answer as before is necessary for this question, if electric vehicles would need to have the same amount of power as petrol/diesel fuelled cars otherwise people wouldn’t want to make the swap between the two unless they were 100% for helping to stop global warming. I do think that electric vehicles and hydrogen powered vehicles are all feasible as they obviously work otherwise they wouldn’t be released onto the market but I personally don’t think they are as reliable as there isn’t half as many electric car charging points as there are petrol stations meaning that the UK especially aren’t really set up for the change yet and owning an electric vehicle is more hassle because there is nowhere to charge it.

Food:
For me personally, I can take or leave meat, especially beef but I know a large amount of people that wouldn’t be impressed with this type of change. At the same time though, if beef became less available in supermarkets then people couldn’t buy it anymore so it wouldn’t necessarily be a choice made by the individual but it would help to lessen the reliance of meat. I’m not entirely sure that individuals would lessen their meat intake unless it was enforced by taking it away from them as some people don’t care enough to have the self-control but for me personally, It wouldn’t have any effect on me.

3)   I really like the way the café at CAT use primarily fruit and vegetables grown on site and no meat; this shows the people that visit the site and eat at the café that food without meat are just as tasty and nutritious as those with meat in them. It could also encourage individuals to grow their own fruit and vegetables as it could act as a source of inspiration.
The edible flowers part of the site was quite eye opening as I had no idea that you could eat flowers, this would be another way to inspire people to grow their own and to use them in their own food at home.
 

I also thought the house called the “Whole Home” was really interesting as it gave lots of different ways to help reduce your carbon footprint throughout your house such as cutting down on the uses of baths and instead taking a shower as a bath uses three times more water than a shower which is three times more for the boiler to heat up. It also showed the uses of solar panels and how they can help throughout the average house.

4)   I was considering seeing if I could do a recipe kind of page for the e-book which hosts lots of different foods which could act as a healthy eating guide for the person on the bike but as they will all  be meat free, this would also help to reduce the carbon dioxide.

Solar panels would be used, if possible, to charge the batteries for the electric bikes at the Worcester Bike Network site. Whether there is a solar panel on each bike which powers each individual bike battery or if there is a bigger one which is connected to all of the bikes at one charging station and powers them individually.


 Additional thought:
When there are not any bikes in the charging station, the solar power panels could be being used to power other things such as street lamps or it could be going into the national grid instead of wasting the energy before it is known how to store it. When it is known how to store it, it could work out how much it would need to charge up all of the bikes and then it could share the rest of it.
 

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

Gdes3003 Final Submissions of eHandbook & 3D Artifact Work

Thanks again to all those who handed their final display boards and prototype 3D artifacts in recently. Please see them all below as quick reference pictures - along with quick descriptions of key thinking for each submission.

Your client (Katy Boom, Head of UW Sustainability) has been in touch with you all now via e-mail and will now be looking all of your submitted work through so that we can put together a final eHandbook from one or more student's work. Katy adds:

"… I am really looking forward to viewing your work.. (for final solutions) I am looking to choose one or more student's work to include in the student eHandbook to go with this new resource.  We are also looking to see if we can replicate this at other UW campuses. Hopefully there won’t be much more to do to completely finish off the work. I’m also really interested to see if your 3D artifacts can be used. Thank you all once again for your enthusiasm, energy and great ideas that you have brought to this task/brief.  I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all..."
Student comments on submission of all work:
"This module has been very valuable to me and has changed my view on consumerism and lifestyle..."
 

"The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in wales was very inspiring! It was more than enough proof that it is possible to live a fulfilling and comfortable lifestyle whilst also living sustainably."
 

"What really got me enthusiastic about ‘cob’ was the trip to the Centre for Alternative Technology where there was a room that was made entirely out of condensed (‘rammed’) earth which I personally found amazing."

"Being able to experiment with natural and recyclable materials to create my 3D artefact, the utensils bag, was extremely enjoyable. Even though I found it quite a challenge and had some issues to deal with along the way, this brief as a whole was an educating and interesting task to complete."

"It was ... a very insightful and interesting module with lots of opportunity to learn more about Green or sustainable Design and innovative ways to tackle problems - such as designing in a more resourceful and self-sustaining manner.."

" ... (the films shown about climate change and oil depletion) caused me to contemplate certain ways in which I operate in everyday life.. This was highly though-provoking for me.."  
 

" The whole project was very enjoyable… A lot has been learnt about the importance of green design (it) will definitely be a consideration in all future design concepts."
 

