#te kitenga

[karyacemplon]

Week 4: Reflection

Just a quick question: When you watch a show, do you often interpret the meanings behind each episode and gain new learnings? Well, I for sure did with the show I watched in week three. Somehow, I can picture myself as the main character, in terms of growth and development, to become a better version of myself through continuous reflection. As someone who previously did not really bother reflecting, I find this blog somewhat therapeutic and eye-opening, encouraging me to reflect more on and in action. 

Quick side note: if you figure out the show, hit that like button 😄 (It is a detective/crime and celestial-themed series)

What?

Week three was characterised by feeling lost. Meanwhile, week four was still filled with uncertainty, with a tinge of lack of productivity. I conducted and collated information within week four; however, I felt exhausted for the whole week and had started the cycle of binge eating once more. Truth be told, I felt as though I had neglected my well-being, but I feel that this is not justifiable to the progress of development. 

Despite this, I have gathered insights from both the questionnaire and interviews, which has been very helpful in ideating as I have a foundation on which to depend. I am quite disappointed that I did not do this process in the early stages as I feel that this would have significantly helped me. With the overall idea in mind, I just need to get the top three ideas and, finally, a chosen idea… Which I should say, that the process is setting me on fire. 

So What?

I feel a bit more hopeful this week! However, the rating so far is still a 4/10 🙂. When I look into why I am experiencing difficulties in choosing an idea, I see a pattern of not being satisfied with my ideas and feeling as though it is not adequate. Again, I have discussed this in week two, as a symptom of perfectionism. However, a new kind of consequence has appeared–unproductivity. Following up on the research by Kwarcińska et al. (2022) I discovered about perfectionism, I might not be experiencing a burn-out; however, a deeper amount of stress (personally, of both assignments, external factors and the lack of sleep). 

I believe that in week three I had based most of my decisions on my emotional state, not logically or what is right. However, despite feeling this way, I have been seeking feedback when needed with the stream tutor and my peers at times. This way helps me keep in track of my progress so far, and bonus I get insights to optional trips that might be useful as research. In general, I need to be better in handling my wellbeing to achieve a desirable progress outcome. This might be difficult, but there are several ways I can improve starting with creating a better plan to overcome or leverage perfectionism. 

Now What?

“Now What?” is what I often exclaim to myself when I am stuck and panicking. Whilst pacing the room back and forth, one hand on my forehead and another clenching a chocolate bar (haha). For the past two weeks, I have been implementing my perfectionism overrule plan, which seemed to have worked but not at the same time. After two weeks of trial, I decided to modify the plan and make it much better by following a toolkit I found by Anxiety Canada (n.d.). Within this guide, there are three primary steps: Recognising perfectionism, using tools to overcome and rewarding myself. 

Of course, I will not be following the toolkit step by step; instead, I will modify it to fit my characteristics. I realised that I have been thinking in a perfectionistic mindset, only regarding situations and black and grey, overthinking and underestimating my capabilities. Moving on, I believe having some time to step back and reflect on my thoughts is necessary to understand if I am being reasonable or just falling into perfectionistic tendencies. Overall, I believe that I need to get into an anti-perfectionistic mindset to prevent this from re-occurring. To embed positive and realistic statements, such as reminding myself that I am always trying my best. 

I need to confront my fears and find out why, in the first place, I am perfectionistic. Perhaps due to the pressure I put on myself to make my parents proud? Being competitive? Reflecting on these aspects and talking about them with my friends allows me to get a clear perspective. In which, I had this conversation before, and it is safe to say that I am on track and everything is okay. I can not compare myself to others constantly when everyone has different work paces. Thus, I believe that combining my initial plan of looking into a smaller yet bigger perspective–including setting weekly tasks–along with embracing this new mindset will be helpful in breaking the never-ending cycle of perfectionism. 

Stay tuned for the next updates! 🕺

References

Anxiety Canada. (n.d.). How to Overcome Perfectionism. Anxiety Canada. https://www.anxietycanada.com/sites/default/files/Perfectionism.pdf

Kwarcińska, K., Sanna, M. K., Nowotnik, K. A., Piotrowski, K. (2022). Perfectionism in theory and research. Przegląd Psychologiczny 65(3):97-112. DOI: 10.31648/przegldpsychologiczny.8803

[ayeon0307]

Final Prototype Plan & Material Research

9th September (Sat)

Description

The final prototype plan went the same way as the initial prototype plan. First, I listed the contents of the toolkit and devised a way to produce each product. I chose to handcraft most of the products by printing them on coated paper.

Once I've chosen how I want to produce all of my content, I've distributed the workload across Weeks 7 and 8, the final prototyping period. My goal is to have the full print and files for the maker completed in Week 7, with the rest of the craft work completed in the early part of Week 8, with time to reflect and move on to other productions.

-> From the Miro board, Final prototype material plans and weekly schedule.

My material research went in two directions. Firstly, for the items I am making myself, I research the materials I am going to use on various websites and compare prices to find the most affordable and readily available materials. Secondly, I research fabricators for acrylic items, but most New Zealand fabricators have a minimum quantity of 50 or 100 pieces, so I research out from New Zealand.

-> From the Miro board, Material researching. All the image links are provided on the Miro board. (1)

Feelings

The final prototype was something I was looking forward to, so planning went smoothly. In particular, I had decided whether I wanted to make each item myself or have it made by a company, and since I had used a company many times before, I decided on the final method relatively quickly.

I feel like I'm finally at the end of the project's prototype phase. There are still a lot of things to reflect on, and a lot of things that need to be developed design-wise.

As I listed the components I needed for the final prototype, I realised that I needed a lot more ideas and designs than I had previously designed, which made me feel overwhelmed and stressed by the amount of work I was putting in front of myself.

Evaluation

Project process 3/5 - While planning the final prototype, I realised that there are many toolkit components that are still lacking to proceed with the actual final. I think I should proceed directly with the design of the planned items.

Time management 5/5 - I completed the project within the planned timeframe. I completed the material research in the short term because I continuously researched various materials and contacted manufacturers since Week 6.

Project outcome 4/5 - I completed my research on materials and suppliers for the toolkit, but I wish I had found materials that were more affordable and easily accessible within New Zealand.

Analysis

The final prototype planning allowed me to create a systematic progression plan for my project. In particular, planning gives me the opportunity to reflect on my project and identify gaps. In this case, I realised that my previous designs and progress needed to be improved. This clarified my plan for the future and helped me see where and how the project could evolve.

However, planning is not always right because planning must be accompanied by time, and planning alone does not anticipate all of the future. For example, despite my initial prototype planning, there were still a lot of changes in my final plan. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly reflect on yourself and work without a plan.

Conclusion

I learnt the two sides of planning. I think planning is important; it is the foundation of a project and allows me to be prepared for different situations. However, sticking to a plan was a fatal flaw for me. As I worked on my new plan, I found gaps in my project that I had yet to notice.

