Dissertation Proposal

Working title (max 25 words)

This should give an outline of your research topic. If appropriate use a title and a subtitle. You don’t have to be too specific at first and you don’t have to word it like a question - but you can if you want.

How can the textile industry be more sustainable?

Technology, Smart Materials and Bio-Couture.

Summary (max 250 words)

Here you should indicate what you already know about the topic. You should already have done some reading around it. Summarise this reading with regards to the research topic and describe the research area.

To some extent technology is responsible for the production methods currently used by the textile industry. Without technology many of the problems we are currently facing such as diminishing resources may be less apparent. This is because technology is a contributing factor, which has allowed for international shipping, mass production and unsustainable consumption. The development of technology increased production and allowed for greater consumption, which lead to an increase in environmental degradation, waste and energy consumption. However if used effectively technology can be used to reduce some of these global problems by improving the sustainability of the textile industry.

It is necessary to deal with the waste already accumulated, by reusing, recycling and upcycling. It is also crucial that the volume of waste produced in the future is reduced through the use of sustainable design and technology. In order to aid sustainable consumption it is important to investigate materials that biodegrade quickly or can be disposed of efficiently with little environmental impact.

I have already discovered interesting information in regards to current and developing technology, which aims to reduce or eliminate waste. For example designer Professor Helen Storey and chemist, Professor Tony Ryan, have created the first dissolvable dress. Creative Review also trialed dissolvable plastic packaging created in the UK by Cyberpac

Another method of producing environmentally friendly textiles is bio-couture which is a project being carried out by Suzanne Lee. She is experimenting with growing garments in a laboratory using bacterial cellulose.

Aims: Why are you doing this? (max 100 words)

These are a general statement on the intent or direction for the research – why are you doing this? Refer to theoretical aims and practical ones where relevant. For example: How might this improve your design practice? How does it contribute to the discourses within your discipline? Who else might benefit from your research? Is it aimed at an academic or a wider audience? What do you hope your research will achieve? State your aims concisely.

As a textile designer I need to be aware of the ways in which my practice can affect global concerns such as climate change and diminishing resources. I aim to improve my knowledge in regards to the possibilities and limitations of technology as a means to increase the sustainability of the textile design industry. It is likely that in the future more companies will embrace sustainable design, therefore it is important that I understand how technology can affect the sustainability of the textile industry. Designers, those wishing to establish a sustainable business and other students may benefit from my research.

Objectives: What will you produce? (max 100 words)

Objectives are the things you will produce in doing the dissertation, e.g. a review of the relevant literature, a collection and discussion of people’s experiences/opinions, an assessment of a debate or collection of work etc.

Like your aims, these will help your tutor (and you) assess your success. They may change over time but aims and objectives are useful to keep you focussed. Again be concise here – you may want to use bullet points.

· I will discuss why there is a need for designers to understand how technology can increase the sustainability of the textile design industry.

· I intend to evaluate current and developing technology that could provide sustainable textile alternatives (such as bio-couture, reactive materials and dissolvable fabrics).

· It will be necessary to look at the work of numerous designers, chemists and engineers such as Tony Ryan and Suzanne Lee.

· I will look at textiles, which incorporate technology that can be reused, those that will have a longer lifespan and textiles that are easy to recycle or biodegrade quickly.

Keywords (min 5 and max 10)

This should be a list of key terms that help us see if you are aware of where your research ‘sits’. For example, if you are writing on depictions of women in advertising your list might include ‘gender, feminism, representation, advertising, semiotics’. Keywords will help you when doing electronic searched for research materials.

Technology, Smart Materials, Sustainable, Textiles industry, Eco-tech, Bio couture, Environment, Durability, Consumption

Annotated Bibliography (min of 12 books, articles, websites)

Place here alphabetically a list of materials, which you intend to use for your dissertation. Format these according to the Harvard Method!

