Collaborative consumption is a term that describes a shift in consumer habits.
Because of the change in the global economy and the availability of online technology, consumers are starting to share, lend, rent, and trade rather than buying new products. My work is inspired by this change in consumer culture because I genuinely believe that collaborative consumption is a step in the right direction towards a sustainable way of consuming – Instead of mass producing new products why can’t we just learn to share?
Green consumerism refers to recycling, purchasing and using eco-friendly products that minimise damage to the environment.
This is an activity for kids and my design idea is to encourage parents and their children to use the product package to produce handmade puppets. This is a good way for parents to teach their children how to make toys for themselves.
I advocate green consumption and love life.
Only 35% of consumers who make a shopping list purchase only the items on their list.
When consumers go shopping for groceries a vast majority of them make a list but very few stick to purchasing what they originally intended to buy. There are so many tempting deals and sales in stores to attract consumers and encourage impulsive buying.
This collection of unique shopping lists, sourced from local supermarkets, are evidence of those original shopping plans. Each list was a key point of reference in the consumer’s shopping, until the lists became targets of supermarkets deals discarded records of consumerism.
Firstly, I decided to look at the high demand for cosmetically perfect food. The aim was to create a piece that was mainly image based so ultimately the photos had to speak for themselves.
However, I then started to look at how to save money and the difference between branded food and cheap (‘ugly’) food. I finally came up with the ‘Spot the Difference’ theme to show people that there are ways to spend less money and that there is no difference between branded products and cheaper/homemade products, apart from the price.
After seeing this exhibition piece, I want people to think more carefully about not only what and how much they waste but consider their different options to save and get more for their money within their lifestyle.
Many objects become unfashionable and outmoded, and this exhibit highlights an idea of a planned redundancy.
The museum of obsolescence shows items that are no longer used, some still in working order, some obsolete; not needed, they are left behind.
This work looks at the relationship between money, the identity we create for ourselves and what we are willing to do to create an identity for ourselves.
Overall the work seeks to convey the idea that “although we believe we are choosing our own identities, the only identity consumerism creates for us is based on money and what we are willing to do for it!”.
The consumerist culture has our society controlled like puppets, preoccupied like babes with hanging mobiles, telling us what to do, think and what our identity should be.
We live in a society where we are sometimes continually bombarded with signage.
We can choose to either follow signage instructions or not. Signs which are more difficult to ignore are road signs; not only are they designed for our benefit, but we must obey them by law.
I have chosen to convey consumer messages using the graphic system of the road sign.
