Phase 02 - Week 06
Research Journal
I will be working towards achieving the following learning outcomes detailed in my assignments tab including:
LO2: Contextualise - Appraise the social, political and historical contexts in which design practice operates.
LO3: Analyse - Evaluate research findings and use sound judgement that is informed by critical debate at the forefront of the academic discipline.
LO5: Imagine - Deliver appropriate and innovative ideas that embrace risk, have contemporary relevance and question the boundaries of the discipline.
LO6: Make - Select and utilise relevant tools, skills and technologies in the delivery, iteration and sustainable production of an outcome.
LO8: Design - Realise a final solution that evidences its strategic journey and clear relationship between form and function.
LO9: Communicate - Communicate effectively in a range of contexts and situations to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
LO10: Manage - Demonstrate applied planning and organisational skills to support self-directed project work and inform ongoing professional development needs.
Project Recap - Weeks 5 - 6
Last week:
I discovered my own carbon footprint and found that, statically, my area has a higher-than-average carbon footprint
Looked at small incremental changes the community could explore
This week:
I have my tutorial with Ben to discuss my Critical Feedback Report
Actioning his recommendations
Phase 02/Wk 05: Define, Test + Prepare
Tutorial with Ben Evans - Critical Feedback Report
Following our project draft submission proposals from the week before, getting some early feedback from the course tutor was crucial.
Ben approved the idea in principal and the ‘incremental changes’ but suggested some general notes and discussion points for me to research further:
These included:
1. Fine-tuning or pinpointing my focus area to be more specific - Sustainable and environmental habits are too vast. We discussed the local water fountain, which has recently been restored in High Street, and I decided this was a good starting point and a focal area for the community to engage in.
2. Ben also suggested I do further research on academic papers, again being more specific on my exact topic. These included Incremental change and behavioural change around plastic pollution and single-use plastics.
3. To appeal to my target audience's commitment to recycling or reducing plastic use, I need to apply the principles from ‘Atomic Habits’ and simplify the process. As mentioned in the book, I need to consider changing the system.
4. We also discussed how the UK has no reward scheme for recycling, like they did when I was a child, where you returned the bottle for coins or tokens. Ben said that when he lived in Germany, they actively encouraged it. I remembered this from visiting Berlin in 2022 and questioned why we stopped doing this in the UK?
I visited the website All About Berlin to confirm my research.
Actioning the points from my Critical Feedback Report
Point 1 - Being more specific
The Water Fountain - The recently restored water fountain on East Grinstead High Street seemed like a great place to start because it aligned with my original principles for my Final Major Project: Community, sustainability/environment, and local issues.
This historical fountain has been meticulously refurbished and reintroduced to serve a modern purpose and combat single-use plastic water bottles. This initiative, championed by the local council and the EG Society, aims to reduce plastic waste, promote sustainability, and encourage healthier habits among residents and visitors.
By providing free, clean, and accessible drinking water, the fountain is easily accessible to shoppers, local tourists, and office workers, making it a practical and cost-saving alternative to bottled water. The local schools have also recently been involved by educating children on the importance of sustainability from a young age. The fountain also serves as a historical landmark, reminding the community of its heritage while aligning with local environmental goals.
The fountain is perfectly placed amongst the local restaurants, cafes and independent shops and has become a meeting point, which is a small step towards a greener future.
The newly restored Water Fountain,
East Grinstead
How can I encourage a new audience (Gen Z) to ditch their single-use plastic drink bottles and instead use refillable water bottles to encourage use of the water fountain?
Point 2 - Research and academic papers
Research, research and yet more research… Ben suggested looking for more research on academic papers. These are the areas (papers and websites) I decided to investigate more.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation - The rise of single-use plastic packaging avoiders
I found this website article from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation highlighting the increasing trend of consumers avoiding single-use plastic packaging. This shift is driven by a growing awareness of the environmental impacts of plastic waste, particularly its contribution to pollution and its detrimental effects on marine life. Consumers are becoming more conscious of their purchasing choices and are actively seeking alternatives that are more sustainable and less harmful to the environment.
World Refill Day - 16th June 2024
I missed this earlier in the month, but it looks like the Town Council also missed an opportunity to promote the use of the water fountain, as they missed it too. World Refill Day is a global public awareness campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste.