Please make sure you have critically assessed these as being appropriate for your topic and write a short paragraph for each one summarising the content and its relevance to your research area:

Antenna Science Museum, (n.d). Trash Fashion: designing out waste. [Online] Available at: http://antenna.sciencemuseum.org.uk/trashfashion/home/wearwithoutwaste/ [Accessed 30 November 2010].

The part of this website which is relevant to my research area is entitled “Trash Fashion: designing out waste”. It is split in to 3 sections, which look at aspects of sustainable fashion design. The first section discusses how dyes and finishes can be very damaging to the environment. This section also looks at the use of natural dyes, the technology necessary to limit water consumption and the development of sustainable alternatives to oil-based polyester. The second section looks at how technology can work with nature to make fabrics that biodegrade quickly and the third section looks at how technology can limit waste production.

Bio-Couture, 2007. Bio-Couture Fashion Research Project. [Online] Available at: http://www.biocouture.co.uk/ [Accessed 30 November 2010].

This website documents the work of Suzanne Lee and her bio-couture fashion research project. This source may not be of much use to me as most of the information is presented in photographs, slide shows and films with few descriptive annotations. However the site is visually very informative and would be a valuable source of imagery for my dissertation.

Black, S., 2008. Eco-chic The Fashion Paradox. London: Black Dog Publishing Limited.

This book discusses at length how and why the fashion industry has altered over recent years in relation to sustainable design. The contents of this book are both important and relevant to current designers such as myself, as “western consumers have come to realise complex ethical issues are hidden behind all of our fashion purchasing decisions” (Black, 2008) and are therefore more likely to take into consideration the impacts of their purchases. Numerous case studies are included which highlight companies and designers that have implemented change or been established as a result. These case studies could be of use to me as the companies and designers are ethically aware and focused on reducing the environmental impact of their work. However most of the companies and designers focus on sustainable materials and fair trade as oppose to the incorporation of modern technology. Pages 223 and 235 could provide valuable information. Page 223 discusses sustainable design and manufacturing processes as well as smart clothing and page 235 is about limiting the need for washing, drying and ironing clothes, which is energy consuming.

Creative Review, 2009. [Photograph] Available at: http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/october/crs-incredible-dissolving-bag. [Accessed 2 December 2010]

This is the reference for an image used above. The Creative Review website could however be a useful source of information whilst researching sustainable design and current technology.

Ecouterre, 2010. [Photograph] Available at: http://media.ecouterre.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bio-couture-2.jpg. [Accessed 2 December 2010]

This is the reference for the photograph I used to illustrate bio-couture. The section of this website entitled Wearable Technology available at the following link http://www.ecouterre.com/category/wearable-technology could also be of use to me whilst carrying out research for my dissertation.

Hethorn, J., 2008. Sustainable Fashion Why now? New York: Fairchild Books.

The chapter of this book, which is likely to be of most use to me, is entitled “Environmental Impact of Textile Production” (Hethorn, 2008). The author discusses the negative affects the textile design industry has on the environment. The impact of using particular fibers as well as the impacts of washing, finishing, dyeing, drying and printing is explained. The conclusion states that “Designers and product developers need to be aware of environmental effects in the processing of textiles and should consider the impacts their decisions have on the environment” (Hethorn, 2008) which I completely agree with hence the reason for wanting to investigate the way in which technology can reduce the environmental impact of the textile design industry. Pages 348-355 are also useful to me as they discuss manufactured fibers such as those, which absorb moisture or resist oil absorption.

Hemmings, J., 2010. Recycle, keep, and grow: sustainable textile design in Britain. Surface Design Journal [e-journal] 34 (3), 10-15 Available through: Design and Applied Arts (CSA) [Accessed 24 November 2010].

This journal covers three designers and their approach to sustainable fashion. The first reuses waste we have already accumulated, the second looks at encouraging people to keep items for longer and the third looks at using materials that can be disposed of with little environmental impact.

Hemmings, J., 2008. Grown Fashion: Animal, Vegetable or Plastic? Textile [e-journal] 6 (3), 262-273 Available through: Web of Knowledge [Accessed 24 November 2010].