"Having such creative freedom was a joy for me, the real challenge being how to limit myself to the amount of content I produced... Above all, this module has challenged my way of thinking... I have thoroughly enjoyed it and can honestly see the value in it."
 

"I think green design/thinking will become more and more prevalent in the creative industries, particularly in packaging design and this module has given an excellent foundation to build upon."
 Student Submissions (Alphabetical order)
(Click on each image to view larger and to quickly scroll through images at a glance).

Sophie Adams



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

· The ‘Fabulous Cob oven company’ webpage was a design inspiration for my e-resource. Textured background and typeface along with overall style influenced my design.

· During the initial stages of research I looked into student style cookbooks. From this research I determined what styles I could transfer and adapt into my designs. I decided that a graphic illustrative style would be my approach. I felt this approach would work well when targeting students through the use of graphic illustrations.

· Additionally after the stages of user testing I came across an image found on Pinterest during research. This image inspired the final stages of my design in terms of hierarchy, pattern and texture.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?

· I feel as though my e-resource spreads are effective, as I have thought about the target audience. The graphic illustrative style is appealing to students through the use of pattern, texture and colour. Additionally through the use of user testing I was able to obtain feedback from other students. From this feedback I received design related opinions and feedback on changing the recipes.

· Visual Hierarchy is an aspect, which I have thought about in my design in terms of the content and layout of information. I have arranged the content so that through contrast, colour, and change in text style/ size the user can make a distinction between paragraphs. This makes it easier for the reader to follow in an order.

· For my 3D artifact I researched many existing wind chimes to get inspiration. Particularly I searched for bamboo wind chimes, which were made from utensils. I narrowed down my search to bamboo, as the material is sustainable, strong and functional. This is what inspired my final design, which ultimately has two purposes. The first purpose is a wind chime. The second purpose is a utensil holder. The multi-use wind chime is not only used for sound and display but also used as utensils whilst cooking food in the cob oven.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?

· The students would be able to gain information in an appealing way. This is through the use of pattern, shape and colour. The information they would gain is all about cob ovens from the history to how they get the community involved. The students would learn how to make the two recipes chosen within a cob oven.

· If my artifact were made students would get to see the multi-use purposes that it offers. The main use being a wind chime with the bamboo utensils. Then the second use being a utensil holder. The utensils the students would be able to use for preparing food. Also whilst food is cooking in the cob oven.

Josh Ashley



1. Without a doubt, the Ford Jekson designed by Bolimond design of the juice bottle that can also be used at a bowling set has had a massive effect on my thought process because this got me to think of it as a produce instead and that it should be something that works in syinc with it the main function.

With out the Joolz packing that I found through my research I don’t think that I would have come up with the design I have finished with today because this got me thinking about the way other object slot into one another to produce another product.

2. My e resource is effective because not only dose it give the target audience all the information they need to get set up before they start cooking such and the tool and how to get a fire started but it also give easy recipes for the students, this is also written in such an informal way it makes the e resourse fun to ready for the students.

And my 3D artifact is Perfect for the needs of the student and the cob oven, my artifact give the user everything they will need to get cooking, so they don’t have to bring anything with them to the site, the best this about this is that it dose it in such a way that all these features are hidden in such a way in can still for fill its primary feature.

3. I think that the student of the allotment with find my design a very inventive feature to the allotment and once they start using it they wont be able to think of a time they were ever without it.

Kirsty Brasier



1. Key research references that inspired my final design solutions were the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales (CAT), reusable and second life packaging and the general wellbeing of the environment and all things that grow. CAT was an interesting and successful solution to the need to be more sustainable. Creating a product that can be be reused is beneficial to the environment.

2. When creating my e-resources and artifact I tried to show elements of gain as a contrast to the information we are usually fed as to what we have to give up to be more sustainable.

3. I think users of the UW allotment will benefit  from the designs because they are simple, light hearted and will hopefully encourage people to have a more considerate attitude toward the environment whilst also enjoying healthy food and social aspects.

James Burton



1. One of the designs that influenced my final design of the e-book was (FIG 1)

K.Margaret (2010) 09. Brisket. BBQ 25 [Online] Available from: http://www.coolhunting.com/food-drink/bbq-25-the-worl [Accessed 20 November 2015].

This design inspired me to create a simplistic yet stylish design to communicate the information effectively.

