1) What did you think of your visit to the UN? Which speaker did you find the most inspiring and why?

Besides the long line and all the waiting, the UN trip was definitely an unforgettable experience. There were many facts and stories shared that night which pushed you to try to be more aware of how you effect the world in different scales. Apart from everything, Finn Harris turned out to be the most inspiring for me. Its one thing to listen to people in the field but its way more interesting for me to hear the story of a fellow student. After reading an article about him I realized that he stablished JacksGap before attending new school and already had over a 100,000 subscribers. However, his business started growing after starting school. What interests me even more is how one class changed his direction and gave purpose to his work. It was then that his videos turned from what he was surrounded with personally to issues that effected people all around the world.

2) Read the following three articles. What do you think of these approaches to repair?

At Repair Cafes, ‘Beloved but Broken’ Possessions Find New Life (Links to an external site.)

– Would you like to visit a repair cafe? Why do you think so many people are interested in repair?

I definitely will visit the cafe. The way its described makes it seem like a positive environment were your helped by individuals who are there for a greater cause. When thinking of it beyond just fixing an object and seeing the whole picture, your motivated by the desire for change.  Even while reading through the article I was listing all the object I can take which need small parts fixed.

One of the reasons is because they end up saving money by repairing what they have already paid for. They object might also have a personal value for them or they might simply prefer keeping  it instead of replacing it with the ones in the market.

Waste not want not: Sweden to give tax breaks for repairs (Links to an external site.)

– Would you like to see this kind of tax be possible in your home country? Do you think it is possible there or the United States? Why or why not?

This can defiantly be added up on the list of things I like to see change in my country. However, I do believe that except in the big cities of Iran, others consider repairing before thinking of replacing it and the reason is simply that it’s hard to find those products in smaller cities.

America is considered a capitalist country. Meaning that the economies activity is dependents on market transactions. Also some of the biggest names of each industry are American which would make this a law against their own manufacturers. I personally believe a law like this would never be passed anytime soon in the united states.

Spend the Money for the Good Boots and Wear the Forever (Links to an external site.)

– Were you surprised by this article? Do you agree with the author? Do you think an object has to be expensive to be well made? What might make people take care of objects, even if they aren’t expensive?

I think the reason I wasn’t that surprised is because I have the same mentality. Guess one of the reasons I tend to buy more expensive items is partly influenced by my dads way of thinking. Also besides his tendency to buy decent quality materials, he also invests more money in objects that gain more value overtime.

In most cases, well made objects are more expensive. However, it doesn’t mean that a cheap item can’t be well made; it’s just that a good quality material is usually more expensive and thats what raises the price.

We usually take a better care of what we pay more for but besides that it all comes down to the reason we decided to buy the item in the first place. If it was the the way it looked, sometimes our aesthetics change. If it was the function, there might be a new version out in the market. However, if we have a personal connection with the piece, we tend to hold on to it.

3) Continue your repair projectPreview the documentView in a new window, Steps 4-7 + Reflection and post responses to the following on your LP:

Step 4: Test with Experiment

Attempt repair.

Done.

Step 5: Does it work?

Was the repair successful?

It could be a successful way of repairing clay pots and plates without taking their simplicity away. It hardens very fast in less than 24 hours. The process isn’t that hard and overall it makes it a successful way of repairing clay pots.

Are you happy with the results?

The technique worked pretty well because of the material of my object. It is aesthetically a bit different of what I imagined but mainly because my object itself was new itself. I am happy with the results and it can be one of few projects from the first year that I might end up keeping at my place!

Is the repair more beautiful/interesting in some way than the original?

By using the material itself it it almost as if its part of the design. It can look like those objects which either are historical or are intentionally made to look like one.

My inspiration was coming from historical clay objects which are found and then put back together to be viewed at the museums. Usually the clay they use to put them back together has a different color from the object itself. Also the parts missing are sometimes replaced with a similar one in another color. The reason for it is because the viewer can detect the older and newer parts. However, besides that it also makes it look more visually interesting and  adds a layer of history to the object. I also wanted to keep a bit of the earthy/messy feel of it and focus on the material since the object has a simple shape.

Step 6: Analyze and Draw Conclusions

What did you learn?

First I started by butting clay in between the broken part but then I realized it wasn’t enough to keep then attached. So I started using some clay on the inside of the pot between the cracks for more support to keep them together.

How long do you expect this repair to actually last?

Because its the same material as the pot, it would last as long as the pot does itself.

What surprises did you encounter?