This journal covers 3 projects based on “grown fashion”, a concept that is new to me. The tissue culture project and art project victimless leather uses human and non-human cells to produce material. Bio couture is the second project discussed, the bio-couture project looks at growing fabric from bacterial cellulose obtained from plant cells. The wonderland project is also discussed which looks at creating dissolvable garments and plastics.

Information Inspiration, 2008. Product Inspiration-Textiles. [Online] (Updated August 2008) Available at: http://www.informationinspiration.org.uk/ [Accessed 30 November 2010].

The section of this website which will be most useful to me is the area which lists examples of eco-design textile items and companies such as Patagonia Fleeces which are made from recycled plastic bottles and ‘appearing-pattern wallpaper’. However the website is quite limited, I will probably find journals and books to be more valuable sources.

Just Means, 2010. Ethical Consumption Eco Wedding: Say “I Do”, to the Dissolvable Bridal Gown. [Online] Available at: http://www.justmeans.com/Eco-Wedding-Say-I-Do-Dissolvable-Bridal-Gown/22322.html [Accessed 2 December 2010].

This article discusses the work of students at Sheffield Hallam University who created wedding dresses that break into 5 re-usable parts in water. This is an interesting take on recycling and eliminating waste that I could link to the dissolvable dresses created by Tony Ryan and Helen Storey.

Klooster, T. Boeing, N. Davis, S. and Seeger, A., 2009. Smart Surfaces and their Application in Architecture and Design. Translated from German by Y. Grūnding. Berlin: Birkhäuser Verlag

This book looks at luminescent wallpaper, curtains which generate electricity, self-cleaning windows and numerous other smart surfaces, some of which are examples of sustainable textiles and could therefore be useful to me when carrying out research to establish how the textile industry can be more sustainable. The chapters, which are likely to aid my research, are entitled “energy”, “light” and “climate”.

Lee, S., 2005. Fashioning the Future. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd

This book looks at many perhaps revolutionary textile items, which incorporate modern technology such as spray on fabric, suits that can be grown and self-cleaning shirts. Despite being published 5 years ago I feel I can learn a lot from this book.

Not Just a Label, 2010. Bio-Couture: Imagine Growing Your Clothes. [Online] Available at: http://www.notjustalabel.com/articles/bio_couture [Accessed 29 November 2010].

This source discusses 3 interesting and unusual approaches to creating sustainable textiles. First the article discusses the work of Suzanne Lee and in particular her bio-couture project, which began in 2006 but is yet to be resolved. Lee aims to create sustainable, environmentally friendly textiles from bacterial cellulose. A collaborative design and bio-engineering project is also discussed. The project is entitled bio-jewellery; the idea is to create jewellery from engineered bone tissue. The final project discussed is the work of Helen Story and Tony Ryan who have created dresses which gradually dissolve in water.

Sauer, C., 2010. Made Of… New Materials Sourcebook for Architecture and Design. Berlin: Gestalten

This book looks at sustainable, new and efficient materials for architecture and design purposes. This book in my opinion focuses rather heavily on architecture however some aspects could be of benefit to my research. For example the chapter powered surfaces looks at technology such as solar power, fluorescent materials and responsive materials some of which are incorporated in to textiles.

Taieb, A. Msahli, S. Sakli, F., 2009. Design of Illuminating Textile Curtain using Solar Energy. The design journal [e-journal] 12 (2), 195-216 Available through: Design and Applied Arts (CSA) [Accessed 24 November 2010].

This journal discusses how conscientious textile design can improve lives and have a positive impact on the environment. The information explains how careful consideration is needed when making design choices and incorporating technology. In order to achieve the most sustainable outcome, the technology, materials etc used have to be sustainable. The journal as a whole provides me with an insight into how the future of the textile industry can be more sustainable. There are three key areas of this journal, which are likely to be useful to me they are the chapters entitled:

The Importance of Ecodesign and Sustainability

Ecodesign in the Textile Sector

Design of Illuminating Textile Using Solar Energy

Wonderland, 2005. Wonderland. [Online] (Updated 18 September 2008) Available at: http://www.wonderland-sheffield.co.uk/index.html [Accessed 30 November 2010].