Mintel website - The Future of the Water Bottled Industry - Article dated 7th June 2024
This website shows great UK-based research on what consumers want or expect from bottled water. Most interesting is that bottled water consumption is equally common among men and women, but younger consumers are significantly more likely to drink bottled water than older ones. Specifically, three-quarters of individuals aged 16-19 drink bottled water, whereas less than a third of those aged 65 and over do. This trend remained stable from 2022 to 2023, indicating a consistent preference among younger consumers. Consumption of all types of bottled water, including still, sparkling, flavoured, and unflavoured, decreases with age.
This trend is partly due to younger consumers perceiving bottled water as safer than tap water, with three times as many young people holding this belief as older individuals. Despite two-thirds of all consumers finding the taste of filtered and bottled water similarly good, hygiene and taste are significant factors influencing bottled water purchases.
I wondered why the younger consumers may stem from a mistrust of local water authorities and might have less confidence in the quality and safety of tap water provided by local authorities. They are more likely to be influenced by media reports, social media discussions, or anecdotal experiences highlighting issues with municipal water systems. They may opt for bottled water as a healthy and safer alternative. coupled with a heightened awareness of health and hygiene, from living through Covid.
Policy paper - Deposit Return Scheme for Drinks Containers - Published 25 April 2024
We have recently had a change of Government, so this could scope some further investigation under the new Labour Government, but under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative administration, the UK government proposed implementing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as outlined in their policy statement. The primary objective was to significantly increase the recycling rates of drink containers, reduce litter, and promote a circular economy by encouraging the reuse of materials. This scheme aims to enhance recycling rates and reduce litter by incentivising the return of drink containers.
It was set to be introduced in October 2025, allowing businesses time to prepare for the transition. I keep an eye out for updates on this as the new government settles and introduces its own policies.
“In Berlin, there is a bottle return system and some people collect empty bottles to earn money.
If you leave your bottle next to trash can to make their job easier. They won’t need to search inside the bin to find your bottle.”
All about Berlin website
In Germany, you pay a deposit for some glass-based products. When you return the empty bottle, you get your money back, and the bottles are recycled or reused, playing a big role in German waste management. They have made the system incredibly simple, and the reward is getting your deposit back, as well as feeling good about contributing to the planet.
This reverts to the four stages of habit mentioned in James Clear's Atomic Habits. Breaking down the parts can help us understand what a habit is, how it works, and how to improve it.
James Clear - The four stages of habit
I wondered if I could apply these stages to encourage my target audience to recycle bottles and use the local water fountain. These were the four stages of habit and my notes and further research to conclude to support them.
The Four Stages of Habit - All habits proceed in the same staged order: cue, craving, response, and reward
This is my thought process based on the Four Stages
Working on the 4 stages of habit and looking at how I could apply them to my project.
1. CUE - Make it obvious
Placement and visibility: The Water Fountain's location on the High Street, makes it convenient, but is it obvious/visible in its location?
Signage and reminders: Signs/posters highlighting the location. Do I employ slogans or graphics that resonate with my target audience? (How will these be seen)
2. CRAVING - Desire & motivation for behaviour change
Environmental impact - Label the positive impact of recycling and water fountains. Can I back this up with statistics?
Social Proof - Stories and testimonials from residents and peers. Get the community involved. Social media - element of FOMO. Get local influencers involved.
3. RESPONSE - make it easy and satisfying to do
Convenience is key - Access is easily identifiable, clean, and well maintained.
Reminders and prompts - How can my target audience be constantly reminded to bring their water bottles? Is there some daily prompt in an app?
4. REWARD - immediately recognise/satisfy great behaviour
Recognition - How will the audience be rewarded for their efforts? Online or offline. Online - through an app or social network, Offline - Certificates or a shout out within the local community.
Tangible rewards - The fountain is surrounded by local cafes and small businesses. Could they be rewarded with discounts or merchandise?
By aligning these strategies with the four stages of habit formation, I could effectively encourage my audience to adopt sustainable responsibilities like recycling and using water fountains as part of their daily routines.
Reference List
Websites/Podcast
James Clear - Atomic Habits. Available at: https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change
All about Berlin - The Pfand system: how to return bottles in Germany https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/pfand-bottles#where-to-return-bottles-in-germany