The clay wasn’t as sticky as I thought it could be when putting the parts together so I had to use some more inside the pot to support it.

What would you do differently next time?

If I have more time I will leave each part to harden first before attaching it to the others. That way I shouldn’t be worried about them breaking again under pressure.

Are other ways that you could have repaired this item that you realize now?

Different materials or glues could have been used to fill up the gaps. Another way would have been to use casting bonds around it with would have also gave it a different texture.

After completing this project, do you consider repair a more valuable skill?

I considered repair a necessary skill since the start. Even if your the type of person that constantly changes something to the newer version, you still have things that you want to keep and the only way to it would be to be able to repair them.

Step 7: Communicate Results

Create an illustrated LP post showing your process and results.

Link: http://portfolio.newschool.edu/ghara868/2017/03/02/repair-project/

Be mindful of lighting, focus, background and final results.

Reflection:

What is the most important aspect of making a design easily repairable?

lasts longer
After completing this project, what’s one object that you wish you could repair but don’t feel as though you currently have the skills to do so?

I have many necklaces or bracelets that are missing a hook or another small part. I don’t find it hard to fix them but I had not been able to find the right parts for them that match with their color.

10: Did your repair require fewer materials and involve fewer systems than buying a new replacement? Which systems?

It just used a small bit of the amount of clay thats used to make a new one. There are not many  systems involved in making the pot, however it just saves time, material and energy.

1) What did you learn from Tattfoo’s visit? Was his work inspiring? What did you enjoy the most?

It made me think of how some people manage to leave a complete different sort of life style in the same place that i live only by making different everyday choices. Apart from everything his character itself and his excitement for discovering and transforming objects or materials and giving a new meaning to them seemed very inspirational. He had his personal touch in every object and each on of them seemed to be valuable for him in a different way. This is a feeling we sometimes loose just because we buy mass-produced products.

2) Research articles published in the New York Times within the last month that discuss the current status of climate change. What was the most interesting visual that you found (photo, graph, diagram etc.) and why was it so powerful to you? Include a link. Given what you learned in your research, how different do you think the planet be 50 years from now? In what ways do you think these realities will impact your work and life 50 years from now?

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/oroville-dam-climate-change-california.html

3) Please watch this design talks video on Regeneration Design and answer the following seven questions on your LP.

– At the start of the program Industrial Designer Fumikazu Masuda says, “we cannot continue like this, there is no future in mass production and consumption.” Do you agree?

I completely agree with Fumikazu Maudas statement. If we do continue like this no matter how much gas or resources our country already has, we would run into a dead end. This is something we are already noticing the results and problems which comes with it in our daily lives. Water and air pollution are only some of many effects mass producing companies have had on some areas. It is a serious issue and finding ways to solve it would be very important, especially for generations to come.

– What was the transformative experience that made Matsuda realize he had a responsibility for what he designed?

Mastoid used to work on decorative designs and things that looked luxurious or expensive. In the interview he shares a very personal memory of his that goes back to the 1990’s. He was walking along side a river in Kyoto and saw some trash there. The fact that there was so much trash in such a beautiful spot annoyed him before he realized in between them it was the washing machine that he designed. That was when he understood that “creating new products means that the old products would end up being trowed away.”

– Do you think you would take better care of objects if you had to repair them?

By experience I know that generally after I repair something, I tend to take a better care of it. There might be a few different reasons to it, including the fact that I’ve paid for fixing it (even in some cases more than what I’ve paid for the object itself), I wasn’t able to find something which could replace it and most importantly because now I know how easily it can get broken or not work.

– What are examples of materials that you could design with today, that could later return to the “natural cycle” (such as the bamboo that Masuda mentions)?

clay/ wood/ corn starch biocompostables/ organic cotton/ cork/ marble/ linen/ clay/ hemp / wool

– Masuda says, “nobody wants to leave the next generation with nothing but trash.” Do you think designers should consider the ability for their designs to be repaired, as part of their initial design process? What else might help create less waste?

If a design is not repairable, sooner or later it would end up in trash if it doesn’t carry any personal meaning for its owner. If the artist feels responsible for the future of his work, then it being repairable is a very important criteria in his/her design.

as mentioned in the interview  the most effective solution for solving this problem is education. No matter how big is the scale the designers work in, finding ways to educate other about these issues and their type of work Is also very important in creating less waste.

