Study Task 4

Research Focus

The research focus for COP I am going to focus on is Consumerism, It is to do with society and how consumerism has became a way of life for us, and is design is helping or hindering this. It also taps in to some arguments of gender and stereotypes and how designers and advertisements are selling and portraying unrealistic body goals for people, causing self hatred and mental health problems. The Graphic discipline I am going to focus on is advertising and public awareness, I will produce and awareness campaign for the minimalistic lifestyle, contrasting to the consumerist lifestyle a lot of us live. I will use my research to look at what techniques  designers and advertisers have used to push consumerism and use these to do the opposite. The research I have collected so far is designers using different techniques to make people consume and conform such as portraying unrealistic body goals and saying heir product can fix this, from questioning people insecurities to make them conform to what they want and though the research techniques and approaches like this have been used for many years. I have also looked into artist work commenting on consumerism itself such as Barbara Kruger ‘I shop, therefore I am’.

Defining the design problem 

The design problem I face is to show people how not living the consumerist lifestyle is best for them and everyone else. Especially doing so through advertising which has pushed them for so many years in the consumerist way of life. I will try to point out the key areas it will improve their lives and mental health by following the minimalistic lifestyle. It will also be hard because consumerism has a clear thing to advertise saying this product or thing will improve your life as soon as you buy it. Whereas following-the minimalistic lifestyle will-not bring you instantaneous gratification but in the long term will make you a lot happier. The awareness campaign will highlight the problems of a consumerists lifestyle and the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle 

Client needs or requirements

This is a brief aimed at consumers to change their lifestyle to try and give them a more real and healthy lifestyle, instead of being stuck in the never ending circle of consume, brief satisfaction, bored unhappy, so consume again and then repeat. I want my campaign to be accessible because my main audience will be young professionals starting their careers and lives, which I believe my campaign will have the biggest impact on, creating a new generation of minimal lifestyles instead of a heavily consumer driven world we live in today.