This happened because I only trusted my plan. To avoid this in my final prototype, I will review the previous plan and build a new one each time I move forward with the project to avoid repeating my previous mistakes.

Action Plan

I'm happy with my prototype plans and material research, but I've been investigating if there are other ways to print acrylic other than from overseas manufacturers, and Fablab has suggested one.

The idea is to buy clear, thin, printable acrylic paper from Gordon Harris that can be printed on a university printer, print it, and then use a laser cutter to make a thicker acrylic block to hold the two materials together with resin. This is obviously a material that is readily available in New Zealand and would save on delivery fees and time. However, as it is something I am not familiar with, the time and labour involved in making it makes sense to use a manufacturer. Nevertheless, I would like to try the method recommended by Fablab, as it is interesting.

Next Plan

Continue to evolve the design of the prototype to reflect the initial prototype.

Work on the final prototype files for print-out and send to manufacturers

At the end of next week, I'm planning to start a video storyboard for A3

Reference

(1) Image Link provided in the Miro board

[bee-capstone-blog]

Blog no.11 11/09/23

Te Kitenga phase guiding questions (from Auckland Co-Design Lab)

What tohu are you seeing in the system?

There is an existing use of crafting (particularly quilting) and also zines for the expression of queer identity and creating a space where queer identity can be celebrated.

What is the landscape?

I don't have a very large scope for what I can achieve in this project, I am restrained by time, and mostly being a team of one person. If I develop workshops I can prototype them to a certain extent but there will be many assumptions that I will have to make.

What is the context?

Within workplaces, empathy and creative endeavours unrelated to work are not that common, so creating a space for these could foster connection, agency and widening perspectives. There are existing employee networks that organise workshops, talks and activities.

What are the opportunities?

There is an opportunity to take the power of craft, especially in a group, to help build empathy and form connections between people. The existing employee networks are a great touch point for my design solution to access workplaces.

What tohu are you seeing that can lead toward compelling alternative to the status quo?

Allyship is easier when you connect with a person from the group you are allying for; from the current us and their narrative that can be othering, coming together in a safe space can connect people to each other's humanity and lived experience.

[03rkmz]

Week 5 blog

Previously, I had the chance to ask the stream leaders regarding the following:

Consent from performers and the audience regarding being filmed.

Can we temporarily book a space to simulate a mock exhibition?

The deliverables for the capstone, as my plan, lean towards the experience rather than a tangible product.

Resources for executing the project.

This was necessary as this could dictate the scope and capability of the project for creating the deliverables and managing my time. These were the notes and responses to the questions:

(The following questions are reordered to show main concern to minor concern.)

Fig 1. My notes and doodles.

Consent from performers and the audience regarding being filmed.

There needs to be ethics that are taken into consideration regarding the performers being filmed. The way to mitigate this matter is to have the performers wear masks to maintain anonymity.

Create a safe space and maintain Tikenga with the performers and the audience.

The deliverables for the capstone, as my plan, lean towards the experience rather than a tangible product.

Being aware that the prototype required [insert criteria], my options were limited, so I suggested some alternatives, either picking two or all of the possibilities. The following options are:

Agenda

Run-sheet

Poster

Video capture of the performance

Luckily, these were all doable options, as my stream leader and course coordinator said.

2. Can we book a space temporarily to simulate a mock exhibition?

Using the design space to create a mock showcase or even booking out a dance space.

3. Resources for executing the project.

I asked the technicians, and there were camera options, so that wasn't a number one concern. There were 360 cameras, which is something that I am looking to use.

Fig 2. Screenshot of the sticky notes on my Miro board.

Fig 3. My notes, doodles and to-dos.

My queries were somewhat solved, especially the performers' consent and resources needed for execution; however, I am still not satisfied with the questions, which left me feeling more restricted about what I can create for my deliverables. However, rather than dwell on it, I decided to look for precedent performance arts through what I already knew and what I studied in my Art History papers. I was happy to utilise my Art History primary knowledge and apply it to my design research. I was pleased to find performance art done locally in Aotearoa, New Zealand (Fig 4. My questions and doodles). My next step is to annotate the existing performance art, put them from extreme to safe scale, and highlight elements I could apply to my project.

Fig 4. Screenshot of the finding art history precedents.

Besides that, I was working on my slides for the DES 302 proposal presentation (shown in Fig 5.). Unfortunately, due to my laptop crashing, I had to create new slides by scratch (as I refuse to use pre-made templates and still want to stand out from other designers). Although it was time-consuming, it was a noticeable upgrade from my previous slides (it looked rushed because that was when my laptop crashed).

Fig 5. Presentation slide process.

Overall, I made more progress and I am pretty happy with my progress! Moving from Te Kitenga to Te Whāinga with the progress.

[blackberryjambaby]

the letter in plain text (can also be read in english & te reo here)

Open letter from Christian leaders to all Members of Parliament

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, tēnā koutou katoa

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? The one… who does what is righteous, who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind. (Psalm 15)

He reta tuwhera nā ngā kaihautū Karaitiana ki ngā Mema Pāremata katoa E nga reo, e nga mana, e ngā rau rangatira mā Ka koa te hunga hohou rongo: ka huaina hoki rātou he tamariki nā te Atua. (Matiu 5:9) E Ihowa, ko wai e noho ki tōu tapenakara? Ko ia he tapatahi nei te haere, he tika te mahi, he kōrero pono anō i roto i tōna ngākau... Ahakoa mate i tana oati, kāhore e whakapaheketia e ia. (Waiata 15)

We support Te Tiriti o Waitangi and oppose the proposed Treaty Principles Bill

As Christian leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand we express our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We affirm that Te Tiriti o Waitangi protects the Tino Rangatiratanga of hapū and iwi. That rangatiratanga over land and taonga is to be upheld.

We therefore express our opposition to the proposed Treaty Principles Bill.

The proposed Bill is inconsistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi in that it does not recognise the collective rights of iwi Māori or guarantee their relationship with the Crown. It would undermine what Te Tiriti guarantees, and what decades of law, jurisprudence and policy have sought to recognise.