This website discusses dresses which have been developed by Tony Ryan and Helen Storey to dissolve in water and therefore combat the problem of excessive waste production. Dissolving plastic bottles are also discussed in this website. After use the bottles can be dissolved in hot water to form a gel, the gel can then be used to grow seeds. This is an interesting concept which looks to eliminate the unsustainable plastic bottle we are currently familiar with.

McQuaid, M., 2005. Extreme Textiles. London: Thames & Hudson.

The chapter of this book which is perhaps most relevant to my research is entitled “Smarter-Textiles from Novel Means of Innovation”. This chapter looks at collaborative work carried out by artists, designers, historians, scientists and engineers who create innovative textiles, which incorporate technology. An electronic tablecloth, a fabric light switch and a jacket with a built in MP3 player are some of the items discussed in this book. Not all of the inventions discussed will be sustainable and will so not be relevant to my research but some aspects of this chapter may be useful. Another factor I need to consider is that this book was published 5 years ago and therefore is likely to be quite dated.

Assignment 4b

Book Analysis

Eco-chic The Fashion Paradox by Sandy Black

This book is a result of Black’s view (2008, pp.254) that there is a “need for more sustainable practices in fashion and textile design”. The author discusses how and why the fashion industry has altered over recent years in relation to sustainable design. Case studies are used to highlight companies and designers that have implemented change or been established as a result. Theses companies and designers are ethically aware and focused on producing eco-friendly products.

In recent times “western consumers have come to realise that complex ethical issues are hidden behind all of our fashion purchasing decisions” (Black, 2008) this means that consumers are now more likely to consider the impacts of their purchases. As a result the contents of this book are important and relevant to current designers.

Black (2008, pp.14-18) begins this book with “The greening of the fashion industry” posing questions such as “How can fashion become more environmentally and ethically sound?” and “How can we consume clothing with a clear conscience?” with the key theme throughout the book being sustainable design.

Black’s own ideas and opinions as a Professor of Fashion and Textile Design and Technology as well as sourced information were used to create this book. Black gathered information during a project she carried out in 2004-5 entitled Interrogating Fashion. Workshops she carried out as part of this research allowed her to gain information from Susannah Dowse (TRAID remade), Kate Fletcher, Phil Patterson (Marks and Spencers) and many other designers and retailers who provided a key insight in to sustainable design. Black also interviewed numerous people to compile the case studies.

Black’s view is that most people are aware of their impact on the planet but few feel empowered to make changes. However she states that this is changing as due to increased awareness there is increased demand causing more companies and designers to produce sustainable goods. However producing sustainable items could lead to a decrease in a companies profit if fair wages were paid and sustainable raw materials were sourced for example. A decline in profit is obviously not desirable. As well as this some consumers may not realize the extent of the problems caused by the textile industry or ways in which they can make sustainable purchases. Others may not care about the detrimental impacts their purchases have, as long as the items they buy are fashionable and reasonably priced.

As a result of development in areas such as “fibre production, textile dyeing, minimizing waste of energy and resources, and addressing labour rights” (Black, 2008) the author concludes that the fashion industry is becoming more sustainable. As well as this it is said that there is not one answer, but “many strategies can be adopted to minimise environmental impact within the design and production of fashion” (Black, 2008). It is also suggested that everyone is responsible for the impact of his or her actions and decisions, thought should be made at every step from design and manufacture to purchase and recycling.

Reference List

Black, S., 2008. Eco-chic The Fashion Paradox. London: Black Dog Publishing Limited.

Journal Analysis

Sensitizing Children to Ecological Issues through Textile Eco-Design by Taieb, A.H. Hammami, M. Msahli, S. and Sakl, F.

