WHAT'S THE POINT? On social and environmental issues. by Fang-Jui Chang
CHAPTER 1 P.3 UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT The taken for grantedness of unconscious behaviour CHAPTER 2 P.13 SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY The things we don't want to talk about in our lives
Project Initiator/photographer/writer Fang-Jui Chang fang-jui.chang@network.rca.ac.uk
WHAT'S THE POINT? An ongoing, participatory project
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WHAT'S THE POINT PROJECT
It is interesting to observe the things around us. Albert Einstein once said, 'If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.' That is, if you can find the problem, you are already half way to solving it.
INTRODUCTION
'What's The Point?' is an ongoing, participatory, London and Taipei based project which aims to reconsider our life in a sense of the things that we take for granted by doing fieldwork, discussing what effective/ineffective communication could be, and thinking about how human behaviour affects our society and environment. Using Design Thinking as an approach to provide better solutions to social and environmental problems, and rethink these issues around our lives by engaging and empowering the general public. Everyone can be a facilitator in making the world a better place.
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
People tend to ignore the existence of air because they take it for granted. There are many tiny behaviours that people are not aware of but incrementally can be hazardous to our society and environment.
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
The Taken for Grantedness of Unconscious Behaviour
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ABOUT
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT WASTE
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WASTE Date: 2014.05.03 Place: Home, Taipei Observer: Fang-Jui Chang
Pour away water like this? Because drinking water is a daily necessity and also something that people can do by simply turning on a tap, we are less likely to be aware of where water comes from and what is involved in its processes. People may therefore waste water as a matter of course but this waste is not just about water, it is also the resources behind the complex purifying and delivering procedure.
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT RESOURCES AT THE WRONG PLACE
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RESOURCES AT THE WRONG PLACE Date: 2014.05.03 Place: Home, Taipei Observer: Fang-Jui Chang
We are endlessly reminded to recycle everyday We are endlessly reminded to recycle everyday Wake up, go to school, go home, check the post. Wake up, go to work, go home, check the post. The daily post is often full of junk mail, so we... Pick out the junk, and then recycle it. Pick out the junk, and then recycle it. What's the point of it? Do many people seriously read such letters? Why do companies spend so much on letters that people are likely to throw away unread? This is wasteful and annoying. Information delivery need to be more resourceful and user-friendly.
UNCONSCIOUS BEHAVIOUR WHICH AFFECT OUR SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT 11
WHICH ONE DO YOU BELIEVE? Date: 2014.05.011 Place: Taipei Observer: Fang-Jui Chang
Do you believe in machines or humans? Do you believe in machines or humans? With the development of technology, there are more and more convenient and precise tools for us to use. We often use our smart phones and digital cameras to 'record' something dramatic and trust in this technology to accurately record the event, even though it can be also be used to digitally manipulate these 'facts' What then can we trust?
WHICH ONE DO YOU BELIEVE?
Just believe in what we believe.
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
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ABOUT
Topics include: In relation to a city's evolution, the dilemma of the improvement or deterioration of hardware and software through the development of technology, cities will increasingly face; the important role communication and dialogue play in the provision of local government services like transportation and healthcare. The value delivery from the public sector and the communication between government and people are the issues worthy of discussion. Starting little change from the lives around us and then we can wish a more friendly and efficient city.
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
The things we don't wantto talk about in our lives
THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION Date: 2014.03.22 Place: Bade Road, Taipei
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
Observer: Fang-Jui Chang
THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION
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Just take photos! I don't know anything! I was woken up by the smell of asphalt and the sound from the construction site. I wondered what was happening, so I went outside to ask a policeman near the construction site but he told me , 'Just take photos! I don't know anything!' Me: 'Why didn't you inform the residents?' Policeman: 'There is a signboard!' Me: ' Why have I just noticed this today?' Policeman, 'I don't know!' This is one of the substantial/radical issues.
The Signboards
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
I checked every bulletin boards in the community, and I realised that there were no information about the construction. However, only some information about community activities and performances are provided. As to the signboards, they appeared on the day when the construction started. The ways of information should be more clear.
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THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION
The construction
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
I wonder how the construction workers evaluate the perfection of the construction, so I went to ask one of the workers. And the worker told me the process of making the road flat with his passion.
THE ELEGANCE OF INFORM AND CONSTRUCTION
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In the other morning, the construction already been finished efficiently. What people would like to know is just a powerful reason of why they are doing it.
A PLACE FOR NATURE Date: 2014.04.25-27 Place: Guangfu S. Rd., Taipei
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
Observer: Fang-Jui Chang
A PLACE FOR NATURE
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Where are the trees? There were a few excavators, protesters appeared on a street in Taipei on 25th April. Due to the non-transparency of information, there is no agreement between the tree huggers and the people who try to remove the trees. It will waste less social cost if they are able to have better communication.
Now the Places for Trees are Covered with Cement
SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY
The shade trees on the pavement were removed in one day and the places are covered with cement. Is this the best way of doing it?
A PLACE FOR NATURE
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Is it possible to fix the pavement in a better way so that people can walk through comfortably?
The Tree Hugger Is it possible to build a better platform that has transparent information or opportunity for the stakeholders to communicate better so that people are less likely to build the conflict? SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE CITY 26
A PLACE FOR NATURE