– What are the two things that Masuda says designers should be mindful of when designing (see timecode 20:00)? Why does he say this is important? Do you agree?

designers must first create something simple which doesn’t use a lot of resources. secondly to focus on natural materials, that means extra effort doesn’t have to go to recycling.He continues by explaining how “sometimes we come up with designs that can’t be recycled; maybe two parts that can’t be divided. If you realize that, you need to go back to the drawing board”

I completely agree with Masuada. He believes it is important because you save resources by doing so and also the object could go back to its natural cycle or be recycled if it is no longer used.

– What are you overall thoughts on this video? Did you enjoy it?

I really enjoyed how this video sees regeneration of materials as a new way of designing or reusing them but at the same time a way of going back into our roots and culture for inspiration.

3) Find a small object, device or material that needs to be repaired in some way. Begin your repair project (steps 1-3) according to the scientific methodPreview the documentView in a new window and post responses to the following on your LP.

Step 1: Ask A Question

What object will you repair and why?

In my country, Iran, using a clay  pot has became the way most people save their everyday coins. These pots only have one hole, meaning that you can put money in it but you can’t take it out. Therefore you end up saving the money until its needed. Then the only way would be to break the pot. These simple clay pots have became a symbol and there are ceremonies at kindergartens or charities to break them. However, the pots are only usable once and are trashed afterwards and because of this they are replaced with plastic ones only because they need up being cheaper.

If there was a way to reuse the broken pieces of pots, people would have preferred using them since its a nostalgic object for them. That is why I would like to think of a way of repairing them in a way that it could be either reusable or used as a decorative piece.

Do you consider repair to be an important design skill?

In some cases it is the only way to keep an object. If the object is repairable, you would end up saving money, besides not trowing another object to trash. From any aspect you look at it, making a repairable object is as important as the objects function or design.

Step 2: Do Research

What are 2-3 possible ways it could be repaired?

These are three different inspirations for of redesigning the pots.

-What do you need to do the repair?

One way would be to create missing parts of the pots with paper mache and them patching them up with the original parts of it.

Another way would be to rejoin them with clay itself.

Do you have these materials and skills?

I have worked with them only for short class projects. However, I’m willing to learn more about them. Especially working with clay would be a skill I want to take with me and work with it in the future.

Step 3: Construct a Hypothesis

What will your process of repair be?

1.Breaking a pot

2.making lines on all sides of each piece for it to be joined to the others

3.using clay on each side of every piece and putting them together

4.Adding color or design

How long do you expect the repair take?

My guess is that it  would take  around  a week for it to dry.

How long do you want your repair to last?

If the pot needs to be reused, as long as the pieces can be joined together it would be usable. If the pot is just kept as a decorative piece, it can last for long.

1) Do you think the ten Long Life design criteria can assist in designing objects and products that assist in meeting the challenges created by the Anthropocene? If so, which ones? If not, what criteria would you add or how would you update the current list to account for specific design challenges presented by the Anthropocene?

Considering the environment is definitely the most important criteria when it comes to designing such products. It must direct the user towards broader issues. The cost of it is also important in proposing your idea to the manufactures. When it comes to issues as serious as Anthropocene, some aspects of the product such as its beauty become less of a concern. However an aesthetically pleasing object would drive more peoples attention towards itself and hopefully towards this issue.

2) Analyze the design from your home country that you prepared for class this week according to the 10 Long Life Design criteria. In what ways does your chosen object/product meet the criteria and in what ways does it not meet them? Address all ten criteria.

The product doesn’t cost much comparing to the other types of air coolers out there and is affordable for most people. It is easily repairable and caries a two year product guaranty and a 5 year guaranty for the electronic board and key.

It functions like most air coolers and start working by just a press of key. It is also easily installed and does not make any extra noise. The product hasn’t changed as much since first released. However, extra features have been added to in the latest models such as a key panel with the ability to turn off automatically in special cases or set the next 24 hours ahead. It  also saves up to 62 percent of the electricity a normal air cooler uses. The designs formal features can be improved from many different aspects. but since this product has became so famous with its blue and white box, the company has not considered changing it. The use of galvanized steel for its outside structure also makes it last for a long time regardless of the weather.

3) Create a 2D map or 3D model (any size/format) illustrating the non-linear systems involved in a specific material. I suggest that you illustrate one material that is part of the Long Life Design from your country. Or you can choose a specific type of fabric, food, plastic, ceramic, metal that you frequently use in your work. Research the material and include at least 20 systems that are involved in the existence of this type of material (be very specific, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for plastic bottles, not general “plastic” etc.). Include the future of the material in your map and speculate what systems it might interact with 100 years from now. Think about Mark Lombardi’s maps (Links to an external site.) and how your map can be both simple and visually interesting while remaining complex. Upload clear documentation of the map to your Learning Portfolio AND either bring your laptop or a printed copy of this map to class next week.