This journal discusses the ways in which the design of textile products has the potential to improve everyone’s quality of life and create a better future. Throughout the journal there is particular emphasis on the importance of involving children in design. It is also deemed necessary to raise the awareness of ecological problems relating to the textile industry to children, as children are the future. The importance of using sustainable technology and materials is highlighted with the opinion that we can only “build a better world for the future” (Taieb, Hammami, Msahli and Sakl, 2010) if we constantly consider the environment throughout the design process.

The key question deliberated in this journal is “how can we make things better for people and the environment through the textile products we design?” (Taieb, Hammami, Msahli and Sakl, 2010) In order to suggest solutions to this question information gathered from a research project in Tunisia is discussed. The project “aimed to design functional ecological textile products for a more sustainable future” (Taieb, Hammami, Msahli and Sakl, 2010), children were involved in the entire design process as much as possible. The idea behinds this was to gain an insight in to the way children think. The project also hoped to determine how aware children are of current ecological problems and how much they understand, as well as how important and relevant the children think the problems are. Children’s drawings were interpreted to gain answers to some of these questions. The children were also asked to complete questionnaires as part of the research, questions such as “do you know what makes ecological pollution?” (Taieb, Hammami, Msahli and Sakl, 2010) were asked. It was found that “children have considerable knowledge about ecology and environmental pollution and expressed positive attitudes towards ecology and its promotion.” (Taieb, Hammami, Msahli and Sakl, 2010) However this was based on a study of 8-11 year olds in Tunisia, the findings are therefore not representative of all children. The knowledge of children in Tunisia is likely to be very different to that of children in the UK for example.

Within the text the use of sustainable materials such as natural fibres are discussed as are textile manufacture legislations with the conclusion being that “all consumer textile products, even green ones, have negative repercussions on the environment. They are manufactured using raw materials, energy and water, before being packaged and transported to their place of use, and eventually finishing up as waste.” However the authors of this book reiterate what Black (2008) writes in “Eco-chic the Fashion Paradox” that consumers and designers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental problems, which the textile design industry contributes to. Therefore the customer is now much more likely to consider the impacts of their purchases and this is set to increase in the future. It is also again suggested that there are a great number of ways in which textile products can become more sustainable, but there is not one simple answer.

Reference List

Black, S., 2008. Eco-chic The Fashion Paradox. London: Black Dog Publishing Limited.

Taieb, A.H. Hammami, M. Msahli, S. and Sakl, F., 2010. Sensitizing Children to Ecological Issues through Textile Eco-Design. International Journal of Art & Design Education [e-journal] 29 (3), 313-320 Available through: Web of Knowledge database [Accessed 13 November 2010].

Assignment 3: Initial Dissertation Mind Map

Assignment 3

Dissertation Proposal Meeting and Workshop

Before the dissertation workshop took place we were asked to once again meet up with our groups this time to discuss our dissertation ideas, unfortunately only 4 of us attended the meeting. However we had each created a mind map of our initial dissertation ideas, which we discussed during the meeting. Most of us had no clear idea of what we wanted our dissertation to focus on but numerous directions in which it could go. Which I think was a good start, as lots of ideas and sources of inspiration are better than none.
Below are some images of our meeting:

Please note my initial dissertation mind map can be viewed in a separate post.

Before today’s workshop I had numerous ideas and interests, which I have come to realise as a result of the workshop, were mostly centralised around the environmental impacts we have as designers. I still have a lot of thinking and research to do but I am currently in the process of filling in part 1 of my dissertation proposal. I will add more detailed thoughts and ideas regarding my dissertation to my blog in the near future.