We note with concern the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal’s interim report, Ngā Mātāpono – The Principles, including that the Bill “distorted the text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

E tautoko ana mātou i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, e whakahē ana i te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti e marohitia nei E kōrero ana mātou hei kaihatutū nō ngā Hāhi Karaitiana puta noa i Aotearoa me te whakapuaki i tō mātou ū ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi. E whakaū ana mātou ko tā Te Tiriti o Waitangi he tautiaki i te Tino Rangatiratanga o ngā hapū me ngā iwi. Kia toitū te rangatiratanga o te whenua, me ngā taonga. Nā konei kei te tāpae mātou i tā mātou whakakāhore rawa i Te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti e marohitia nei. E taupatupatu ana te Pire e marohitia nei ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi tūturu, inā hoki, kāore e whakaae ki ngā motika tōpū o ngā iwi Māori, ki tō rātou hononga rānei ki te Karauna. Mā te Pire hoki e kari tā Te Tiriti e whakapūmau nei, me ngā hua papai o te hia ngahuru tau i tohea i roto i ngā mahi o te ture, o ngā whakawākanga, me ngā kaupapa here. Kua rongo hoki mātou me te āwangawanga anō i ngā kitenga a te pūrongo tārewa a Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi, Ngā Mātāpono – The Principles, me tā rātou kī, ko tā te Pire rā he “whakariroi i ngā kupu o Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

The Treaty Principles Bill may destabilise and harm Aotearoa New Zealand

We note with deep concern the harmful impacts the Bill may cause to Aotearoa New Zealand’s social cohesion.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a basis for finding common ground, recognising and reconciling past wrongs, and acts as a moral and equitable compass for our democracy.

By contrast, we believe the Treaty Principles Bill will lead to division between the peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand, cause the spread of disinformation, and hinder efforts at healing and reconciliation.

Mā Te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti e whakapōraruraru, e tūkino pea te noho pai o te tangata i Aotearoa E rongo ana mātou, me te āwangawanga nui anō, ngā pānga kino o te Pire ki te piringa tahitanga o ngā tāngata o Aotearoa. Ko tā Te Tiriti o Waitangi he hora kaupapa mō te rapu ara mō te katoa, mō te whakaae me te hohou i te rongo mō ngā take hē o mua, ka noho hoki hei whakamaunga atu mō te ihu o te waka mō tō tātou manapori, kia tika, kia tōkeke. Otiia, ki a mātou mā Te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti ka tō kē tēnā, ka tō kē tēnā, o ngā iwi o Aotearoa, ka tiria ngā kōrero horihori ki te katoa, ka raru ngā mahi a te tangata mō te whakaoranga i muri i te mamae nui, me te maunga ā-rongo.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a covenantal relationship 

We affirm the Church’s ongoing, special, and historic relationship with Te Tiriti o Waitangi which many Christians view as a sacred covenant.

As inheritors of the legacy of the missionaries involved in the drafting, promotion and signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we acknowledge a duty of care for upholding the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

We commit our own churches to deepening our Te Tiriti o Waitangi education and pursuing reconciliation. We will work to ensure the flourishing of life in Aotearoa New Zealand for all peoples living here, both Tangata Tiriti and Tangata Whenua, as Te Tiriti of Waitangi enables.

He hononga ā-kawenata Te Tiriti o Waitangi  Kei te whakaū mātou i te hononga mutunga-kore, i te hononga tapu, hononga tuku iho ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi, he hononga ka kīa e te tini o te hunga Karaitiana he kawenata tapu. Ko mātou te hunga whiwhi i ēnei kawenga tuku iho, mai i ngā kaikauwhau tuatahi i te rongopai i whai wāhi ki te whakatakoto, ki te whakatairanga, ki te waitohu hoki i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, e whakaae ana mātou kua herea mātou kia noho hei kaihāpai i te mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  E tāpae ana mātou i te kī, tērā tonu mātou me ō mātou hāhi ake e mahi nui kia kawea ngā akoranga mō Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki ngā taumata e tika ana, kia whāia hoki ngā mahi hohou rongo a ngā rā kei mua i te aroaro. Ka mahi tonu mātou kia whakaūngia te noho pai o te tangata i Aotearoa mō ngā tāngata katoa e noho ana i konei, mō te Tangata Tiriti me te Tangata Whenua, e ai ki ngā ritenga o Te Tiriti of Waitangi.

We call on all Members of Parliament to oppose the Treaty Principles Bill

We therefore view with concern, and oppose the proposed Treaty Principles Bill. We call on all Members of Parliament to do everything in their power to not take this Bill to Select Committee and to work towards the ongoing restoration of the Tiriti relationship.

With love, and the hope for a flourishing and peaceful future for our people

Tēnei mātou te karanga atu nei ki ngā Mema Pāremata katoa kia whakakāhoretia Te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti. Nā reira kei te titiro mātou me te whakahē hoki ki Te Pire mō ngā Mātāpono Tiriti e marohitia nei, me te māharahara nui. Tēnei mātou te tāpae i tā mātou inoi ki ngā Mema Pāremata katoa kia mahia ngā mea katoa ka taea e rātou kia kaua ai e kawea tēnei Pire ki te Komiti Whāiti, kia mahi tonu kia whakapūmautia anō te wairua o te hononga Tiriti. Nā mātou i roto i te aroha, me te tūmanako kia tika ai tātou me tō tātou iwi ā ngā rā e tū mai nei, i te āhua o te whenua rangatira.

i actually can't believe this. david seymour is having a meltdown because 400+ christian leaders said the government shouldn't be racist . this has got to be a joke

[mokonui]

kia ora to my new baby!!! whai aroha i te kitenga tuatahi. 💗

[commercestoryyyy]

1001 Panui Korero | Korero Korero 莲花演说

//

writen by ZHOU Junjun

第一个故事

男人拖着疲倦回到家，妻子问：“怎么这么晚回来？是不是外面有人了？”男人忽然感到非常愤怒地对妻子说：“你怎么这么不理解我？”第二天，他们去民政局换了一本证……

Tuatahi korero

Ka hoki mai te tangata he ngenge i te ngenge me te ngenge, ka ui tana wahine, "He aha koe i hoki ngatahi ai? He tangata kei waho?" Ka ohorere te riri a taua tangata, ka mea ki tana wahine, "He aha koe kaore i tino mohio ki ahau?" I te ra i muri mai, ka haere ratou ki te Tari Taataki Hauora Kua hurihia he tiwhikete ...

 第二个故事

课后，老师对学生说：“如果再是这个成绩，我会劝你转校了，跟上你会很吃力。”回家，母亲拿着试卷恨铁不成钢地指责孩子说：“再过一年高考了，你看你该怎么办，你看考得上哪个学校，你看你将来该怎么办！怎么这么不争气呢。”晚间补习，补习老师说：“怎么教了这么多遍，你就是做不对呢？”当晚，学生从补习老师家一跃而下，当场死亡，他才十六岁……

Te korero tuarua

Whai muri i te akomanga, ka mea te kaiako ki nga akonga, "Ki tenei ano tenei karaehe, ka tohutohu atu ahau kia whakawhiti koe ki te kura, ka uaua ana ki a koe kia haere tonu." Ka hoki ki te kainga, ka whakapaehia e te whaea te tamaiti ki te pepa whakamatautau me te kino ki te maitai, ka mea, "Tatou ka haere Te whakamātautau tomokanga o te tau kotahi, kei te kite koe i nga mea e tika ana kia mohio koe, ka kite koe i te kura ka taea e koe te tango, ka kite koe me aha e tika ana koe. I hika koe i hara? "I taua po tonu, ka peke atu te akonga ki te whare kaiwhakaako ka mate i te tuunga. Kotahi noa ana ona tau 16 te pakeke ...

