In this class we were formulating a first research question based on a document that guides through developing such a question rich in substance. Based on the 8 essays we have been reading and the projects of inspiration that we gathered until this class I was able to wrap my head around the different topics and areas I am interested in and narrow down my interests to 3 main areas with a clear direction.

I have been approaching my research from two different angles so far – the first one was about gaining more information about the topics and areas I am interested in and with the second one I focused on the kind of work I would like to do from a skills-perspective.

I really want to enjoy having the freedom and time to investigate in a topic / technology of my own choice which is why I tried to distill a clear direction out of my ideas.

TOPIC PERSPECTIVE

I have been really captivated by the idea of a post-growth society and how I as a designer can have an impact on the transformation of society to one of less consumption and waste. It’s also a question of how and for what I want to work later in my life in order to earn money and sustain a life. The idea of taking design jobs really inspires me but on the other hand I see most of the work that is being done in economy as useless or stupid which disgusts me.

So being able to contribute to this topic by offering an alternative, connecting institutions working on it or empower people in following ideals I support would be awesome.

SKILLS PERSPECTIVE

My research further revealed my current fascination for the creation of new aesthetics and the combination of this with playing/messing around with technology. I further observed my interest in creating and questioning interfaces and the joy of programming stuff. But I can also imagine working more in a 3dimensional space using my hands and work together with a community.

So to wrap it up, I’m interested in 3 main categories: technology, art and community.

Optimally I will be able to combine these 3 categories in order to make a contribution to the topic of a post-growth society (which is still a very big frame that I have to narrow down). But serving one of these 3 areas of interest would be great. I’m also currently investigating on collaborating with people from different specialisations in order to take in the ideal of serving a community into the process already and use the skills and thoughts of different people.