OUR FIRST MRU WORKSHOP

At Goldsmiths, University of London - 22nd September 2.00-5.00pm

INCOMPLETE NOTES - to be continued

Practising Abundance

Welcome | Introductions | Explanations | Invitation to our guests to work with us to develop ideas for possible collaborations in the future

Participants:

John V Willshire (Consultant)
Alaine Burns Laycock (designer)
Yahuei Yang (PhD researcher)
John McKiernan (Creative Publics)
Bridget McKenzie (Consultant)
Lucy Anne Bishop ecologist (Freelance; ex Horniman Museum)

Observers

Julia Lockheart (Observer)
Meaghan McClure

Facilitators

Welcome to Goldsmiths

BRIEF INTRODUCTIONS
- What is the purpose of metadesign?
- What is the purpose of the MRU (Metadesign Research Unit)?
  - these sought new relationships between:
    - Food
    - Clothing
    - Mobility
    - Energy
    - Shelter
EXPERIENCING
- Visitors experienced several metadesign tools.
- We worked in small interdisciplinary teams.
- They chose the following groupings:

A	John	Language/ Shelter
B	Bridget	Communication/ Energy
C	Yahuei	Food/ Waste
D	Alaine	Clothing/ Waste

Setting up Creative Quartets

Time slot	Participant 1	Action	Participant 2	OUTCOME__
1	Magenta	bisociates with	Yellow	SYNERGY 1
2	Blue	bisociates with	Red	SYNERGY 4
3	Magenta	bisociates with	Blue	SYNERGY 2
4	Yellow	bisociates with	Red	SYNERGY 5
5	Magenta	bisociates with	Red	SYNERGY 3
6	Yellow	bisociates with	Blue	SYNERGY 6

WHAT DID THE COLOURS MEAN?

The colours meant nothing. Participants are arbitrarily assigned a colour (numbers / letters too hierarchical). We want difference + inclusivity.

Observers: Meg, Lucy Anne, John McK.. need to know observers frame of reference, therefore still a participant in discussion/activity of quartets pairs

Cultural Props coming up…

Self-Observation

1. Each of the 2 quartets had 1 observer.
2. The pair of quartets and observers had one observer
3. Both 1. and 2. were situated in a large room and there was a third observer.
4. The facilitators observed 1., 2. and 3.
5. All observers were asked to note
- body language
- interactions
- what was said.

Some feedback from the observers:

KEYWORDS: fear | complexities | reactions__

does being observed make people nervous? perceptions and first impressions
noting observations helps add value to the interaction
shyness vs. tentativeness

maybe being tentative because a lack of question- exercise was random?

self generating, observer realised she wasn’t needed; process unfolded naturally
full circle, interconnected (ecologist) creativity emerged through drawing
are words not enough?
observers bring their background to the role
anthropologist go into communities analyse themselves and what is going on- able to in and out, value both in being “in” and being “out”
you need to design something that you can step out of it
observer→ silent interventionist or storyteller (looks for moments of change^

Some Outcomes

Diagram: made, clothes, maintenance
points are connected but influence each other
each point can be set at a different height- slider
maintenance- health, culture, use, etc.
flax as a material, food, energy source
hat garden- synergy
can we record the dualities?
shuts down logical part of brain, ignites other parts of the brain
what does humor transmit? should be shareable- part of the business model
in-jokes can be divisive

see previous workshops