Another design of my three dimensional artefact was inspires when carrying out primary research when building the cob oven on the University allotment. I felt that this allowed me to see what would be useful for students and the way In which it could have a multi purpose.

 2. I feel that my final design and for the e-book cover is effective, as it is simplistic yet effective in the way in which it communicates the elements that make up the material cob. I felt that as this e-book was aimed at the sustainable team, this would be within their interest.

I think that my 3 dimensional element is effective as it is built from scrap wood that would that would have been thrown away, and have found another life for it. I think that I have achieved the goal that I was aiming to achieve. The box is both useful and fun for the student to use.

3. I see the users of the UW allotment benefitting from my various design solutions on this project as my design offers both useful and fun components that would be of the students interest at the cob oven and university allotment.

Matt Campbell


Waiting on wording to be supplied.

Leszek Chylarecki



1. The most important research I have made was:

-       recyclability & biodegradability
-       effective ebook designs
-       secondary use packaging visual research

2. The ebook design should be clear and sleek especially when used within University. I think that my ebook and 3d artefact will persuade people (students) to think about the Green Design idea and Healthy eco friendly world.

3. Students while using my ebook & 3d artefact have the ability to access the resources such as recipes, healthy & eco friendly lifestyle tips.

Josh Fairfax



List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

For me the biggest help when I am designing my finals is using Pinterest as I feel you can really get a visual grasp on what you are looking for, through pintrest I often come across blogs and articles that greatly help me complete my project.

Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?

I feel my handbook represents what this project is about, the photos used in the handbook were all taken on the allotments and the other are from the first firing of the oven. I used sketches and a colour scheme that relates to the outdoors and draws the attention away form the fact that it is a online handbook.

How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?

I believe that my handbook provides the reader with all the information that they would need if they were interested in discovering anything they wanted to know about cob ovens. 

Jess Harris



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

a. This article about sustainable design and print vs digital design was a very influential piece of writing that really impacted on my designs. It inspired me to branch out and design for the mobile platform alongside the e-resources, encouraging the audience to pursue a digital version of the pdf to save resources.

http://www.creativebloq.com/computer-arts/sustainable-design-ultimate-brief-7137302
Sustainable design: the ultimate brief | Computer Arts ...
www.creativebloq.com
Sustainable design is fast becoming essential, and not just to do good for its own sake. As Anne Wollenberg finds, sustainability can be a rewarding creative ...

b. This article really opened my eyes to the importance of limiting resources and specifically ink supplies in my designs, although within this brief, the printing processes are out of our hands, the amount of ink used and colour scheme are still very much our responsibility. For this I focused on dotted lines to break up sections, excluding full colour backgrounds and the use of a sustainable typography, 'Sprang Eco Sans' designed with holes to reduce ink needed for print.

http://www.materialconnexion.com/Home/Matter/MatterMagazine101/FutureofGreenDesign/tabid/811/Default.aspx

Future of Green Design - Material ConneXion
www.materialconnexion.com
The Future of Green Design. By Gabriella Vivaldi Trying to foresee the future of design is a colossal task, but if we add to the picture sustainability, we can narrow ...

c. 'Epicurean Wood' was the one finding that really sparked my imagination with the 3D Artefact. The material was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for that was sustainable and at the same time, food safe and easily wipeable making it an ideal material for a pizza plate. This was the starting point for all my ideas for the 3D Artefact and allowed me to approach this part of the brief in a more eco-friendly way.

http://www.epicureancs.com/about.php
  
About Epicurean Cutting Surfaces
www.epicureancs.com
ABOUT EPICUREAN® Epicurean® sets the standard for today's well-equipped kitchen with premier cutting surfaces and essential utensils. Since 2003, we have ...

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?
I feel that my designs have focused very much on the sustainable aspect to this brief and many measures have been put in place to make them as eco-friendly as possible. This has included limiting ink supplies and carefully selecting a colour scheme that would be suitable for black and white print. Taking this one step further, I have designed a mobile platform version of the pdf, primarily aimed at students who may feel more comfortable accessing information in this way. This should therefore not only encourage users to view the pdf digitally but may also persuade more students to get involved.

The 3D artefact is designed to encourage a social environment which is what the new social space is all about. The product is a part of multiple stages in the cooking of a pizza, including a pizza peel, cutting board and plate. Made from a durable and wipeable wood and with the addition of a detailed engraving inspired by greener living, this product should feel like something special to use again and again.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?
The e-resources have been designed to be suitable for a wide variety of visitors, extensive research has been applied in order to supply accurate and relevant information and therefore should supply a valuable resource with a low environmental impact. The mobile platform should also supply something extra to the students of the university and allow them to get involved more freely. The 3D Artefact should encourage a social and friendly space and have both a positive and practical impact on the place making it a more valuable experience.

