Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision		 Previous revision
research_report_theun_karelse [2008-02-21 19:38] – theunkarelseresearch_report_theun_karelse [2020-06-06 11:57] (current) – old revision restored (2008-06-26 14:04) nik
Line 17: Line 17:
  
 ==== Introduction. ==== ==== Introduction. ====
 +
 +== Climate Change. ==
 +In 2007 the Red Cross counted 405 natural catastrophes, in all 200 million people became victims of such disasters in some way.  Thats 40% up from 2006. ((World Disaster Report 2008))
  
 == Engaging climate change. == == Engaging climate change. ==
Line 23: Line 26:
   * ethical living   * ethical living
   * eco-technology   * eco-technology
 +
 The Tsunamipants project surfaced from this shift as an attempt to address these issues in an engaging way. The Tsunamipants project surfaced from this shift as an attempt to address these issues in an engaging way.
  
Line 30: Line 34:
  
 That is the tragedy in which the inventor [[Martin Brolin]] is caught in the Tsunamipants project. Martin engages the extreme weather conditions that are associated with future climate changes and tries to engineer his way out-off  danger. In his work Mr. Brolin suffers from lack of expertise, lack of budged, oversized ambition and being over-all mediocre. These are common human traits that run beneath the surface of positive social change. To be able to construct anything realistically and therefor longlasting, I suggest we start by acknowledging that there is nothing inherently wrong with being mediocre. I realise that this goes against giant forces in popular culture, but Martin is deliberately portrayed as a mediocre inventor, although I only later became fully conscious of why I was doing this. That is the tragedy in which the inventor [[Martin Brolin]] is caught in the Tsunamipants project. Martin engages the extreme weather conditions that are associated with future climate changes and tries to engineer his way out-off  danger. In his work Mr. Brolin suffers from lack of expertise, lack of budged, oversized ambition and being over-all mediocre. These are common human traits that run beneath the surface of positive social change. To be able to construct anything realistically and therefor longlasting, I suggest we start by acknowledging that there is nothing inherently wrong with being mediocre. I realise that this goes against giant forces in popular culture, but Martin is deliberately portrayed as a mediocre inventor, although I only later became fully conscious of why I was doing this.
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
  
  
Line 88: Line 100:
 == International organisations. == == International organisations. ==
 Switzerland has even formed an International Risk Governance Council (IRGC)\\ Switzerland has even formed an International Risk Governance Council (IRGC)\\
-//'The IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to help the understanding and management of emerging global risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, the economy and society at large. IRGC’s work includes developing concepts of risk governance, anticipating major risk issues and providing risk governance policy recommendations for key decision makers.'//\\ +//'The IRGC is an independent organisation whose purpose is to help the understanding and management of emerging global risks that have impacts on human health and safety, the environment, the economy and society at large. IRGC’s work includes developing concepts of risk governance, anticipating major risk issues and providing risk governance policy recommendations for key decision makers.'// http://www.irgc.org \\
-http://www.irgc.org/+
 And the World Economic Forum has a Global Risk Network which brings out annual reports on global risks. And the World Economic Forum has a Global Risk Network which brings out annual reports on global risks.
  
 == Safety engineering. == == Safety engineering. ==
-Safety engineering usually is seen as a part of system engineering. It studies the working of a system when a part of it fails. The dynamics of this are visualized in a fault tree diagram. So this study is limited to faults that occur in the category of manufactured risks. Martin Brolin works mostly with external risks or with manufactured risks that result from external risks.+Safety engineering usually is seen as a part of system engineering. It studies the working of a system when a part of it fails. The dynamics of this are visualized in a fault tree diagram. So this study is limited to faults that occur in the area of manufactured risks. Martin Brolin works mostly with external risks or with manufactured risks that result from external risks.
  
 == The myth of happiness. == == The myth of happiness. ==
-Just as at the court of Louis the 14th introversion was unthinkable, in our society happiness is a must.((Nexus #46)) It is all fun. The Disneyfication of society deals exclusively with positive aspects of life and fits seamlessly with modernistic fears and precautions. Root to Disneyfication and risk perception is the fundamental proposition that problem should not be. They exist to be eliminated and should be got rid off as soon as possible. In tackling problems the common strategy is based on imagining a more positive, altered future. This process usually only reshapes the problem, because all your actions are shaped directly by the problem, making sure it keeps on existing in new forms. What really eliminates problems is finding ways of being the needed change now, to imagine new ways of being.+Just as at the court of Louis the 14th introversion was unthinkable, in our society happiness is a must.((Nexus #46)) It is all fun. The Disneyfication of society deals exclusively with positive aspects of life and fits seamlessly with modernistic fears and precautions. Root to Disneyfication and risk perception is the fundamental proposition that **problems should not be**. They exist to be eliminated and should be got rid off as soon as possible. In tackling problems the common strategy is based on imagining a more positive, altered future. This process usually only reshapes the problem, because your solution mirrors the problem, making sure it keeps on existing in new forms. What really eliminates problems is finding ways of being the needed change now, to imagine new ways of being. Another option that works well is to dedicate yourself to problems that inspire you. We call people who do this visionary leaders.
  