Assignment 2: Fair Trade & Design

Definition of fair trade

Fair trade is “trade that supports producers in developing countries by making sure that they receive fair wages” (Allen, 2002, p310). This means that hard work often in the form of manual labour is recognized and workers are paid accordingly, they earn enough to live on and continue to produce goods sustainably as a result of fair trade. Fair trade producers must adhere to strict economic, environmental and social standards set by the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in order to be certified fair trade. For example, “the environmental standards set aim towards helping farmers to work towards using more sustainable farming practices. These standards include minimising the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and where practical working towards organic production” (People & Planet, 2010). Companies buying and selling fair trade produce must ensure respectable, sustainable prices, which are never less than market price. Fair trade aims to not only alleviate poverty but generally to improve the standard of living for disadvantaged workers and their families. This can be achieved in numerous ways. For instance healthcare and education system can be improved with the provision of scholarship and pension schemes. Any fair trade scheme should be sustainable locally and insure comfortable working conditions as is explained on The Fairtrade Foundation website (2010). Fair trade should lead to gradual and constant improvement in developing countries.

A brief history of fair trade

The concept of fair trade has arguably been around for at least the past 40 years but an official labeling scheme was not created until the 1980s. On The Fairtrade Foundation website (2010) it is explained that the first fair trade label was launched in 1988. The label was branded 'Max Havelaar' who was known to be a fictional Dutch character against the exploitation of coffee pickers. The first fair trade coffee was also branded ‘Max Havelaar’. The Fairtrade Foundation was created 4 years later in 1992 but it was not until 2 years after this that the first fair trade certified product Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate was launched (The Fairtrade Foundation, 2010). The Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) was established in 1997 to standardize worldwide labelling and certification of fair trade goods. 5 years later in 2002 FLO created the International Certification Mark in order to make fair trade products easily recognizable (The Fairtrade Foundation, 2010). In the United Kingdom a fair trade certified product displays the fair trade mark, this “is an independent consumer label which appears on UK products as a guarantee that they have been certified against internationally agreed Fairtrade standards” (Fairtrade website, 2010).

This is the Fairtrade International Certification Mark. The image was sourced from (Harrogate Borough Council, 2010).

1994 saw the launch of the first fair trade certified product but now “the popularity of fair trade is growing swiftly in many parts of the world. As the fair trade market has grown, new kinds of participant have emerged and the field has become increasingly commercialized” (Laine, 2009). We know this is true as in 2003 there were only about 150 products with the fair trade mark, this increased to 700 products by 2005, more than 1,500 products in 2006 and now there are over 4,500 products with the fair trade mark currently for sale in common high street stores (The Fairtrade Foundation, 2010). Lush and Boots are examples of high street stores that now stock fair trade beauty products, Tesco stocks fair trade clothes (manufactured using fair trade cotton), food and drink products and even fair trade flowers.

This image showing fair trade produce for sale in a typical supermarket is from The Fairtrade Foundation website (2010) and the photographer is Marcus Lyon.

Another organization, which plays a part in the history of fair trade, is known as the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). This is the global authority of fair trade. The WFTO is limited to organizations that are 100% committed to fair trade and must abide by the 10 principles of fair trade as outline by the WFTO (2010). The organization now operates in 70 countries and has been in place for around 20 years.

The relevance of fair trade to design

Since the creation of the Fairtrade International Certification Mark in 2002 it has been found, based on a study of small scale coffee producers in Central America and Mexico, that the introduction of “certifications provided a higher price per pound and higher gross coffee revenue than non-certified coffee” (Mendez, 2010). However “certifications will not single-handedly bring significant poverty alleviation to most coffee-farming families” (Mendez, 2010). This is because not enough people choose to buy fair trade produce and more money is needed to create sustainable livelihoods, develop conservation, provide health care and education. Most producers are currently unable to sell their entire production at certified prices due to lack of demand.

This is where design comes in. Design is a broad term and has numerous different meanings but for this purpose it will be defined as “to create or execute according to a plan” (Allen, 2002, p232). The plan in this case would be to use design to increase the consumption of fair trade products. By doing so, more producers and workers would benefit from fair trade and therefore have the financial sustainability to help alleviate poverty and enhance the standard of living in their community.