Emily Hayes



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

Learning about how much household waste goes to landfill each year is one of the main points that inspired me to create my 3D artifact. I wanted to come up with a stylish design idea that helps reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill and that's where i started to look into bio degradable and plantable packaging. It is important to reduce food packaging waste as this can become harmful to our environment and our wildlife this is why i chose to design an 3D artifact that leaves behind no waste but instead herbs grow in its place after being planted.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?

My designs are effective because it carries through the theme of rustic, outdoor, cob oven cooking. My 3D artifact is sustainable as it leaves behind no waste and is made out of recycled and biodegradable material.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?

I think my use of imagery will be very appealing to the students of the university of Worcester. The pages i've designed focus on the cooking aspect of using the cob oven, vibrant colors, pizzas/ ingredients all informative parts of cooking displayed using photography this also adds an element of play between image and text. Students who are sustainable and love cooking will benefit from my 3D artifact as they are able to enjoy their food then plant the artifact and grow herbs for future recipes. It also creates a nice link between the cob oven and the allotment.


Dawn Manning



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.
The WWF Living Planet Report was a huge turning point for the visual purpose of my designs enabling me to give my audience a wider awareness message by aesthetic communication giving an educational aspect behind the reasoning of the type of materials that have been used and the way in which the document was designed, which was also later confirmed by a conducted target audience survey.

The structural packaging book gave me well known, industry standard glue-less packaging ideas and interlocking systems that gave me the key concepts for developing my packaging designs with a sustainable solution that was functional and usable for the consumer.

Visiting (CAT) and one of Britain's greenest motorway services prompted me to start thinking about a variety of different materials and design possibilities that could be suitable to include in my packaging artifacts and e-resource, with functional capabilities such as insulation panels to retain heat of the inside contents of my packaging artefact.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?
I believe my e-resource and artifacts are visually attractive and give my audience an educational experience allowing them to broaden their knowledge and awareness of the crisis happening around us, as well as appealing to students with aestethically pleasing attributes and a variety of recipes to try inside of the cob oven. My designs show flexibility across many different platforms and potential for expansion at a later date.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?
The student users of the UW allotment will be able to grow their own herbs at home or on site to be used inside recipes as well as gaining a wider knowledge of sustainability and lifestyle changes to live a healthier and active lifestyle at University.

Mitali Mistry



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

- Dual purpose and second life products
- Illustrative and vector based designs
- repurposed pizza box designs

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?

I feel that they are effective because they are clear and easy. I also feel I have a unique idea having a food prep mat that can save from using surfaces that are dirty and maintaining a sense of hygiene.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?

- Food Prep Mat can be used easily by anyone and can be good hygienic surface protecter for food preparation

- E-resources can be easily accessed by students as a clear and simple design to read through - rather than something with to much information that people wont want to read through

Ally Oliver



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.
The Designing Sustainable Packaging book by Scott Boylston was a significant research reference as the section in the book that mentions wood had an image of how wood can lock together in like a jigsaw way, this then inspired my final 3D artefact.  My design inspiration research was significant as it helped spark ideas for the style the E-Resource could be. The third key research research was looking into sustainable materials, this really gave me a greater understanding of what they are and what there is out there.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?
I feel my E-Resource is effective because of the simple to follow, consistant suitable colour scheme design. I feel the textured illustrations represent the natural textured cob oven as well as I think having illustrations of other students feel give the audience (students) an aspect of the social side to the allotment/cob oven space. I think my 3D artefact is effective as it uses sustainable material and it is a multi-use concept with clever jigsaw like fixtures. It links well with cob oven as the box shape is inspired by a pizza slice shape. The supportive 3D element would have looked more effective if I'd of managed to add design.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?
Students would benefit from the 3D artefact as they would be bringing the box along to the space, minimising the things they have to bring with them as the multi-purpose wooden box caters for many things. The E-Resource is beneficial as it is easy to follow and the content I have sourced is simple and structured well to understand.

Be Peters



1. The main research that helped form my idea was finding materials, I was amazed to see all the different methods that could be used. The material for the artefact is really important as it has a big impact on how 'green' it will be.