 Martin Brolin exemplifies the design strategy where solutions only change the problem to a new form. That is what makes the inventions funny. Basically Tsunamipants are a design statement, it shows with traps not to fall into. Martin Brolin exemplifies the design strategy where solutions only change the problem to a new form. That is what makes the inventions funny. Basically Tsunamipants are a design statement, it shows with traps not to fall into.
Line 102: Line 113:
 == Related projects. == == Related projects. ==
  
-[[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle the same problem, but none offer a historic collection and none make design-series embedded specifically into the debate about climate change.\\+[[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle similar issues, but none offer a historic collection and none make design-series embedded specifically into the debate about climate change.\\
 Some are closely related, use humor like: Some are closely related, use humor like:
-  * The Yesmen made the survivaball, Ann de Gersem made the Life dress, Yael Mer made the Canoe dress.+  * The Yesmen made the survivaball. 
 +  * Ralph Borland made Suited for Subversion. 
 +  * Ann de Gersem made the Life dress. 
 +  * Yael Mer made the Canoe dress.
   * Troy Hurtubise made the Grizzly and Troyan suits.   * Troy Hurtubise made the Grizzly and Troyan suits.
   * Inflatable swimming trunks and other inventions in the same spirit by real people are documented on [[http://blog.modernmechanix.com|Modern Mechanics]]    * Inflatable swimming trunks and other inventions in the same spirit by real people are documented on [[http://blog.modernmechanix.com|Modern Mechanics]] 
Line 111: Line 125:
  
 Others are more loosely related, and serious like: Others are more loosely related, and serious like:
-  * Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent's project 'no-contact' selfdefence jacket for women.+  * Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent's project 'no-contact' self-defense jacket for women.
   * Interactive clothes by XS-lab, Despina and Papadopoulos or Hussein Chalayan.   * Interactive clothes by XS-lab, Despina and Papadopoulos or Hussein Chalayan.
  
 Wikipedia has a nice page on PPE Personal Protective Equipment, which I stumbled upon when I was almost finished with my collection: Wikipedia has a nice page on PPE Personal Protective Equipment, which I stumbled upon when I was almost finished with my collection:
   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_protective_equipment   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_protective_equipment
 +
  
  
Line 134: Line 149:
  
  
-  * expected outcomes of the research+== Expected outcomes of the research. == 
 + 
 +This project was born out-off a conversation about designing clothes for extreme weather conditions. I expected to have a range of clothing items that would be suited to surviving specific meteorological threats. These would be either drawn or prototyped. These designs should be funny, so this implied they probably would be impracticable to some extent. To show the use of the inventions I imagined short stories and perhaps a collection of stories would be the end product. Another angle of creating a character would be to see how it can function as merchandise or how it can be weaved into the realities of FoAM. 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
 + 
  
-This project was born out-off a conversation about designing clothes for extreme weather conditions. I expected to have a range of clothing items that would be suited to surviving specific meteorological threats. These would be either drawn or prototyped. These designs should be funny, so this implied they probably would be impracticable to some extent. To show the use of the inventions I imagined short stories and perhaps a collection of stories would be the end product. 
  
-  * if the actual outcomes are different than the expected outcome, the reasons for this should be explained in the "discussion" section 
  
  
Line 156: Line 178:
  
 == Designing Tsunamipants, how it works. == == Designing Tsunamipants, how it works. ==
-The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies (biofuels), activities (air-travel), objects (SUV-s)or places connected to climate change issues (holiday-resorts). By pairing disasters to items from the other lists inspiring combinations can be found. Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in this field. I also looked at protective systems used by animals, for instance the fat-layer used by sealions for insulation and food reserve. And I based Martin's design of the jelly suit on this. Another place to look for good ideas is comicbooks; the superstrenghts often mimic animal strategies.+The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies (biofuels), activities (air-travel), objects (SUV-s) or places connected to climate change issues (holiday-resorts). By pairing disasters to items from the other lists inspiring combinations can be found. Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in design. I also looked at protective systems used by animals, for instance the fat-layer used by sealions for insulation and food reserve. And I based Martin's design of the jelly suit on this. Another place to look for good ideas is comicbooks; the superstrenghts often mimic animal strategies.
  
 == Character development of Martin Brolin. == == Character development of Martin Brolin. ==
-The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, I came across an individual who combined most of the characteristic that I was looking for; mediocrity, recklessness, lack of social inhibitions and self-confidence from unknown origins. In essence a rationalist or even Deist, who feels God may have created the world, but has abandoned it and left no deeper truth for man to find.+The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, I came across an individual who combined most of the characteristic that I was looking for; mediocrity, recklessness, lack of social inhibitions and self-confidence from unknown origins. In essence a rationalist or even Deist, who feels God may have created the world, but has abandoned it and left without enlightening us.
  
