ASHLEY SMITH

RMIT UniversityPre Major ProjectDurable Visual Record

Published in June 2012 by

Ashley Smith0447210598ashsmith20@gmail.comhttp://au.linkedin.com/in/ashsmith

Copyright Ashley Smithc

SHARESMART2030

Visualising Domestic Washing of the Future

Thank You to everyone who has helped this book come to fruition.

3Contents

Statement Agenda Approach The Future - 2030 Exploration Opportunities Sharing Smart Technology Behaviour Change Washing Technology Artefact System Service Interaction Object

Conclusion

Bibliography

Foreword

Introduction

Reflection Who And Why? Why Design? My Practice Process & Abilities Moving Forward

Research Systematic Or Sporadic? Sushouse Project Xerox Model Collaborative Consumption Electrolux Gotland Changing Behaviours Clean Clothes Technology Reflections

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5Prologue

Share Smart - 2030 documents the research undertakenthroughthefirsthalfofmyfinalyearofIndustrialDesignatRMIT.This project is something that has been brewing for a considerable amount of time; sustainability is something that I have never whole heartily engaged and as of 6 months ago I knew relatively little about it. This has been a great opportunity to explore and broaden my design practice and capabilities.

This project is part of the larger Social and Sustainable Studio at RMIT University headed up by Soumitri Varadarajan. So far it has been an enjoyable experience and many thanks must go to my peers for their input and insights throughout the journey. Without their help this project would not of reached the level it has.

Although at some points a stressful and frustrating experience, it has ultimately been an enjoyable one. I look forward to the following semester and moving the project foreward.

Ashley Smith

Foreword

7Introduction

In the future water management is set to be one of humanities biggest challeges, unlike energy that is set to be produced fromrenewablesources,waterisafiniteresource that cannot be created. 2030 is a world where consumption and the purchasing of products is banned, where renewable energy has taken over as the dominant source of power, over 75% of the population live in urban areas, and one of the greatest issues is the growing lack of water to produce food for the ever-increasing population. Cleaning your clothes is still a required task but it is vital that the amount of water used to do this is kept to a minimum. This project’s hope is to produce a solution to this basic need through the investigation of collaborative consumption methodology and the development of products within such a collaborative system.

Introduction

Reflection

9Reflection

Spending the majority of my childhood living in the United Kingdom, in a small town called Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire, has given me a vast number of experiences that I may not of had growing up somewhere else. With the UK being so close to Europe many of these experiences came through travel to different countries including France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. Along with travelling around Europe I was also given the opportunity to visit the USA, Caribbean, Bahamas, and Australia on numerous occasions. This constant travelling as a child exposed me to many diverse and varied cultures. This was a great contrast to the small town I grew up in, something I am grateful to my parents for exposing me to. Seeing these other countries has taught me an appreciation of other cultures and the insight that not everyone experiences things in the same way. A skill that perhaps explains one reason why I took such an interest in design;designistheessentialreflectionofculture.

BeforewritingthisreflectionIwasscepticalof its value. Being a “Gung ho” sort of character growing up I never took the time to sit down and look back at what had happened in my life, whether good or bad; I always had a desire to move on to the next thing that could satisfy my need for instantgratification(somethingwediscussa bit later.) In essence undertaking this task has been one of the most confronting thingsIhavedone.Definingwhoyouareand why in a passage for others to read honestly challenges your perceptions of yourself and the world. Writing a personal reflectionhastheinevitabledangerthatyouunintentionally warp this perception creating a more favourable account of who you are. In order to gain true value from the exercise thisreflectionhasbeenputtogetherafteranumber of conversations with those closest tome.Overallreflectingbackuponwhatmatters to me and why, has explained a lot of the decisions I have made so far in my life and why I love design and chose it as a career path.

Inordertogainatruereflectionyouhavetostart at the beginning and so here we go...

Why & How?