 第三个故事

十年寒窗苦读，他是有名的学霸，名企招聘会上，面试官对他说：“介绍下你自己。”他说：“啊……嗯……我……我叫……”面试官说：“对不起，请下一位。”走出门，他靠着墙蹲下，把简历撕��粉碎……

Tuatoru korero

I te tekau tau o te ako pakeke, he akonga mohio ia. I te wa mahi mo nga kamupene rongonui, ka ki atu te kai uiui ki a ia, "Whakauru atu koe." Ka kii atu te kaiawhina, "Aroha, kia koa." Ka toro atu ia ki waho o te tatau, ka tutuki a ia ki te pakitara, ka haa tana tuokiri ...

 第四个故事

团队准备整整一月，精心编制各种节目，终于迎来了万众期待的年会。董事长在员工热情的掌声中缓步走上讲台，举起话筒方才发觉演讲稿落在座位上，他望着台下黑压压的人群，一双双亮晶晶的眼睛，忽然觉得呼吸急促，头冒冷汗，双脚发抖……他不禁往讲台中间挪了挪，这一挪，却不小心把话筒掉到了地上，台下一下子热闹起来，传来闷声的笑声。他完全慌了神，已不记得演讲稿的内容，有些尴尬地弯下腰捡起话筒咳了两声说：“哈哈，大家，吃好，喝好！谢谢！”然后像逃荒般地窜下台回到座位，连忙拿起纸巾擦拭满头汗水，剧烈的心跳声在耳畔久久不能散去……

Te wha o nga korero

Ka noho te roopu mo te marama katoa, ka ata whakaemihia e ia nga momo kaupapa, a, ka uru atu ki roto i te huihuinga o te tau kua tino hiahiatia. I ata haere te tiamana ki te konukawata me nga pati mahana a nga kaimahi, ka whakaarahia te whaikorero ki mua i tana kitenga ka hinga te korero i runga o te nohoanga, ka titiro ia ki te mano i raro o te atamira, i ona kanohi kanapa, ka paoho iho te poto o te manawa me te manawa makariri ki tona mahunga. I wiri ona waewae ... Kaore i taea e ia te neke engari ka neke ki waenga o te riu, engari na te ohorere i heke iho i te whaikorero ki te whenua, ka haruru te hunga whakarongo ki te kata. I tino pukuriri ia, kaore i maumahara ki nga kiko o te whaikorero.Na ka piko ia ki raro, ka mau ki te whaikorero, ka haruru rua: "Haha, ta te tangata, kia kai pai, inu inu! Mauruuru!" Katahi ka tuuturu ano ia ka hoki ano he rerenga. Ka u ki ahau ki te nohoanga, ka tangohia e au he tauera pepa ka horoi i taaku maru.Kore te whekau o te ngakau e marara mo te wa roa ...

 第五个故事

商业路演现场，他拿着一个团队整整一个月不眠不休做出的商业计划书，已经有20万高粘度粉丝，信心十足。当话筒递到他手上，投资人说：“请用三句��说明你的项目。”他说：“呃……我们做的是……是……”投资人说：“谢谢，请下一位。”他黯然坐下，合作伙伴们都黯然低下了头，拍了拍他的肩膀，起身离去……

Korero tuarima

I te maakete arumoni, i whakahaerehia e ia he ropu umanga mahi kua mahi ana ia mo te marama katoa, ā, kua 200,000 te hunga whakatangi teitei-nui me te tino maia. I te wa i tukuna atu te whaikorero ki a ia, ka ki atu te kaipupuri putea, "Tena koa maarama te whakamaarama i to kaupapa i roto i nga rerenga e toru." Ka kii ia, "Eh ... he aha taatau ... Kotahi. "Noho ana ia i runga o te pouri, ko nga hoa i whakapiko katoa o ratou mahunga, ka patupatua tona pokohiwi, ka whakatika, ka wehe ...

 第六个故事

古有贾诩一句话引起百年战乱，亦有张仪三寸不烂之舌抵百万雄狮。历史由人演绎，社会由人诠释，生活由人改变。今天，当我们面对各种繁琐，各种误解，各种质疑，各种矛盾，各种委屈，我们都说，这是人造成的。蓦然回首，三省吾身，这是——沟通——造成的！

Onoono nga korero

I nga tau o mua, na nga kupu a Jia Yi i hua ai te riri, kotahi rau tau o te pakanga, ana ko te arero koretake e toru-huringa a Zhang Yi i haere mai i te miriona nga raiona tane. Ko te hitori e whakamaorahia ana e te tangata, ko te hapori te whakamaoritanga a te iwi, a, ka hurihia te ao e te iwi. I tenei ra, ka whakaekehia e tatou nga momo whakaraerae katoa, nga momo whakama kore, nga momo feaa, nga momo whakahē katoa, nga momo pouri katoa, e kii ana tatou katoa na tenei i pa mai ai. Ka ohorere whakamuri, ko nga kawanatanga e toru ko aku tinana, he korero-korero tenei!

 第N个故事

..........

Nth story

..........

 “莲花演说”源自“舌灿莲花，口吐莲花”，主要形容人口才好，口齿伶俐，能言善道，有如莲花般的美妙。莲花，也有纯洁，正直，吉祥之意。古月今心取“莲花演说”，意其一是人若有纯洁正直的心，逢人多说吉祥的话，这样人们便会心生欢喜，人事顺利，性格也就乐观包容，命运也就更加舒顺。意其二，公众演说，能够能言善道，犹如莲花般的美妙。

Ko te "korero terenihi" i ahu mai i te "arero lotus, mokowhiti" - Ko te nuinga o te korero mo te taupori, he korero, he pai te korero, me te tino ataahua ano he putiputi. Ko te tikanga a Lotus ko te maakore, te pono, me te pono. I tango a Gu Yuejin i te "korero terenihi". Ko tetahi o nga take, ki te mea he ngakau ma, he tika te tangata, ka korero i nga kupu whaihua i nga wa katoa, ka koa te iwi i roto i o raatau ngakau, ka maeneene te ahua, ka pai o raatau tuakiri, me te manawanui, a ka nui atu to raatau painga. Tawhiri. Tuarua, ko nga whaikorero korero ka taea te korero ma te ngawari, penei me te puawai pua tereni.