2. I believe my designs are effective as they are gender neutral, visually pleasing and as sustainable as they can possibly be! The eResource is easy to follow for the target audience whilst being a sophisticated piece of design. All of my designs have a clear relationship throughout which works well as it provides a visual consistency. Im particularly pleased with my 'pizza cone' as the design is entirely original (that I know of). I stumbled across the idea when I was playing with a piece of paper and seeing what I could do with it. The cone is fully functioning and not just a concept. The extra printable guide that I created is also effective and very relative for this project  as not everyone will want to get out a mobile device and its greener than printing out a whole booklet.

3. Users of the UW allotment would benefit from my designs as they are fun, easy and compact.The cone can be folded flat and re-use, as can the printable eResource. Both 3D artefacts could also be given away to remote the oven.

Martin Price



List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.

- Finding that in order to recycle a pizza box can’t be recycled if it has grease on it, so would have to be lined. Making me look towards other products for the final artefact.

- The use of iPads and technology in education, an ever-growing industry, allows for various new features of PDFs and new file formats to be used, thus reducing the paper usage.

- Impregnating cardboard and paper with seeds to make it plantable, significant as it can create an experience in the learning environment and socially.

Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?

The eResource is effective in itself by being viewable from multiple devices, this allows learning on the go, as it often is now in primary and secondary educational settings. The eResource also communicates the UW and sustainability brand effectively so that it has authenticity. The 3D artefact introduces an extended audience to sustainability themes, such as carbon footprints and food growth.

How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?

The interactive element of the eResource will be useful when viewing from mobile and tablet devices. This is very useful as there aren’t loads of pieces of paper flapping about in the wind. Expanding on the student users to outside of the UW student base, it’ll help students to understand their carbon footprint and how to grow their own produce.

Hannah Reynolds



1. The art of origami, the making of the cob oven,
 Stahl, L. (2014). BUILDING WITH MUD, AND HOW TO BUILD A COB OVEN. Available: http://permaculturenews.org/2014/02/21/building-mud-build-cob-oven/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2016.

2. I feel they are effective as they show a clear reference to the subject matter and have a consistent theme.

3.The e booklet is clear and will help those who have never used a cob oven before understand who to look after and effectively use one. The 3D artefact can be used by anyone and allows people to be hygienic with ingredients and food.

Fran Rohman



1 One of the designs that influenced my final design of the e-book was (FIG 1)

K.Margaret (2010) 09. Brisket. BBQ 25 [Online] Available from: http://www.coolhunting.com/food-drink/bbq-25-the-worl [Accessed 20 November 2015].

This design inspired me to create a simplistic yet stylish design to communicate the information effectively.

Another design of my three dimensional artefact was inspires when carrying out primary research when building the cob oven on the University allotment. I felt that this allowed me to see what would be useful for students and the way In which it could have a multi purpose.

 2 I feel that my final design and for the e-book cover is effective, as it is simplistic yet effective in the way in which it communicates the elements that make up the material cob. I felt that as this e-book was aimed at the sustainable team, this would be within their interest.

I think that my 3 dimensional element is effective as it is built from scrap wood that would that would have been thrown away, and have found another life for it. I think that I have achieved the goal that I was aiming to achieve. The box is both useful and fun for the student to use.

3 I see the users of the UW allotment benefitting from my various design solutions on this project as my design offers both useful and fun components that would be of the students interest at the cob oven and university allotment.

Kate Roughley



1. The three key research references that inspired my final design were:

- https://clayoven.wordpress.com - this was because this blog had a lot of information about nearly every aspect of cob ovens including issues with maintenance and recipes. This was were I got my tandoori chicken recipe from as I thought it sounded great and would look good in my eManual.

- The actual building of the cob oven on site with Matthew and yourself and then cooking pizza in it. I know this was more a hands on experience but I really enjoyed it and it inspired me to keep the theme of my work natural and use images from the bake.

- 'The Hemp Shop Website' - even though i didn't use hemp in my final 3D artefact because if budgeting, the information I found was really useful and made hemp my first choice to use.

2. I think my eManual is effective because it is clear with information and supporting evidence about cob ovens and a recipe and my 3D artefact is effective because it serves a purpose for the oven and is all made from natural materials.

3. I see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from my designs of the eManual because it gives them information in general and a task recipe follow and use socially at the site. My artefact will also benefit them due to them being able to use it at the site to store any objects in such as the ones provided e.g. chopping board.