10 Reflection

I have been lucky that through my life I have been encouraged to take an interest in art and design by my parents, although they admit not to be overly knowledgeable of the area, they have always had an appreciation of it and believed in giving my brother and I the opportunity to experience it. I have many fond memories of going along to different museums and historical buildings and this transferred into my strong interest in history as a child. It soon became evident that I was less interested in the people and more in objects. One of the clearest memories I have is from a year 9 school art and design trip I took to Paris where we visited a number of museums and galleries that included the Pompidou Centre. On that same trip we had visited a large number of galleries including the Louvre, but this was the one that struck me the most. The Pompidou Centre holds the Musée National d’Art Moderne the second largest collection of modern art in the world after MOMA in New York. When making my way through the centre I remember thinking “Wow this stuff isn’t old, people are still designing and creating this stuff today.” This was the start of my interest in Industrial Design as a career.

Why Design?

A photograph of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, France taken on a school excursion (2003).

11Reflection

This appreciation for objects over people comes back to my father; when I was young child my father worked hard to set up his own business and in a traditional sense provide for the family, while my mother stayed at home and looked after my brother and I. Obsessed with technology and gadgets he would often come home after a long day at work with the latest TV or video camera and would spend hours playing with them and showing me how they worked. This led to my subsequent desire to take apart many of my own objects to see how they worked on the inside. My father’s obsession with the technical transferred to me and so did his desire for perfection in everything he did. Perfection is something he believes he picked up from his father who served in the Navy where the importance of organisation and perfection went beyond just a desire. To me these experiences, skills and traits that have been passed onto me through my upbringing, sit at the core as to why I studied design. The combination of an interest in culture and aesthetics, the technical, and the desire for perfection and organisation are all things that to me create great design and something I aspire to.

My brother and I as young ‘designer builders’ taken on one of my dads new cameras. (1993).

12 Reflection

My design practice is something that has grown and developed over time, especially throughuniversity(somethingIwasunawareof until I began to write this.) As previously mentioned culture, technicality and perfection are all at the core of what I see as good design. So in turn when looking back on my design practice these are things that constantly pop up as themes in my method. Many of my most enjoyable projects have been those that involve all of these aspects. Along with these attributes something that I previously alluded to in the introduction to thisreflectionwasthedesireIhaveforinstantgratification.AlthoughIamunsureastowherethis came from and whether is it related to design or just growing up in a generation bombarded with over stimulation. Interestingly though when talking to many other industrial designers it is something that we all have in common. This seems to express itself in the need to prototype and experiment throughout the design process.

Although these are all aspects that sit in my practice, it is clear that I have a routine when designing that links to a set of abilities I have developed. It is common knowledgetoeveryoneinthedesignfield,and even anyone who has attempted to solve a problem or create something from scratch, that the processes we go through are not always linear. Although they may have an order to them, rarely does it move directly from one phase to the next; rather, often the design process is an iterative one that moves back and forth and side to side before presenting a solution - and my design process is no different. Although I believe many of the different phases of my practice overlap and happen simultaneously, it is possible to isolate and distinguish the different phases and individual attributes something that I aim to do in the next part of myreflection.

My Practice

13ReflectionAsh Smith / s3239936Small Consumer Appliance - Iron

ITEM NO. PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION QTY.1 Base Plate PET - Injection Moulded 12 Body Cover PP - Injection Mouled 13 Heating Plate Aluminium coated with Stainless

Steel - Cast 14 Left - Button PP - Injection Moulded 15 PCB OEM - PCB and Wiring 16 Right - Button PP - Injection Moulded 17 Right - Water

reservoirSemi Translucent PP - Injection

Moulded 1

8 Steam and water controls

Combination of OEM and PP Injection Moulded Parts 1

9 Water spout cover PP - Injection Moulded 110 Temperature

Controls PP - Injection Moulded 1

11 Left - Water reservoir

Semi Translucent PP - Injection Moulded 1

12 Main Body PP - Injection Moulded 1

2

5

64

7

11

31

9

12

10

8

D

E

F

C

1 2 3 4

B

A

321 5

C

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4 6 7 8

A

B

s3239936 / Ash Smith

Bill of Materials - Exploded

WEIGHT:

A3

SHEET 2 OF 15SCALE:1:5

DWG NO.

TITLE:

REVISIONDO NOT SCALE DRAWING

MATERIAL:

DATESIGNATURENAME

DEBUR AND BREAK SHARP EDGES

FINISH:UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED:DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERSSURFACE FINISH:TOLERANCES: LINEAR: ANGULAR:

Q.A

MFG

APPV'D

CHK'D

DRAWN

N/A

N/A

02

Exploded technical drawing of a Phillips iron concept.