 在这个科技日新月异的时代，移动互联网深入到我们生活的方方面面，改变了我们的社交方式，看似缩短了人与人之间的距离。恰恰相反的是，而今“人际交往”却成为大家津津乐道的话题，人们热衷学习“情商”，“智商”，“处理人际关系”。

I tenei ao tere o te ao o te hangarau, kua uru te Ipurangi pūkoro ki nga waahanga katoa o to tatou ao, i hurihia te huarahi whakawhitiwhiti ki a tatou, me te ahua nei kei te whakapiki i te tawhiti i waenga i te iwi. Engari, "ko nga whakawhitiwhiti korero takahi" ka tu hei kaupapa e korero ana te katoa. E hiahia ana te iwi ki te ako "EQ", "IQ", me te "whakahaere i nga whanaungatanga interpersonal".

 古月今心说，从他帮助的几千位因公众演说有障碍的学员，他发现经常用正确的方式进行演说训练，不仅让更多的人成功的解决了公众演说障碍，还更加提高了沟通和谈判能力，连同日常人际关系也有积极改善。而今，古月今心已经帮助几千人因为沟通，因为演说问题而遇到困惑的人。而今，莲花演说遍布全国多个一线城市，成为中国极具影响力的互动演说训练机构，收获学员大量赞誉。

I kii a Gu Yuejinxin mai i nga mano o nga kaiwhakangungu he uaua ki te korero korero a te iwi, i kitea e ia he maha nga whakangungu korero i roto i te huarahi tika kia kaua e whakaaetia te maha o nga tangata ki te whakatutuki angitu i nga ara korero korero a te iwi, engari he whakapai ake hoki Ko nga pukenga whakawhitiwhiti korero me te whakawhiti korero, me nga hononga o ia ra, kua pai ake hoki. I tenei ra, kua awhina a Gu Yuejin Xin mano o nga tangata e whakama ana na te raru o te whakawhitiwhiti korero me te korero. I tenei wa, kua horapa nga korero a Lotus ki nga taone tuatoru puta noa i te motu, a, kua noho hei rangatira whakangungu reo whakawhitiwhiti korero a Haina, he maha nga whakamoemiti a nga akonga.

 古月今心过去十二年，把自己的全部心血和精力专注于沟通、演说事业，未来，他将一如既往……他只是希望能够帮更多人解决沟通问题，让他们不会再因为沟通问题失去家庭，不会因为沟通问题失去机会，不会因为沟通问题失去自信，不会因为沟通问题铸就大错后悔终生。

Mo nga tau tekau ma rua kua paahure ake nei, kua whakapau kaha a Gu Yuejinxin i ona kaha me tona kaha ki te kaupapa o te whakawhitiwhiti korero me te korero.Ko nga ra kei te heke mai, ka kaha tonu ia ... ka tumanako ano ia ka awhina i etahi atu tangata ki te whakaoti i nga raru whakawhitiwhiti kia kore ai e pangia e nga raru whakawhiti korero. Mena ka ngaro koe i to whanau, kaore koe e ngaro i nga tupono na te raru o te whakawhitiwhiti korero, kaore koe e ngaro i te maia na te raru o te whakawhitiwhiti korero, kaore koe e tatarahapa i to koiora na te mea o nga raru korero.

 沟通，让你学会怎么好好生活；沟通，让你学会怎么面对他人；沟通，让你学会怎么认识自己；沟通，让你学会怎样把握机会；沟通，改变命运，演讲，改变人生……古月今心说：人一生，学会好好说话，你会发现满是惊喜 。 提升演讲，做一个懂得一对多、一对一沟通的人。

Ma te whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro e ako koe me pehea te noho pai; ma te whakawhitiwhiti korero e mohio ai koe ki te whakama ki etahi atu; ma te whakawhitiwhiti e mohio ai koe ki te mohio ki a koe ano; I kii a Jinxin: I roto i to koiora, akona te korero pai, ka kite koe i te tino maere. Whakapai i te whakaaturanga me te noho hei tangata e maarama ana ki te whakawhiti korero-a-nui me te kotahi.

[pasifika-langblr]

Relations Vocabulary

Pāpā ~ Father

Māmā ~ Mother

Mātua ~ Parents

Tamaiti ~ Child

Tamariki ~ Children

Koro ~ Grandfather

Kuia ~ Grandmother

Matua kēkē ~ Aunt/Uncle

Irāmutu ~ Neice/Nephew

Hungarei ~ Parent-in-Law

Taokete ~ Sibling-in-Law

Kaitiaki ~ God Parent

Whakapapa ~ Family Tree/Geneology

Kaiwhakahaere ~ Boss

Tau ~ Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Takitoru ~ Triplets

Ahurewa ~ Altar

Tāinati ~ Dynasty

Tohenga ~ Argument

Ira ~ Genes

Kaimōhū ~ Heartbroken

Related Phrases

Tūtakitanga kāpō ~ Blind date

Whai aroha i te kitenga tuatahi ~ Love at first sight

Ka whakarongo ahau ~ I listen

Ka pupuri ringa māua ~ We hold hands

Ka tawehe tāua ~ We break up

[Posted on 03.05.2019]

[sdam22]

Ko nga microelectrodes kei nga taha e rua

Ko nga microelectrodes kei nga taha e rua o te anga keemu e whakaatu ana i te tuunga o te poi i te taha maui, i te taha matau ranei o te hoe kia purei pong. I mahia tenei mahi i te wa e tukuna ana e te auau o nga tohu te tawhiti o te poi me tona turanga.

Tuhinga e pā ana: Kua angitu nga kaiputaiao ki te whakawhiti i nga pūtau roro tangata ki roto i nga roro o te kiore Ka taea e Dishbrain te neke i te hoe ki te patu i te poi ma te whakawhirinaki ki enei tautuhinga; Heoi, i te iti rawa i tenei wa i te nuinga o te waa, he tino kino te mahi. Me whakahoki nga neurons ki te takaro i nga keemu pai. I whakawhanakehia e te roopu rangahau i tenei mara he rorohiko hei tuku urupare ma roto i nga hikohiko i nga wa katoa ka ngaro te poi.

Na tenei i taea e te punaha te whakatutuki i nga whakapainga me te whakapai ake i nga mahi i roto i te keemu pong. Ko nga kitenga a nga kairangahau e tohu ana ko te tukanga ako me te whakapai ake i nga mahi e 5 meneti noa iho. E ai ki a Carl Friston, he tohunga neuroscientist mai i te Whare Wananga o te Whare Wananga o London i te UK:

[karyacemplon]

Week 4: Progress Updates

Selamat datang. I am back with another update! (LOL it is within the same day though, I apologise). Call me strange, but having a TV series to accompany me while doing tasks helped me get through the week…

Still in the Te Kitenga phase, this week I assessed the empathy interviews and online questionnaire and went on a research trip. Unfortunately, I must say that this week was not really productive, as I feel like lately I have been in a not-too-good emotional and mental state.

Collating Responses

Due to confidentiality and privacy reasons, I will not put a screenshot of my progress evidence. However, one key insight I gathered from the empathy interview is that community plays a critical role in fostering the feeling of belongingness. Meanwhile, the online questionnaire provided a range of insights, some contradicting and some agreeing with the idea of my project. Regardless, all insights are valuable, providing significant help in knowing what elements to consider to make a community-based solution that aligns with the stream’s How Might We statement.

