Mar 27, 2020
Brief: Engage a diverse audience on the theme of species loss
Members: Amber Lau, Masa Planinc, Sanjana Dhanakoti, Carol Chen
Collaborative Partner & Grouping
Collaborative Partner
On the first week of Term 2 MA UX Design, our tutor have assigned us the groupings and collaborative partner for this term. I was put in group of four and work with Extinction Rebellion (XR).
Before I was assigned to this collaborator, I didn’t know much about XR, but after doing some research online, I noticed it is an international activist group that concerns about climate change and extinction loss.
We also had an opportunity to met our partners in LCC to get to know more about their backgrounds and recent activities.
Grouping
Since the brief for this term is very broad, our group has reached a consensus with two other groups that has the same partner to form as a bigger group of twelve to work together. We thought this way would help everyone to create a deeper research and wider outcome.
I have never worked with a group with such a large number of people before, I didn’t know what to expect nor knowing how it would turn out, but I’m also excited to get an experience of this.
Project Discussion (Small group)
Before having discussion with the big group, our team had a little discussion about the topic of extinction. We mentioned about types of species loss: plants, animals; causes and effects, human hierarchy of needs, and food chain etc.
One interesting point that I remember hearing is that human extinction will not affect food chain at all. We, as human, are the ones who are destroying and affecting the food chain of the ecosystem. And from talking about the hierarchy of needs, we understand that human would not pay attention to any social problem until their basic needs are fulfilled.
We understand what XR is currently doing is to push the government, firms and decision markers to make big changes, but we also thought apart from reaching to those who are in power, we should also connect to the emotional side or show the reality. One of the examples we’ve talked about was the sea turtle with plastic straw (Sea Turtle Biologist, 2015). The world was once very into the straw topic when people saw the video. We thought when people get to see things, feel it and understand how it is actually affecting them, that’s the time it will hit their emotional side.
In addition, we’ve also talk about the existing artist who does related works. My teammate, Sanjana, mentioned she has seen works from Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg that’s related to the 6th Mass Extinction. I’ve searched about this artist online and planning to go one of her exhibition on the following week.
Project Discussion (Big group)
During the big group discussion, everyone shared what they’ve discussed within their original team and their ideas for this project. We divided the key points into 3 perspectives, including: Direction, Ideas, and Experience, and we’ve written them down to a large paper.
My teammate Masa has done research on impacts of pollution on animals from her previous MA studies, these information did give us a clearer picture on how the world currently is and how it is affecting the animals right now.
At some point in the discussion, we noticed XR has an up coming protest about the Australia fire and climate change (16 Jan, 2020). Since XR has done many successful protests that caught the public and media’s attention, we thought it would be a great opportunity to do an observation there. If the situation allows, perhaps we can to do some interviews with the participants and onlookers.
Reflection
This is my first time working with group of twelve people. Although the discussion went well, and everyone did get a chance to speak , I still found there’s something missing. We seemed to have a direction, but not everyone plays a key role on certain things. At some point I wasn’t sure what I have to research about because the topic is too board. I think it could have been better if we have divided the parts clearer before we dismiss, but that’s certainly a new experience working with a large group of people.
Reference
Sea Turtle Biologist (2015) Sea Turtle with Straw up its Nostril — “NO” TO PLASTIC STRAWS. 10 August. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw (Accessed: 18 January 2019).