14 Reflection

IDEO Method Cards combine a mixture of traditional design methods along with social science research tools.

15Reflection

Research for me is something that happens both at the start and also continuously throughout the whole of my process. When researching I immerse myself within the problem which helps me to understand it better. In an age where so much information isontheInternet(anobvioussourceofreference for any designer) this is often myfirstportofcall;Iwillspendhoursatmydesk(withabeerortwo)searchingthrough sizable amounts of information. This research is often related directly to my problem but also other sources that interest me. In combination with research online, the use of many social and service design tools assist in understanding the key stakeholders and players within the brief are helpful. For clarity I will often portray and map the insights from this research either by hand or digitally to help me understand it. Adobe IllustratorisaprogramIcontinuallyfindmyselfusing;Ifinditisaquickandeasyway to create sharp and clear diagrams, as demonstrated later in this book.

My Process & Abilities

The next phase of the design process is often referred to as idea/concept generation (thefunbit),butinordertogiveanin-depthaccount of how I go about this phase I have broken it down into two stages, each with itsownsetoftoolsandmethods.Thefirststage is initial creativity/inspiration - the firstsetofideasthatyouvisualiseinyourmind. As you often can’t turn these ideas off, this phase overlaps enormously with the research stage. The second stage is the documentation of these ideas - how to get them somewhere they become tangible. Forme,thefirststage–initialcreativity–isone that is built into us as designers: to visualise ideas. Within my process this stage usually requires stimuli and I go about this in a number of ways, from continuing my research, to reading, to observing the world, to hanging out with mates and chating about the project.

16 Reflection

When moving into the preliminary documentation of my initial creativity one of the many skills that I believe I possess is my passion for sketching and doodling, which is often the way I like to document my ideas. Sketching is a useful way to get ideas out of my head and into a tangible domainonpaper.IfindthisworksbestwhenI am relaxed and surrounded by relevant stimuli. Sketching is something I attempt to use in all of my projects. For a number of reasons stunted imagination or ‘designers block’ is something that can occur in any project - the feeling that I have exhausted all possibleavenuesandcannotfindasolutionthat works. To me this is the hardest part of any project and I like to use one particular method to help overcome this hurdle. Since my youth, sport has always been a large part of my life. I have always played sport and I will often use this an escape from my work, as it forces me to stop over thinking the project and focus on something else, giving me a fresh set of eyes when I next return to the problem.

Another vital tool that can be utilised to document or facilitate creative ideas is CAD, a program that helps me to quickly visualise 3D forms on the screen to aid in proportion andstyling.CADissomethingIfindisbestfor basic forms and shapes. If you add too much detail too early it can cloud the form of the object and waste time that can be used to formulate other ideas. Solidworks and Rhino are my preferred choices of program for this type of work. As evident with CAD, theintroductionoftechnologyintothefieldofdesign has only made our lives easier, with more possibilities for quick communication of ideas being available. Another option available is the use of Wacom Tablets to digitally draw our ideas straight onto the screen something I also like to use when presenting ideas.

17Reflection

Ideation sketching for a personal project (2012).

18 Reflection

Once the idea generation phase has reached completion, it is time to choose an idea or ideas that works best. For me this process is often the one that happens the quickest; all the ideas are out and now it is time to pick one and run with it. Regularly most of the tools used in the previous phase are used to facilitate this. CAD and prototyping now take a more prominent role though. This often moves an idea to the stage where it is near completion and can be tested. Within a product-based project this often results in a prototype being created for testing and to study the form. As with Wacom Tablets and CAD, technology is makingiteasiertoseeanideaintheflesh.CAM/CNC modelling has been around for some time, but it is a time-consuming and lengthy process to go through in order to only end up with a foam model. One of the new technologies that I like to use is 3D printing as it can create more intricate forms and also provides a more durable model than traditional CNC modelling.

CAD rendering of a compressed air powered Extreme Touring Motorcycle.

19Reflection

I am a person who is not necessarily an idealist, however I do believe that as a designerIcaninfluencetheworldforthegood. Using the key values that I have identifiedinmypracticeasthecore,Iaimto continue to develop the way I work to become someone who is relevant to the design industry and can add value to any project. I am aware that design is not a science and the same approach is not beneficialtoeveryproblem,butIdohopethat through experience I am able to develop a range of approaches that allow me to competently tackle any brief.