Turning wool into yarn:

1.shearing
2.harvesting
3.transportation/oil
4.preparing the fleece
5.grading and sorting
6.cleaning/clean water
7.scouring/ warm water containing detergent
8.drier
9.bin room
10.top-making
11.carbonising/carbon+sulphuric acid/heather/electricity/water
12.dying and bleaching/ anionic dyes
13.apply oil and lubricants+water
14.carding
15.combing
16.roving
17.spinning weaving/blow room/spiked lattice/fiber/petroleum based oils
18.fulling
19.stretching
20.finishing
21.Quality control

Some examples of how wool gets stretched over time:

(The rugs are no longer usable which makes wool not a good material for designing a long lasting product)

4) Next week artist Tattfoo Tan will be a guest in our class. List three questions you have for him about his work and practice.

1.What drives you towards this field of work? What inspires you besides nature?

2.What are your biggest concerns that your projects are based on? In what way do they relate to you personally?

3.What other ways can you address these issues except education and design?

4.As a student, in what ways can we be more active? (Even everyday things to do)

5.How did you prioritize what should or should not be included in the rescue boxes? What is it that makes your kit different than the ones that already exist?

6.What is the start point of your projects? How do you start translating your concept into an object or design?

PART 1:
We will reschedule a time to visit the Healthy Materials Lab library at Parsons (Links to an external site.) for a future date this semester, but please take some time to visit their website and learn about their work at the following link: https://healthymaterialslab.org/why-healthy-materials (Links to an external site.). Learn about their Role Models Contest. (Links to an external site.)

Please answer the following:

1) After viewing their website, how might you use/choose materials for your design work differently? In what ways? 

I would try to find something close enough to what I think works best but a more healthy or sustainable material which might even be more affordable.

2) What did you learn from their site?

The different ways to which you can make an effect as designers by educating people, using healthier materials, trying to change policies and…Most importantly the information about the current events and the projects they are working on.

3) What questions do you have about the Lab?

I am not sure if there are designers at the lab who can help you find a healthy material other than what already exists there.

PART 2:
Please watch the following video about the Anthropocene.

-make a list of five examples:

1. Green house gas levels this high have not been seen over one million years

2. Temperatures are increasing; we have made a hole in the ozone layer

3. We are loosing biodiversity

4. Many of the worlds deltas are sinking due to damming, mining and other causes

5. Sea level is rising

-please find five specific, places in the world that illustrate these examples and send me your research about these five places.

1. Green house gas levels this high have not been seen over one million years/China.

Green house gas is mostly a result of electricity and heath production, forestry and industries. Among the top co2 emitters are China, United states and EU.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases

2. Temperatures are increasing; we have made a hole in the ozone layer/ United states.

Temperature increases can be seen all over the United States. However some parts experience hot days more than others such as Florida, Texas and Arizona.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/sizzling-summers-20515

3. We are loosing biodiversity/ Japan.

whale hunting for food and scientific purposes has reduced the number of local whales by a large number.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions

4. Many of the worlds deltas are sinking due to damming, mining and other causes/ India.

(Also in shared rivers of Bangladesh and Pakistan)

https://sandrp.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/sinking-and-shrinking-deltas-major-role-of-dams-in-abetting-delta-subsidence-and-effective-sea-level-rise/

5. Sea level is rising/ Florida.

Because of a big population living next to the ocean, this is one of the places that has been facing danger.

http://sealevel.climatecentral.org/news/floria-and-the-rising-sea

– What questions do you still have about the Anthropocene after watching this video and conducing this research?

The video explains Anthropocenes history and effects. It also mentions the possibility of a change. However, it doesn’t provide enough information on the ways which could be taken for this purpose.

PART 3:
One specific example of how the Anthropocene shaping New York City is Freshkills on Staten Island. This was once the world’s largest landfill and it is now being redesigned to become the city’s largest public park. Please visit their website (Links to an external site.), conduct independent research and learn about this design and transformation. Then, answer the following:

1) What do you think of a landfill being used as a park?

Transforming a landfill  and using it for another purpose is not only what  makes this idea genius but how the park was designed on top of the landfill is what interests me the most.

2) Is this innovative design? Would you like to visit?

The design can be called innovative because of the creative and well thought out system they have put into place. I  personally don’t have enough information about these types of projects but i would like to know more about them, mainly because of my interest in designing multi purpose objects and clothes.