Design and designers have the potential to influence people and their actions. Small changes can make a significant difference to those in developing countries, design can be used to persuade and encourage people to make these changes. For example media and graphic design could be used to emphasize the differences that individuals in this country could make to the lives of others by simply swapping to fair trade tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Highlighting the poor living and working conditions as well as the overall poverty, poor education and healthcare systems in such areas with posters, product labels and advertisements could also persuade people to think again when deciding whether to buy a well know brand as opposed to fair trade. Product placement within films and television shows could be used to raise the profile of fair trade produce. Another option that could increase sales is creating advertisements, which lead the consumer to associate fair trade with popular celebrities. For example Gary Lineker is used to advertise Walkers crisps.

Textile design and designers can also help to alleviate poverty in developing countries through the use of fair trade cotton for example. Currently there are websites such as http://www.fashion-conscience.com/ and www.peopletree.co.uk, which sell fair trade clothing, and there is a fair trade range called 5g that is sold by Debenhams. This range includes Sir Steve Redgrave’s designs. As well as this there is an annual fair trade fashion show known as ‘The Fairwear Fashion Show’ where Harry Potter actress Emma Watson showcased her fair trade range (WFTO, 2010). However more can be done. If one or two top fashion designers decided only to design and create fair trade fashion this would generate a lot of publicity and would undoubtedly gain public support of fair trade products. Making fair trade fashionable to numerous social groups can mean peer pressure works as an element of persuasion to buy fair trade, this is suggested by Doran (2010). Designers could also design T-shirts, bags and other similar merchandise to promote fair trade. These methods are a selection of the numerous ways in which design could be used in relation to fair trade, to address the problem of poverty, poor working and living conditions, lack of education and healthcare in developing countries.

Word Count: 1,274

Bibliography

Allen, R (ed.) (2002). The Penguin English Dictionary. London: The Penguin Group

Doran, CJ (2010). Fair Trade Consumption: In Support of the Out-Group. Springer

Harrogate Borough Council (2010). Fairtrade in the Harrogate District Available from: http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/harrogate-3926 [Accessed: 3rd October 2010)

Laine, EL (2009). Finnish World Shops at a Crossroads in the commercialized Fair Trade Market. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mendez, VE (2010). Effects of Fair Trade and organic certifications on small-scale coffee farmer households in Central America and Mexico. Online: Cambridge University Press 4^th Jun 2010.

People & Planet (2010). About Fairtrade. Available from: http://peopleandplanet.org/fairtrade/about.php [Accessed: 2^nd October 2010]

The Fairtrade Foundation (2010). What is Fairtrade? Available from: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/faqs.aspx [Accessed: 27^th September 2010]

The Fairtrade Foundation (2010). Fairtrade labelling international history and Fairtrade Foundation chronology [Online]. Available from: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/what_is_fairtrade/history.aspx [Accessed: 2^nd October 2010]

The Green Planet (2009) Will Fairtrade ever expand into the fresh produce segment? Available from: http://en.greenplanet.net/food/fairtrade/994-will-fairtrade-ever-expand-into-the-fresh-produce-segment.html [Accessed: 2^nd October 2010]

WFTO (2010) Harry Potter star Emma Watson’s designs at Fairwear 2010 fashion show. Available from: http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1127&Itemid=314 [Accessed: 2^nd October 2010]

WFTO (2010) Welcome to the source of authentic Fair Trade. Available from:

http://www.wfto.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=889&Itemid=290

[Accessed: 2^nd October 2010]

Assignment 1: The 2nd Group Meeting

Below are some photographs of our second meeting which i wrote about in an earlier post.

Assignment 1: Mind Maps + Another Meeting

I produced these 2 above mind maps (click to enlarge) prior to the meeting with my group on Wednesday in which we discussed how we were all getting on with the assignment. I found it easier to organize my thoughts using 2 mind maps. One based solely on fair trade and the other linking design to fair trade. Everyone had produced a relatively thorough mind map, which may be developed and added to as new information is found. All the members in my group have now also set up and are using a blog. Now we are all continuing to write about our chosen topic for the deadline next week.

We also discussed the previous lecture and our views towards branding. With one graphic design student very much in favour of branding and another against very commercialised branding such as McDonalds and Starbucks preferring small restaurants and cafes to chain restaurants and stores for example. I was surprised to find that another member of our group chooses to completely avoid numerous brands such as Coca-cola.