Trip!

On the 10th of August, I went on a trip! To an event at Silo Park with my friends.

Figure 1

Me and my friends

(Me and my friends! 🕺 And do not worry, I have asked them for permission to post this picture)

Engagement Session

Figure 3

Session information

There were predominantly children in the event, with hands-on activities, such as puzzles and a dance session. However, when we explored a different section that was relatively quiet, was when I gained valuable experiences. 

Exploring the event...

Figure 3

Photos of spaces

In this section, different storage containers were remodelled into spaces, starting from a storytelling space, a moving library, an underwater creature art exhibition, the University of Auckland’s Marine pop-up space, and several others. Although the spaces might not relate to my project topic, however, exploring how the spaces are set up is helpful to know what attracts people to learn. This helps with the ideation of a solution, specifically the aspect of: what will make the target audience interested? 

I am leaving this week’s progress update on a cliffhanger (muahaha). Alright, see you in the next update! 🕺

[ayeon0307]

Initial Prototype

7th September (Thu)

Description

This week I aimed to build an initial prototype in order to start building the final prototype in Week 7. I based my creation on the Prototype it tool from The collective action toolkit, so I started by sorting out my materials list.

-> Prototype it tool from frog’s The collective action toolkit. (David Sherwin, 2023) (1)

Since my idea is a physical toolkit idea, the actual size was important to me, so I made various sizes and measured them in the fridge to come up with the ideal size before I started working on the specific idea. In the case of the food card, I actually made it and found that my first idea was too small, so I made a new size.

-> Illustrate digital sketch of Prototype sizes

I created the pixel icons as previously planned but reflected on them midway through the process. I realised that I didn't have enough time to complete the pixel art style and that the project positionality wasn't fully involved and reflected, so I went with a 2nd initial prototype.

-> From the Miro board, 1st initial prototype ideas

Prior to the 2nd initial prototype, I reworked the existing logo and fonts as the pixel art style had been abandoned. I decided to use the Goodkitty font for the logo, with Montana as a sub, and keep the existing font, Acumin Variable Concept, for the body font.

-> From the Miro board, new logo ideas

The lack of positionality meant that my project didn't have enough Māori elements since my project is based on indigenous culture. Therefore, I researched various Māori patterns and chose Pātikitiki, which I felt was the best fit for my project topic. Pātakitaki is a pattern that means 'hospitality' and 'availability of food'.

-> Pātikitiki pattern from Kōwhaiwhai for beginners (2021)

This is the 2nd initial prototype design, incorporating new ideas from the 1st initial prototype reflection. I put the Māori pattern, Pātikitiki, on hold because I had not yet received direct permission or checked with indigenities.

-> From the Miro board, 2nd initial prototype ideas

I later printed a 2nd prototype design to create a physical prototype. I printed my design on coated paper and glued it to thicker paper so that it would resemble the actual product. For the magnet products, I glued pieces of magnet sheet to the thick paper.

-> Prototype hero shots

Feelings

As with the previous logo design process, I feel the most stressed when I'm working on a creative design. This time, I found a lot of errors and shortcomings in the 1st prototype design, which caused me some confusion. However, through critical reflection, I was able to figure out the problems and create a more advanced design.

The 2nd initial prototype design is still lacking, but I am getting closer to the ideal physical prototype model of the project as I see the toolkit components evolving little by little.

Evaluation

Project process 5/5 - I am satisfied with the current direction of the project and the percentage of progress above 50%.

Time management 2/5 - I thought I had enough time to prepare, one week, but it was a short period of time to organise the design ideas. I completed the prototype in insufficient time, which resulted in unsatisfactory work.

Project result 3/5 - I completed the prototype I had planned but did not complete a satisfactory design. The design needs more research and development.

Analysis

The toolkit 'Prototype it' was the only tool in The collective action toolkit(David, 2023) that was related to prototypes. However, despite being the only tool, the explanation and understanding of prototypes needed to be improved. This is because The collective action toolkit is a toolkit for group projects. The point where 'Prototype it' differs from the other tools is the idea-sharing session in a group at the end of the tool. However, considering the project's ethical situation, I could not share ideas and reflect with others, so I generated the maximum effect through multiple reflections on my own.

Conclusion

Creative activities always took time away from me. I realised again while designing this project that design is a continuous process of reflection. I had two initial ideations, but there were six design changes, including hand sketching.

Also, if I were to reflect on myself, I need to develop better time management skills. I need to set a time limit and distribute my time appropriately by learning to give up when the creative design process is not progressing within the limited time and reflecting back.

Action Plan

If I were to go through the initial prototype process again, I would set aside more time than I do now. While my improved time allocation skills are important, I believe that if I had more time, I would have been able to reflect on the design and complete it sooner.

Next Plan

Final prototype planning and material research

From my initial prototype reflection, I will continue to develop the design of the prototype.

Reference

(1) David Sherwin. (2023). frog’s Collective Action Toolkit. DAVID SHERWIN. https://www.davidsherwin.com/collective-action-toolkit

(2) Bridget Blair. (2021). Kōwhaiwhai for beginners. Arts Online. https://artsonline.tki.org.nz/Planning-tools/Teacher-Resource-Exchange/Kowhaiwhai-for-beginners

[bee-capstone-blog]

Blog no.9 28/08/23

It's been a moment since I've sat down and reflected. It's currently Ōhua, a low-energy time when it's recommended to reflect and plan. I think my practice has lost its direction because of my lack of reflection. I've been iterating on logo concepts, reading literature and capturing relevant insights, but I haven't really sat down and sorted through all I'm learning. Regarding the Hautū Waka, I found a vision through Te Kitenga phase activities in weeks 4 and 5 but then started circling, idling, and observing tohu but not making any great advances. Week 6 was a bit of a limbo week, and because of that, I'm going to have to use my mid-sem break contingency that I built into my plan. This was fairly expected, sometimes there are times when no progress is made, and that's okay but I do think if I spent more time reflecting I could, at least, have done some critical refining of my ideas.

My logo process is shown below, and although not integral to this stage, It helped me think about my audience and seed the beginnings of personas through my thought exercises in viewing the logo from different perspectives.

Laying out my process as I have, illuminated my methods and maybe gave me a framework I can implement into the craft workshops I'm designing. First I curated a mood board based of content (trans joy, diversity, inclusion, celebration, quilting, craft) and style (corporate, colourful, clean, organic). I observed these images while doing messy drawings to see what came out. I selected the one that felt best iterated it on paper then transferred to digital (Illustrator) where I made variations within the format then when I felt it was limiting, broke the box and explored moving image (After Effects). Using After Effects especially, brought my attention to how the form was constructed and by seeing it deconstructed I was able to assemble it in a new way as my final logo. I

was able to know I'd reached the final purely by gut feeling. The graphic feels harmonious and dynamic, reading as clean and professional with an element of playfulness. The quilt features may not be obvious at first glance, which I think plays to my advantage as I do want people to come to the workshops with an open mind, especially with the historical connotations of quilting.

