informal urban practices

‘T.H’ Project group will work as small groups underneath the banner of a larger collective due to commitments and varying timetables.
Each member will undertake smaller stand alone projects that will collectively, when grouped side-by- side, contribute and relate to what is termed “T.H”……….

Key Phrases:
Communication; trial maze, observation.
Ephemeral; movement, Transient.
Stimulation of senses.
Momentum/ Transition.
Appropriation.
Emulation; Behaviour; Social Convention.
Viral Element; Growing/ spreading marketing practices.
Activation.
Relation-scapes.
Empowerment.
Hivemind.

‘T.H’ aims to:
1/ Members will use ‘T.H’ as a framework to expose public perception and social conventions.
2/ This will facilitate an experience for the user-participant to question urban social construct. With the stimulus provided we aim to harness the collective creativity that is born from individual speculation and interpretation.

Mediums/ Process to be undertaken;
Guerrilla advertising.
Culture Jamming (websites, blog, stickers, postering)
MX Classifieds.
Video, public performance.
Word-of-mouth.
Graffiti.
Subconscious objects.
Profile/ Branding.

amazing

gets really relevant at around 1min 30secs

wallpaper: augmented city click here

GRAMEEN BANK

The Grameen Bank was set up by Muhammad Yunus, and provides credit to the poorest of the people living in Bangledesh. These loans may only be around $27, but this enables them to repay debts they may have, and often start small businesses that are sustainable income for them. His banking model has now been imitated, multiplying the positive social effect of the project.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE LONDON

This is an organisation that, “works to unite, inspire and lead London’s social enterprise movement,” by connecting social enterprises and allowing them to assist each other, thus demonstrating that social enterprise is the future of business. It holds events and training sessions, offers a consultancy and many other services to social enterprises.

THE STREET VENDOR PROJECT

Working with the street vendors of New York as well as volunteers and graphic designers, the project strives to protect the rights of vendors and promote the beneficial nature of their practice. They educate the vendors and the public, as well as rally councils for fairer laws to allow vendors the opportunity to make a living. Although it is a not-for-profit organisation, it focuses on enabling the small businesses of others.

Lucy Fraser, Industrial Design

The main reason I enter this studio is the opportunity to learn from other disciplines, and train myself to work with people with a different background.

Also I am curious how can industrial design contribute to a space, how products and spaces are related.

I did 2 years of TAFE before entering industrial design 3^rd year, so although its 3^rd year, I am like a first year ID student, wanting to learn everything, as much as possible.

I decided to chose this studio after watching the india informal street trading which on the train rails.  they are so clever and they set up adn pack are so efficient. i am interested in the foraml and informal urban activities. understand the sturcture of the city will help me to study the urban space occupation.

i would like to have that chance to study adn share our experience with other discipline students. the main motivation is learning  europe and asian subcultures  through those informal urban activities.

in this semester, i am interested in developing a system or a product which able to benefit urban root citizen when they are having informal practices.

1. What interested you about the course?

The DIY and creative uses of unoriginal spaces grabbed my attention, and working with students of other disciplines who may have a different outlook on a project seemed like a great opportunity.

2. What will be your motivation for this course?

I’ve been interested in setting up a market stall selling student wares and will be keen to learn as much as I can about how people sell on the street presently and have done in the past.

3. What would you like to get out of this course?

A better ability to see potential in spaces, objects and scenarios that may not have been intended, a skill I can see coming in handy in the future. I also aim to learn about different insights the interior, landscape and architecture students and guest speakers may have.

the afternoon will start with the presentation of the research on overseas examples of ‘informal urban practices’, followed by the discussion of the next project. in the more formal part staff will continue the mini lecture series with presentations on their research interests, this time with Hélène Frichot from architecture, followed by Marieluise Jonas from landscape architecture.

we will also have a so-called ‘informal collective opportunity’, an evening with viewing of Improvised Film samples, 3-5 minute clips, of cinematic examples, played from DVD’s