Thistaskofreflectinguponmypracticeandprocess has been very valuable in allowing me to see what I am doing right or wrong, and is something that I will endeavour to do again in the future to enable further development. In conclusion I wish to be able to continually progress and further my own practice, developing new approaches and methodologies that make me a better designerandbenefitthedesigncommunityas a whole.

Moving Forward

Research

21Research

Systematic or Sporadic?

Research is a word that today is used in all areas of society from business to education; we live in a world where every decision thatismadeneedssomejustificationorreasoning behind it and this often comes in the form of research. The Oxford English Dictionary(2012)definesresearchasthe“systematic approach of investigating different sources and materials in order to come to establish facts and come to new conclusions,” but I don’t see design researchassomethingthatisthatfiniteinitsdefinition.Whilstasdesignersweoftensit within the traditional research methods framework we also sit outside it and look to push the boundaries. As described by FrankelandRacine(2010)designresearchcan be broken down into three distinct areas, Research for Design, Research about Design and Research through Design. Research for Design and Research about Designsitclosetotraditionalscientificresearch methods but Research through Design is something that is an action reflectiveactivitywherebydoingprovidesopportunities for greater insight. This might include activities such as sketching and model making.

Alongside this method of categorising design research I like to use a more traditional method of collect, understand, visualiseandreflect(Schneider&Stickdorn;2010). This method can sit over the top of the different categories of research previously described and helps to structure an outcome from the research activities. Recently in the Research for Design area there has been a strong connection developing with social science methodology in developing a set of research tools that can be used to better understand the stakeholders within a project. Some examples of this are the IDEO Methods Cards and the book This is Service Design Thinking. Along with a user approach there are often physical and technical aspects to a project. I like to use a Research about Design approach and look at existing similar cases to see what knowledge is already in that space. In order to technically innovate a product, new or existing technologies may need to be actioned within the problem space, this type of research is more random and involves creating links and associations withindifferentfields.Allresearchstartswitha topic that needs to be addressed, in this case the issue is sustainability within the home.

22 Research

With my current focus being within the area of social and sustainable design, many of the tools within service design and co-design are incredibly pertinent to the way I go about my research. Social and sustainable design involves a user-focused approach with much of the success of such projects reliant on how the user interacts with or uses the outcome. The SusHouse Project is an example of a project that focused on using these methodologies to provide solutions for domestic living of the future. SusHouse was a project that ran in 6 research teams across Europe between 1999 and 2001 and focused on technological and behavioural change for sustainable development. By working cooperatively with a variety of stakeholders including government, residents and industry the project was able to provide a range of outcomes for the actions of clean clothes, nutrition and shelter. When constructing their scenarios each of the teams also used a Design Oriented Scenario approach whereby they backcast from a 2050 scenario what would be the required needs in the future allowing them to breakeachactiondown(Green,Quist,Toth,Toth, & Young, 2000).

One of the insights that came from this project was that in order to provide greater environmental change a combination of technological, behavioural and organisational change is needed. Along with this it was discovered that merely providing a service around an action does not provide environmentalbenefits,infactinsomecases the outcome can be more detrimental (Klapwijk,Knot,Quist&Vergragt,2006).

SusHouse Project

23Research

Mapping ideas onto a matrix of behavioural change and technological change allowed the observation that without both it is hard to implement considerable environmental change. Confirming the observation that a combination of factors need to be changed for environmental improvements (Knot & Van der Wel, 2001).

24 Research

Xerox Model

When looking at the aspect of technological changespecifictoolssuchasLifeCycleAnalysis(LCA)takeamorescientificapproach to gathering information about existing products and standards. This helps to identify technical, manufacturing and end of life opportunities within a products life cycle.Xeroxwasoneofthefirstcompaniesto introduce a holistic technical approach to their business model where they shifted from being a copier manufacturer to a complete document solutions company. This has become known as a Product Service Systems(PSS)approachwhereasystemisplaced around a product in order to provide aservice(Isaksson,Larson&Ronnback,2009). By analysing their product lifecylce Xerox recognised that by stream lining their businesstoaleasingmodel(PSS)theywereable to gain greater control over the product and in turn design the product components toberecycledorreused.(Roy,2000).

