For assignment 2a we were required to meet as a group and discuss post consumerism. We all completed individual research and brought to the table our findings as well as some images we had collected. We began discussing what we thought the profile of a post consumer was and collectively decided that is most probably someone 30+ who is established and therefore has had the opportunity to buy goods in excess. However they have now adopted non-material values and have become part of 'a growing trend of ethical consumers.' They buy products based on their values, perhaps more willing to purchase used products, aware of fair trade and the importance of recycling. We put our thoughts down in the form of a poster which will be used to spark some ideas for the next part of the assignment.
Whilst researching paper for my new brief I found these post its, you won't be able to fit much info on them but I thought they were pretty quirky!
Assignment 1a / b1
After carrying out the online test I discovered that I was a Theorist. My results were as follows:
Activist: Moderate
Reflector: Moderate
Theorist: Very Strong
Pragmatists: Moderate
Following this I read through the 4 different modes of operation and found that the Theorist learning style did describe me best. i do tend to be a perfectionist who likes structured situations which have a clear purpose! I also don't like to share my emotions/ feelings and struggle when activities are unstructured. However I also found that I had some Reflector traits, such as listening to others opinions first and thinking ideas through before coming to conclusions.
Even though I scored moderate in the Activist category I would say this area is the weakest. Unlike Activists I do tend to prepare in advance and rarely act without considering the implications.
I found this exercise quite interesting as I had to stop and consider what my true opinion is in regards to the questions asked. It made me reflect on previous experiences both at university and outwith. By doing this it helped to answer the questions more accurately, whilst also making me much more aware of what my values are and what role I take in said situations.
Assignment b2
Ruth: Reflector - During seminar meetings I think that Ruth would often listen to others before offering her own views. I think she also prefers having time to prepare and learns best when not rushed by deadlines. (guessed wrong - Pragmatist)
Graeme: Pragmatist - Graeme mentioned that he wanted his dissertation to link to his studio practice. Therefore I think he may learn best when there is a link between the topic and the job.
Sarah: Theorist - Sarah spoke of going into education after University and has chosen her dissertation accordingly. This suggests that she likes to fit things into a rational scheme.
Connie: Reflector - During group meetings Connie had a couple of routes she wanted to explore, but needed more time to consider them. Perhaps showing that she likes to think carefully before coming to a final conclusion. (Correct)
Aisla: Reflector - As above (Correct)
Jennifer: Pragmatist - Jen previously mentioned she may not complete the dissertation and instead opt for the other option available. Suggesting that she may prefer when there is a link between the topic and the job. (Wrong - Reflector)
David: Activist - Often enthusiastic about ideas and leads discussions in topics that he finds interesting. However David has mentioned that he enjoys the lectures which doesn't coincide with this learning mode. (Correct)
It was really interesting that the majority of the group were able to guess what mode the other members were. It shows that even though we may be unaware of what role we take in certain situations other people must notice your traits. Our group has a combination of all four modes with the majority being Reflectors and only one being an activist. Therefore we may need to try to be a little more activist with our approach to the project, but generally I think we have a good multi-modal team which will be able to move from one mode to another.
During today's lecture we learned about One water which is a water company with a difference. It was set up in 2003 by a group of friends after they became aware that about 1 billion people didn't have access to clean water. They decided that action needed to be taken and that they should launch a not-for-profit bottled water which would give all its profits away to fund well-building programmes. I was interested to learn a little more about their work so had a look at their website when I got home, I have since learned that they sell a range of products including toilet roll, hand wash and even condoms. These might appear to a random mix of products but each one seems to have been chosen with relevance to the problems African communities face. Money made from selling toilet roll and hand wash goes into educating communities on hygiene while profits from the condoms fund HIV projects. With so many people buying these types of products everyday its amazing to think what difference supporting this brand could make to millions of people's lives.