Liam Sargent



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.
Zero Carbon Britain & WWF Sustainability Reports - these, I found, to be useful influences to retaining information on sustainability & how issues such as climate change are affecting wider areas of the world. Certain elements of the report(s), such as the facts about food wastage and consumption (especially the likes of meat consumption) I found to be very relevant to the project.

Off-campus trip to WRE - I found to be a useful experience for research on local materials. I think sourcing local products and materials to use for the UW Allotment cob oven project, as well as other projects, keeps in with the ethos of sustainability that the allotment retains.

'The Age of Stupid' film - which was something we viewed at the very beginning of the module. The film really opened my eyes to how the issue of global warming and depleting resources is serious, and how the idea of designing sustainably can help this issue. I felt that I could apply some knowledge to certain areas of the project, and could potentially bring to light these issues for others to be aware of.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?
I think the eResource especially is a functional piece of design, and I am happy with the outcome I generated. The content includes, I believe, all of the necessary elements it should and incorporates further ideals around sustainability and how/why it can/should be incorporated more into our culture. Alongside this I have kept to a design theme that envelops the likes of infographics - which work very well as instructional tools - and this has been a 'theme' that was retained throughout the resource.

The 3D artefact, I think, was a relevant concept. I was keen to incorporate other aspects of the UW Allotment projects into the concept, and found that generating packaging materials for the produce that the allotment actually grows was an effective way of achieving this. Although ultimately I definitely lack skills in product design and this inhibited the final outcome I generated - with some tweaks and in more capable hands I believe the idea could become a formable product.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?
I feel users would benefit in a way that extends from just finding out a bit about cob ovens - I tried to make a point of including more sufficient elements of sustainability into the project in attempt to educate potential users of certain economical issues that even I was relatively shocked to discover during the project. This factor, I hope, transcended well in the final outcome(s).

Megan Shaw



Throughout my research, I gathered a lot of ideas that inspired me to create my designs. Going to the CAT really got me to think about the actual making the product, what you use and how they effect the environment. This could include the making of the cardboard and where it comes from. This inspired me to use recycled materials only, and then give the artifact a second life. The 3D artifact is great because it is recycled card from an old shoebox and can be used as a place to grow watercress when its uses are over. The e resource is effective because the design can be aimed at all ages, roaming from the younger to the older generation. It has playful font and can be easily read. They will benefit because they can grow their own nutritious watercress to go with salads, sandwiches and it’s a cheaper option that going out and buying products, which will cause more of a carbon footprint in the process of getting to the store.

Scott Williams



1. List 3x ‘Key’ research references/findings that inspired your final design solutions & why (you feel) these are important or significant.
For my 3D artefact I decided early on that I wanted to do something related to pizza as it's the easiest thing to cook in the cob oven and a staple of all students diets.  I did a lot of visual research looking at clever and unique box style, packaging designs and folding methods.  I then decided I wanted something for individual slices as my emphasis was on social and sharing aspects of the allotment and cob oven space.  For my e-resources I looked at various publication and layout designs that I liked.  With an interest in publication design, I was keen to produce something with a strong design aesthetic.  I also paid extra attention to the use of materials and attempting to avoid waste in the construction of my 3D artefact..  To do this I researched how geometric shapes tessellate, which I was then able to illustrate how little waste my design would create.

2. Why do you feel that your final designs for your eResource's cover, spreads and your supportive 3D element are effective ones?
I think my e-resources reflect the audience well.  I put extra thought into typography, layout and hierarchy to ensure the spreads were pleasing on the eye and easy to read.  I designed additional facing (photographic) pages as an addition to a print version of the resources, should the client wish.  The content is informative and relevant to our project and how to use the cob oven.  I tried to ensure that the 3D artefact was entirely sustainable, so consideration was given to all materials and especially to how the shape tessellates when printed on a large scale.  I even considered printing methods and how using vegetable based inks the packaging would be entirely eco friendly & recyclable.  The design is fun and interesting and encourages students to grown their own herbs, giving the packaging a second life.

3. How do you see student users of the UW allotment benefitting from your various design solutions on this project?
Given that the project relates to the allotment and allotment users I was keen to engage them by offering a second life to the packaging, allowing them to plant and grow their own herbs.  The e-resources were designed to be informative, engaging and look cool.  Overall I am happy with how all of the elements came together.  The 3d artefact was screen printed, so that I could print onto the card of my packaging, giving as close a representation of the 'final product' as possible.