Reflect on our trip to the UN. What did you think of your visit? Which speaker did you find the most inspiring and/or interesting and why? What surprised you the most about the experience? What did it feel like to be inside the UN to hear these conversations?
It was a very unusual experience to me as it was my first time to walk into the United Nations, such a huge and serious place. There were several speakers on that day, but Denmark ambassador gave me a very deep impression as she talked about how to connect innovation and environment together. When a city faced a flood, the thing for people to think about is how to build the buildings stronger and higher. I was very surprised that we will play such an important role in the sustainable life, as the speakers said, we are the future of sustainable life. I feel very honor to sit in this place especially when I remembered this place was sit by a lot of representatives and leaders before.
2) Read the following four articles on repair and answer the following questions.
– At Repair Cafes, ‘Beloved but Broken’ Possessions Find New Life. Would you like to visit a repair cafe? Why do you think so many people are interested in repair?
Personally, I would like to visit a repair cafe. It is such a good opportunity to visit this special place to do some meaningful things—repairing. The Repair Cafe is not only a place to drink coffee but also a place to gather people who has same interests to repair the old object. I think the reason that many people are interested in repair is because the whole process of repairing is a journey to find the beauty of broken. Meanwhile, the old object always contains personal stories and family connections. Therefore, it is always meaningful to do some repairing.
– Waste not want not: Sweden to give tax breaks for repairs. 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?
In my opinion, I would like to see this kind of tax be possible in my home country. Because this kind of policy could substantially lower the cost and so make it more rational economic behavior to repair people’s goods. I think it is possible in the United States as in the United States, tax is a not small amount of spent in people’s daily life, so a tax break policy would save some money and encourage people repairing old goods.
– Spend the Money for the Good Boots and Wear the Forever 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 want to take care of objects, even if they aren’t expensive?
In fact, I was very surprised by this article but I only agreed half with the author. The overall idea seems make sense, but there are several reason to use expensive material to make the object or to sell them in a high price. Not all the object need to be expensive to be well made, because sometimes an expensive object is not useful and only used a few times by the individual. But on the other hand, luxury goods has meaning of existence, too. They are really having good design and deserving this high price. They can be given in important holidays and display at home. However, there is still some time that people want to take care of objects even if they aren’t expensive, this may because this object has history, story or family connection in it and it will become priceless to those people.
Origami-inspired clothing line that grows with kids wins Dyson award What do you think of this design? What is most innovative about it? Do you think it’s possible for adults to enjoy long life design clothing or objects that transform/change in other ways (than getting bigger)? What kind of designs might be possible?
I think this design is pretty delicate and creative. The most innovative part about this design is that by using distinctive pleated lightweight fabric, the clothes could grow with the child who wears it. It solved the problem of the waste in the children’s clothing industry. Meanwhile, I think it is possible for adults to enjoy long life design clothing or objects that transform/change in other ways, too. The designers may come up with a way of making temperature changing clothing. The clothes itself can change the temperature of people’s body when the weather is changing. When this design comes out and sells at store, people only need to wear one cloth in the cold winter and not easy to get cold.
5. Does it work?
Was the repair successful?
The repair was pretty successful and I got a new piece of writing paper.
Are you happy with the results?
I am satisfied with what I got. Consider all fact, I am not a professional person to recycle the paper and do not have the machine to use, all I did was using the surrounding materials and doing some small samples for repairing.
Is the repair more beautiful/interesting in some way than the original?
Actually, the repair is less beautiful than the original one, but it has some wrinkles and textures on the repair paper so it becomes more interesting.
How is the object more resilient after the repair?
For my repairing, the writing actually gets thicker than before and has some texture so it is good for writing and drawing.
Analyze and Draw Conclusions
6. What did your learn?
How long do you expect this repair to actually last now that it is complete?
From my plans, the repairing should last for more than two days to complete. However, the part that took the longest time is soaking the paper in the water. The second part which is to get rid of the water is more difficult but shorter time.
What surprises did you encounter?
During the process, I found out that the paper has a way strong ability absorbing the water than I expected. After soaking in the water over night, the paper becomes paste.
What would you do differently next time?
Next time, I would try to use tea to soak the water, so the repairing paper will come out a different color than the original. Or I would like to try the paper in different hardness, such as tissue or kitchen paper.
Are there other ways you could have repaired this item, that you realize now?
Yes, there are. Despite using water, I am able to use other liquid to soak the paper in it, such as wine or add some color or perfume in the liquid. so it will become a colorful paper with lots of smell.
After completing this project, do you consider repair a more valuable skill?
Yes, such an easy skill will turn “waste” into wealth. It not only saving the material and resource, but more importantly, we gain a better sense of long life design in the process, which is making old things useful.
Communicate Results
7. Create an illustrated LP post showing your process and results.
Reflection:
8. What is the most important aspect of making a design easily repairable?
Personally, I think the most important aspect of making a design easily repairable is to encourage people repairing old objects instead of buying new things. People like to buy new things because they are easier than repairing. However, if the design could make a product easy to repair, more and more people would thinking of repairing. Those long-term subtle influence can help people get a sense of long time design.
9. 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 tink repairing a broken TV or laptop screen is very hard to do. We do provide some electric device repairing service, but ourselves do not have the ability to repairing the broken screen on our own.
10. Did your repair require fewer materials and involve fewer systems than buying a new replacement? Which systems?
In fact it is quite easy to buy a stack of paper at store. Comparing with buying a new replacement, my repairing is going to take longer time and more materials. But the repairing paper is made by myself. I am very proud of what I did.