The font family I selected was Owners Text I then created outlines and played with the typeface so it had small nods to crafting, I would probably only include these in headings, body text will likely be in Owners Text Regular/ Italic. I was able to utilise some of these visual elements in my presentation for 302. It won't be the first time I need to communicate my ideas, so it was good practice and I'm actually happy that I spent time on the aesthetics of this project at this stage.

[03rkmz]

Week 4 Blog

Previous phase;

I was at Whakarite (preparation) phase where I slowly started being more productive, reflecting on my proposal from DES300, doing further research, adding on scopes and creating a draft timeline (which is still a work in progress); essentially, putting together existing research onto Miro.

fig 1. Miro board

Current phase:

My mood has been downgrading as I lose confidence in my vision after seeing other people’s plans. Before submitting my slides, my laptop started to crash; hence my presentation slides were underdeveloped, so I feel like I didn’t present enough relevant information and graphics to my peers. I felt an immense sense of shame, so I neglected my research, feeling like being back to Te Rapunga (venturing the unknown) phase, where I was lost and felt underdeveloped in my research.

fig 2. DES301 presentation slides

Although I may have struggled with productivity, I can relate to the Hautū Waka framework, which looks into a level of certainty of where my capstone is going. I aim to go to Te Kitenga (sighting) slowly, a phase where I can develop further research to validate my plans.

Next phase;

Despite the lack of productivity and seeing what my peers have done, I plan on further expanding my scope, creating mood boards for each idea, and discussing with the stream leader whether that is executable.

fig 3. Plans and scope on Miro

If I am honest, I am leaning towards Plan B. Plan B looks into speculative and critical design, where I am designing an exhibition space to provoke controversy and discussion. Hence, I have questions that I would like to ask before considering my options regarding the following:

Consent from performers and the audience regarding being filmed 

Whether its possible to book a space temporarily so simulate a mock exhibition.

Overall, it is slowly moving towards the next phase of the Hautū Waka.

fig 4. The lab team. (2022). Practice Foundations: Hautū Waka. The Auckland Co-design Lab.

[karyacemplon]

Week 3: Reflection

To be very very honest… one of the main reasons I am able to get through the week is thanks to the TV series I watched while doing work. #anythingtohelpmegetthroughthis

Figure 1

Dog shaking

What?

Coming into week three, both you and I would expect me to be more on track, yet I am not? (Question mark as I feel that I am making progress, but at the same time, not as much) As usual, I have obtained feedback from the stream tutor, ensuring I am in the right direction despite having a slower pace than the rest of my peers. I saw my friends with their chosen ideas, yet I am still exploring and discovering different potentials. To be honest, knowing this made me feel left behind and down, though I kept reassuring myself that this was not a competition and that we all had different paces. 

I spent quite a while reaching a milestone in progress as I continuously felt lost. It was as if a nagging emotion was constantly pestering me to change the initial solution of creating a community garden. Somehow, it felt as though the idea was not enough and I could do something better. Consequently, this feeling led to me being lost and confused about whether I was going in the right direction and whether what I did was adequate. However, this uncertainty helped me realise that I need to develop a foundation by understanding lived experiences of the target audience. This way significantly helped me understand where the challenge truly lies. 

So What?

Ultimately, reflecting back on this experience, I realise that I need more primary and secondary research to fully understand the topic. Particularly, understanding the lived experiences of the target audience is significant, which I could have completed in the early weeks to get a head start in the ideation process. However, what remains a more significant challenge is the anxious feelings I frequently feel when doing my tasks, which often lead to being unsatisfied and overwhelmed. 

Researching about this personal challenge deeper, I discovered that this is connected to my personality trait of perfectionism. Often accompanied by the habit of being overly critical, I set high (and unrealistic) standards for myself, measured by my achievements and standards. Relating to work, perfectionism is characterised by intolerance to failures, frequently leading to stress and burnout (Kwarcińska et al., 2022). In which, truthfully, I have been feeling this way eversince the beginning of the assignment and perhaps I have been acting this way as a response to perfectionism. I think this mindset of continuously overly criticising myself is not healthy and certainly not beneficial to the development of my project progress. 

Aside from addressing one of the primary challenges of procrastination, I discovered that gaining lived experiences is significant in understanding the target audience’s–of international students–behaviour and perceptions of the topic. Moreover, if there are any factors, including social and economic, that influence perceptions (Karunamuni et al., 2021). This opens a new window, which may have been closed if it were not for exploring lived experiences. 

In general, I have to explore different methods to help overcome my perfectionism or, instead, leverage the behaviour to benefit my progress development. I am not foreign to feelings of disappointment, confusion, and loss at this point. However, rather than only coming to terms with the feeling, I should search for ways to turn this challenge into something advantageous. 

Now What?

Oh my, never have I been this inspired and ready to conquer my fears. Re-evaluating week two’s action plan of looking at a smaller instead of a bigger view, I realised that not only have I set plans this way but also a similar mindset. However, it seemed to have worked. I will continue viewing the assignment from a narrow yet also big perspective, focusing on creating weekly tasks. Yes, I have to embrace feeling lost as it is a part of the journey, but also carrying the week two action plan to ensure that I am continuously overcoming the perfectionism and the nasty consequences it brings.

I will be sure to give an update in week 4! 🐣

References

Karunamuni, N., Imayama, I., Goonetilleke, D. (2021). Pathways to well-being: Untangling the causal relationships among biopsychosocial variables. Social Science & Medicine 272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.11284

Kwarcińska, K., Sanna, M. K., Nowotnik, K. A., Piotrowski, K. (2022). Perfectionism in theory and research. Przegląd Psychologiczny 65(3):97-112. DOI: 10.31648/przegldpsychologiczny.8803

Seokatz. (2021). Dog Shaking GIF [Online Moving Image]. Tenor. https://tenor.com/view/dog-shaking-gif-21566090

[karyacemplon]

Week 3: Progress Updates

Hi! I'm back again with another update on my project! 😱

In week three, I entered the Te Kitenga phase. Turns out it took longer than I expected to get an improved version of my How Might We statement. To recap, I have received insights, research inspirations, empathy interview tools, colours, created questions and conducted the interview/conversations.

Week three started with gathering insights from a guest speaker.

Guest Speaker Notes

Figure 1

Guest speaker highlights

Although I did not have a one-on-one session with the guest speaker (as shown in the empty post-it notes beside the questions), I gained valuable insights relating to my capstone topic. I summarise the discussion into one critical insight: consider native plants not only in New Zealand but also in Auckland.