-Martin should be European, because of the Christian flavouring of the Climate change debate so I chose Sweden. The unforbidding natural forces that shape that country would also shape the right kind of mental state for my survival engineer. In retrospect it is remarkable to see that for tackling the issues connected with the changing climate, I designed a suffering man in his thirties with long hair. The Christian imagery must have been playing in the back-ground.+Martin should be European, because of the Christian flavouring of the climate-change debate. I chose Sweden as his native country. The unforbidding natural forces that shape that country would also shape the right kind of mental state for my survival engineer. In retrospect it is remarkable to see that for tackling the issues connected with the changing climate, I designed a suffering man in his thirties with long hair. The Christian imagery must have been playing in the back-ground.
  
  
Line 167: Line 189:
  
  
-== Justification of the methodology, the strength of physical experiments. ==+== Justification of the methodology; the strength of physical experiments. ==
 One person in particular inspired me to design these strange contraptions; Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis lived during the first big corporate revolution, that was a result of the invention of the accounting balance and banking. Saint Francis managed to reach people in the midst of this financial frenzy and successfully showed the unsustainable side-effects of the new economy. ((the Teaching Company, William R. Cook, Ronald B. Herzman)) One person in particular inspired me to design these strange contraptions; Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis lived during the first big corporate revolution, that was a result of the invention of the accounting balance and banking. Saint Francis managed to reach people in the midst of this financial frenzy and successfully showed the unsustainable side-effects of the new economy. ((the Teaching Company, William R. Cook, Ronald B. Herzman))
  
-Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, tsunamipants resemble the 'stunt-element' Francis used. And although he did these 'stunts' as a live-show, which may very well be crucial to their success, I will just tell the story of Martin Brolin on paper to start with. And just how far Martin Brolin's activities are going to extend into other media and reality, will become apparent as the project unfolds.+Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, Tsunamipants resemble the 'stunt-element' Francis used. And although he did these 'stunts' as a live-show, which may very well be crucial to their success, I will tell the story of Martin Brolin on paper to start with. And just how far Martin Brolin's activities are going to extend into other media and reality, will become apparent as the project unfolds.
  
  
Line 180: Line 202:
 I made one case study by following the events around a particularly violent storm on January 18, 2007 in the Netherlands.\\ I made one case study by following the events around a particularly violent storm on January 18, 2007 in the Netherlands.\\
 [[Storm]] [[Storm]]
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
  
  
Line 191: Line 218:
 == Working process and results.== == Working process and results.==
  
-This research gave me a much richer picture of meteorology, global systems and safety engineering.+This research gave me a much richer picture of meteorology, global systems, safety engineering, character design and storytelling.
  
 The list of weather catastrophes: The list of weather catastrophes:
Line 239: Line 266:
 Positive side-effects: Positive side-effects:
  
-  * these horrors may result in Leapfrogging effects for the regions or nations affected.+  * these horrors may result in [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapfrog_effect|Leapfrogging effects]] for the regions or nations affected.
   * many superheroes got their power in accidents so this might create opportunities for those supernaturally inclined.   * many superheroes got their power in accidents so this might create opportunities for those supernaturally inclined.
  
-What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, tackling the debate around climate change from a new perspective. This became a working strategy. Switching to tourism (forest-fire cuisine), eco-art (edibleTRG), food-politics (beggar bumper) and alternative fuels (cowpod).+What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, tackling the debate around climate change from a new perspective. This became a working strategy. Switching to tourism (forest-fire cuisine), eco-art (edibleTRG), food-politics (beggar bumper) and alternative fuels (cowpod). Some inventions work better as a story, when the dynamics of its use are important. Others work just as a concept.
  
 During the work a person was created to give the project a unified base. This greatly improved the narrative potential and engagement for the project.  During the work a person was created to give the project a unified base. This greatly improved the narrative potential and engagement for the project. 
Line 286: Line 313:
   * Disease: this secondary effect of bad weather conditions is in third place. Because not all medicine falls into this category.   * Disease: this secondary effect of bad weather conditions is in third place. Because not all medicine falls into this category.
   * Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes.   * Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes.
 +
 +From my research into survival engineering it became apparent that there are some areas of design that produce particularly attractive objects:
 +  * Designs that offer protection to the head or part of the face, especially the nose.
 +  * Things that offer escape from large structures.
 +  * Off-shore safety devices.
 +  * Tools for signaling and navigation.
 +
 +
  
  
Line 320: Line 355:
  
 ==Public response. == ==Public response. ==
-The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working.+The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the linear style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working.
  
-The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, unlikely threats or solutions seemed powerful tools for connecting with people. Also a good description of the invention works. The imagery may work better in full-color.+The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, unlikely threats or solutions seemed powerful tools for connecting with people. Also a good name for the invention works. The imagery may work better in full-color.
  
  
  • research_report_theun_karelse.1203622700.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2008-02-21 19:38
  • by theunkarelse