3) Think about the systems involved in throwing something away. How does Freshkills park illustrate that “there is no away” for what you put into the trash?

The park itself an evidence. Walking on the remains of what you assumed was gone, is a reminder that what you throw out still exists somewhere out there and is effecting the envirement in different ways.
4) What do you think this park will look like in 100 years?

I think the barrier protection material has been build on top of the waste to protect any possible changes on the flat ground of the park.

1) What do you think of the ten Long Life Design criteria? Which of the ten criteria do you feel are most important and innovative? In what ways are they innovative? What questions do you have about them?

When designing something that lasts for a long time, there should be other criteria considered other than just the way it looks. The list provided mentions the important things along some other that are not as necessary such as user and cost. In my opinion the most important factors in designing long-lasting things are for it to be functional, repairable and to have a beautiful design. The way the product looks and functions is what mainly convinces the consumer to buy and keep a product.

2) What is a beautiful object/design that you admire from your home country that has been in production for longer than fifty years? Write a brief description (around a paragraph) about this object’s history.

“Absal” is the only name which comes to mind when you think of air coolers in Iran. These square blue boxes can be seen on almost each single roof top in the big cities. The company started producing these back in 1957 and still remains the most famous Iranian brand when it comes to. Since then absal has became an almost nostalgic product among many. The design is so well known that the company hasn’t considered changing it up to this date.In the past couple of years other manufactures have produced the same coolers with other designs but have not been as successful. One important factor in Absal’s success is  making their products in different models and sizes depending on the weather and the architecture of the houses build in each city.

3) Research the word Anthropocene and post a summary of what you find (around a paragraph). What do you think of this term? Provide one example of how the Anthropocene is affecting New York or your home country. Include citation links to your research.

Anthropocene is used when describing the geological epoch caused by human activities which have influenced not only the environment but the climate and ecology of the planet. What seems to be the most worrying is the possibility of it continuing for a long time. Jan Zalasiewicz, professor of paleobiology at the University of Leicester, explains why this issue matters in his interview with Carbon Brief by saying “One response might be that it represents (the start of) a real and distinctive episode in Earth history, as distinctive as many earlier epochs. Another response might be that closer and more precise definition will focus the concept and the meaning, and make the term more stable and more widely useful in communication.” 1

Anthropocene has had effects all over the world, in some places more than others. Iran isn’t an exception and has been effected n many different ways. Plastic pollution seems to be one of the most worrying effects caused by mostly manufacturing companies and villages build right by the rivers. However, as Sa’eed Motesaddi, the deputy director of DoE, told a press conference recently, their have been efforts to eliminate plastic bags in the country.

1. Sophie Yeo, “Anthropocene:History of an idea”, Carbon Brief, October 5,2016.

Torkuman Bags

These Bags are commonly used by tribes in central parts of Iran. Since Iran’s new generation is moving towards a more western way of dressing,  triditional dresses and jewelry are not used as before. However I find my identity to be more embodied within old Persian objects that are now nothing more than a decorative object.

First Drawing
Contour Drawing

Cross Contour Drawing

Wire Sculpture

Detail

1. Write a short response to what the great acceleration means to you and how you feel it relates to your work as contemporary designers.                                                                                              The great acceleration isn’t something you can close your eyes on. Not only as a designer but as a person who produces or consumes different products it is something you have to keep in mind.
2. What kinds of projects and work might be needed by designers because of the great acceleration?                                              Designer must be more aware of this issue and start working on projects which investigate different ways of designing products that would damage less in the following years.
3. What does “Long life design” mean to you? Does it seem interesting? Why or why not?                                                            The life of what we design sometimes doesn’t seem as important until we are left with many objects and designs that are no longer used. Looking at ways to change your design for it to last a longer time can be a good option.
4. What might it mean to “think and design beyond the present” as a designer?                                                                                                       When you decide to create something, your choice of materials and how you treat them is what makes them last. Looking at the purpose of your design, you have many choices to make which might be important in how your object ages. As a designer you should be aware of the effects your design might have in the future.
5. Why do you think it is important to think about non-linear systems as a designer?                                                              Although a linear system gives your more complex information a non-linear system is usually more memorable and interactive for many.
6. A written responce to “Endangered species and stuff we buy, all mapped out”                                                                                         The map illustrates the connection between buying certain products and the damage they cause within particular habitats. The reason for it lies in the materials used which cannot be used at the current rate. The map also shows where these activities impact different species the most.
7. Printed postcard illustrating the phrase”Forest in the toilet paper”