This is significant as my capstone project is located in Auckland, and an example could be the Nikau, which is planted along Queen Street, as it is the native plant that grows along the stream beneath the area. In a way, from the conversation, I imply that bringing back native species to Auckland ensures an opportunity for biodiversity to develop, as different regions have different native species that accommodate their climate.

Empathy Interviews

Figure 2

Empathy interview questions

Truth to be told, I felt really lost… Hence, as a foundation, I decided to conduct empathy interviews (or conversations, as I like to call them). Since I do not know much about what international students think about this and what they want, conducting this method allows me to gather valuable lived insights.

To start, I did some research regarding empathy interviews, exploring the appropriate way to conduct them and act and what questions to ask. From digging the internet, I gathered that creating a safe and comfortable space is essential, as the topic might be sensitive to some people. Thus, following the guides I discovered, I created questions based on my topic, which I adjusted accordingly depending on the people I interviewed.  

Online Questionnaire

Figure 3

Online questionnaire questions

Spicing things up a little, rather than conducting another empathy interview, I have chosen to do an online questionnaire. This way, I can reach more people within my target audience to gain more valuable insight into an element in my How Might We Statement/idea–relating to senses and the natural environment. Similarly, I researched survey examples and tips while adhering to the empathy interview guides to ensure I was sensitive and thoughtful with my questions.

How Might We statement change

Diverting away from my previous How Might We (HMW) statement of,

"How might we design a multi-sensory space, olfactory community garden for tertiary international students in Auckland CBD to feel at home despite being away while fostering connections to Aotearoa's whenua?"

I have decided to explore different areas of opportunities. Thus, I changed the statement to,

“How might we leverage human-nature connection to the environment to foster the feeling of belonging among tertiary international students?”

which is a deconstructed version of my previous HMW statement. This encompasses any possible solution idea and is not limited to only a community garden. It allows me to explore deeper areas of interest that I have bookmarked regarding this topic, yet I was unable to do the previous statement restriction.

With this new statement, I have three ideas in mind to explore: a community garden, workshops and storytelling exhibitions, all inspired by existing projects I discovered. 

Precedents/Inspirations

Figure 4

Inspiration research

I ended the week with research of existing projects for inspiration, which helped narrow down potential areas to explore.

I am getting even more stressed each week--see you in the next update! 💅

[ayeon0307]

Branding

31st August (Thu)

Description

To get started, I outlined the essential elements and processes of branding. My branding process started by identifying and analysing my brand's positionality, vision, and values. This is a process of reflection and reiteration of previous ideas. It allowed me to re-learn and understand my toolkit's purpose before I started creatively branding it.

-> From the Miro board, My positionality and Project Partners' Positionality (1), (2)

Along with positionality, I also listed the values of the toolkit. I've analysed the values of previous projects, but this time, I analysed the values of the toolkit itself and the values I wanted the users of the toolkit to feel.

-> From the Miro board,

The first stage of branding was to "name" the toolkit. Based on the positionality and values of the project and the toolkit, I came up with a list of inspired words, combining them in different ways or coming up with new ones, and finally settling on a brand name.

Kairanger

The name of my toolkit, Kairanger, is a combination of the Maori words for food, Kai, and arrange. The literal meaning of Kairanger is "to organise food", but another meaning is "to protect food". I took advantage of the fact that ~ranger is often attached to many superheroes' names to imply that I wanted my toolkit to be a food protector. It also fits the value of my toolkit because it's a word that is easily pronounceable and accessible to people of all ages and nationalities.

The second stage of branding was to choose a colour to represent the brand. I stuck with the colour theme that I had previously chosen in my research in Week 3. This is because a variety of colours will attract the attention of users, especially my target audience of intermediate and college students.

The third piece of branding is the font style, which reflects the style of the toolkit. While exploring different fonts, I chose a game-like pixel style, which is good for targeting teens. By choosing a pixelated font for the main font, I could unify all the styles with a pixelated feel to make the brand more cohesive and showcase the playful nature of the toolkit.

-> From the Miro board, colour theme and typography

Fourth, I created a tagline for the brand. Some might not think a tagline is important, but it can be used as many elements of my toolkit and brand. I wanted to come up with a simple and easy tagline for people to remember. I also wanted to include the parts of the name of the brand so that users could easily reach the brand name from the tagline.

Keep your Kai. Keep it kind.

The tagline, which translates to 'store your food with kindness', is a reminder to protect your food with the toolkit and also harkens back to my project's kawa, Manaakitanga, kindness. I also included Kai in the tagline as a reminder of the toolkit's name.

The final stage is Logo design. After going through many designs, I chose two final designs. Both designs are pixel art style and use five colours from the colour theme.

-> Kairanger logo, 2 types

Feelings

I always find the branding process enjoyable because it gives me the opportunity to explore and research different designs. In particular, the colour theme and font research process before creating the logo was my favourite part of branding. I love being creative because it's something that can easily cause me stress, but it's also something that allows me to express myself at my best. I think I love the creative process because every time I create a new design, it's stressful because I'm not sure what I want, but I'm happy when I reach a point where I have the design I want after many struggles.

Evaluation

Project process 5/5 - I researched how branding works first, so I knew what to expect.

Time management 1/5 - I should have taken into account that a task requiring creativity can go far beyond the planned time, and I spent a lot of time working on the logo in particular, which delayed my plans.

Project result 5/5 - I now have a clear direction for my brand and am able to present a clear branding.

Analysis

I did some research on branding before I started. Therefore, I could create the essentials I needed to design my brand. My toolkit, The collective action toolkit, didn't have a tool for creating a brand, so researching what branding consists of was essential. Through my research, I learnt that if you prioritise analysing your project before creating a brand, you'll have a better chance of creating a brand name and logo. This allowed me to generate a variety of brand name ideas and challenge myself with different logo designs.

However, it took me a long time to decide on a logo design because I was so caught up in researching and comparing different logos that I lost sight of my own brand.

Conclusion

Working on my solo project, I learnt about the process of branding - a simplified version of the process, but one that is absolutely essential.

As I mentioned before, I needed a lot of time to decide on a logo design, and I think this is because I was researching a lot of logos and lost sight of what made me unique, so I think it's important to have a solid design direction so that you don't lose sight of your own design after research.

Action Plan

If I were to do it again, I would start by defining the style of my brand using a detailed branding process, as this will give me a clear design style for the project when deciding on a logo design.

I would also create a design mood board of the direction I want to go in before creating the logo so I have a base to work from.

Next Plan

For the rest of Break 1, I'll finally finalise the toolkit idea and contents.

Research materials and plan for an initial paper prototype

Reference

(1) Plant and Food Research. (2023). Our strategy. Plant and Food Research. https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/our-strategy

(2) Plant and Food Research. (2023). Partnering with Māori. Plant and Food Research. https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/partnering-with-maori