The Thesis Project aimed to cultivate understanding about the interrelationships between humans and materials in the context of consumerism, sustainability, and time, through helping people learn about woodworking materials and tools, develop a more profound respect for them, and understand how one interacts with them. Incorporating repair culture and material education into a collaborative service design, the author reflected on his sustainability as a woodworker to enable others to connect with materials and tools in a meaningful way. The Project followed a nonlinear process, allowing the author to move back and forth to reflect, refine and progress from idea to form, and back to idea, while respecting his tangible need for medium and method. By researching scores of different woodworking tools found in an antique tool box received as a gift, the author defined their purpose in woodcraft and their connection with people they served and society as a whole. Inspirations for the Project consisted of woodworking, time, and social, environmental and economic stability, in addition to various types of design: service, collaborative, circular, and critical. Four different processes – prototyping, service blueprint, advertising and service experiences – were employed to respond to the research question. Key results included the provision of over 20 services to 15 individuals through a simple design process. By helping people to fix their objects in an ongoing conversation about sustainability with regard to material use and consumption, tools and practices were used effectively to change interrelationships between people and materials. Through the services and ‘hands-on conversations’, many began to understand and appreciate the possibilities of tools to revitalize old furniture and increase their value. Some people used tools themselves to resolve their problems, with all participants showing appreciation for the services, while expressing commitment to use, rather than discard, the objects. A few of the thousands contacted through social media, responded to calls for assistance, with the Project concluding that the process has potential, but without a business model, it would be difficult to sustain. Questions regarding the future included: What type of business could harness opportunities, offering viable employment? How many would need to be involved? How great is the demand for services? Which policies or regulations must be in place for a successful practice? The author was cognizant of the need for additional skills and knowledge to pursue the challenge of operationalizing the services provided through a sustainable livelihood.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-86291 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Girerd-Barclay, Nicolas |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för design (DE) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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