Assignment 1: Design Futures and Professional Practice

Eventually I have got to the end of a somewhat hectic first week back at university. During the week I have been busy with numerous lectures and tasks. As well as this my class visited Arbroath on Tuesday on a drawing trip, which will hopefully help to prepare us for a project, which we are beginning on Monday. I also visited Tentsmuir and Tayport on Friday with some friends to collect relevant drawn information and photographs.

In design studies we have been put in to interdisciplinary groups in which we will have assignments to complete. This week we were asked to meet with our group and discuss a list of topics on which we will each write a 1500 word Wiki entry. Below are some photographs taken at the meeting we held on Thursday afternoon at 1.30pm in the graphic design studio.

Everyone attended the meeting and we discussed the topics. We could each choose our own topic but no 2 people in the group could write about the same topic. I think we all struggled to decide what topic we wanted to do and some people were very indecisive and had 2 or 3 options. This is probably because we had little time to research the options prior to the meeting. After some brief discussion we settled on the following topics:

Samantha: Fair trade & design

Natalie: Design process & design (also interested in Culture & design and Art & Design)

Sarah: Gender & design

David: Interactivity & design

Robert: Co-design & design

Sean: Mass production & design

Sophie: Corporate identity & design

Collette: Branding & design

We finished the meeting by swapping blog addresses, and deciding that those who don’t have a blog will need to create one by our next design studies lecture on Wednesday and provide the other group members with the address. We also agreed to mind map our selected topic and perhaps begin gathering sources before our meeting next Thursday.

Moving on...

Over the summer I created a new blog using WordPress and from now on I intend to use WordPress to document my textile design work, inspirations, photographs etc. Please find my new blog at: http://samanthacleminson.wordpress.com/

I will continue to use this blog (http://samantha-textiledesign.blogspot.com/) solely to record my Design Futures and Professional Practice (Design Studies) assignments whilst at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

A little update

My summer so far has been pretty hectic with numerous long shifts at work, lots of family gatherings to attend and moving in to my new house. Unfortunately I have had very little time for my textile design work and blog and still I am unable to decide if I want to specialise in knit, print or weave next year! It is going to be a difficult decision.

During the holidays I have managed to decide that my summer project is going to be inspired by ‘nature’ as I like to be outdoors in the countryside, which I miss whilst at university. I don’t really intend to look at flowers in great depth, as this is something I have done quite a lot. Instead I wish to focus on berries, leaves and wildlife. I have been taking my dog for a lot of long walks and taking photographs of everything that has caught my attention from caterpillars, to flowers and reflections cast by trees on the water. I have also had chance to do a few sketches… particularly of a duck and her ducklings on the river by my house. As well as this I have also pressed some flowers and leaves. Those, which have been partially eaten and are full or holes, seem to catch my attention.

I have also managed to teach myself how to knit. I am still very slow and can only manage basic plain knitting, but it’s a start and something I can continue to work on in the future. Recently I have also been researching natural dyeing, which is not only related to my summer project but something that interests me as it seems to be a much ‘greener’ way to create coloured fabrics and yarns. I am unsure as to how useful the results will be but I am eager to give it a go. I have read numerous blogs, websites and a book entitled ‘Natural Dyes’ by Linda Rudkin and think that I am ready to begin experimenting. Whilst waiting for materials such as mordants and undyed fibres to arrive, I am busy collecting flowers, leaves, herbs, spices, nuts and fruit to use as dyes. This could be a disaster or it could be a lot of fun and the results could be fantastic, only time will tell.

I have tried to add photographs but for some reason i cannot get them to load today, i will try again later.

Lots of leaves

Sitting in the garden this afternoon i started looking at all the different leaves there are. Some smooth, some shiny, some furry, some green, some red and some yellow. I collected an assortment of leaves and took a few photos. I placed them in lines and imagine them as a sort of repeat linear striped pattern.