Taking a holistic approach to providing an action such as printing and copying, as demonstrated by Xerox, is a great way to provideenvironmentalbenefitsandstillprovide a great service. Along with this Xerox were also able to provide a large amount of additional revenue and jobs within their organisation that without this holistic approach they would not of created (FujiXerox,2011).Todaywewouldcallthisapproach the triple bottom line approach of people,profitandplanet(Elkington,1997).Sitting in a business domain Xerox’s PSS model has worked well with the company moving from struggling to now being a major force in the copying economy, but one has to question why this methodology has not been moved into other areas if it is so successful - especially within the domestic environment.

25Research

Xerox today now aim to recycle or re-use 100% of all in their copiers through there closed loop manufacturing process (Fuji Xerox, 2011). Using a closed loop system like this gives them greater control over the manufacturing processes and end of life of the product.

NaturalResources

RawMaterials

Supply Chain

Products Customers Collection

ResourceRecovery

Recycling

Sorting &Disassembly

RemanufacturingApproximately 30% of all of Xerox’s parts are

remanufactured into new products.

26 Research

Collaborative Consumption

BotsmanandRogers(2010)describeProduct Service Systems as part of the collaborative economy along with redistribution markets and collaborative lifestyles. These three markets according to many are set to boom with the internet as the catalyst. There are dozens of collaborative consumption entrepreneurs popping up every week on the internet each with a new way to share. As described in the Xerox exampleaPSShasgreatbenefitsbothtechnically and at an organisational level that work well in a business to business model, but as discovered by the SusHouse project without the combination of addressing behavioural change it is hard to make great gains in the domestic space. It is suggested though that the world wide web is changing peoples behaviour towards sharing; long thought of as a dull and ‘uncool’ activity it is now fast becoming the ‘hip’ thing to do. Using the internet consumers are able to gain genuine feedback about products and with the participation in social networking over the last 10 years online trust issues are becoming a thing of the past.

The collaborative economy is on the rise through a desire from customers to no longer filltheircupboardswithstuff,butinsteadtake an informed choice about how they consume. All sharing models have a set of attributes they have in common and need to be successful:

- They are self sustaining.- They make use of things that were before not in use. - They tap into peoples want to share.- They rely on trust.

27Research

A PSS has a variety of interactions both at an organisational and user level. Today with the increase in use of digital and virtual technologies many of these interactions are moving into a digital space and allowing for more concise and clean services to be provided. Here is some early mapping of a possible PSS system that could sit within the domestic environment.

28 Research

Early visualisation of streamlining the current domestic service model.

AmmenitiesProviders

Utilities

Payment & Information

Information

Information

Payment

Services

ServiceProvider

Product

The Home

User

29Research

As discussed sustainable design although believed to be primarily a technical approach, also has a strong social connection with many of the problems sustainabledesignaimstofixbeingcontributed to by peoples behaviours. One such example is consumer habits whenwashingclothes.Byonlyhalffillingthe machine, the amount of energy, and water wasted increases. Similarly there are instances of people washing clothes thatdonotneedwashinginordertofillaload. These two examples are both social normsthatresultinsignificantenvironmentalimpact, and issues that technical innovation alonewouldnotfix.Inthesecondexampleusers may believe that they are in fact doing the right thing by washing a full load, showing how a lack of knowledge and education can lead to poor environmental behaviourpatterns(Klapwijk,Knot,Quist,&Vergragt).

In 1999 Electrolux put in place a trial PSS on the island of Gotland. Within the project they loaned consumers washing machines and simply charged them to use it. These machines were linked to smart meters and the consumer received a bill every month. The machines were regularly serviced and replaced after 1000 washes but the program was deemed a failure. When analysing the downfalls of the project it was clear that consumers were not aware of thebenefits-atthetimepeoplebelieveditwas cheaper to ascertain credit for a cheap washingmachine(McAloone&Anderson,2004).This is an example of a service being placed around the product with little thought given to technical or behavioural change, reiterating the importance that all three aspects need to be considered. It is possible that today this project would work with less credit available and the improved infrastructure available due to the internet.

Electrolux - Gotland Experiment

30 Research

Changing Behaviour

It is often believed that behaviour change orientated projects require a greater level of involvement within the research stage to gain a clear insight into the needs, culture and sometimes issues that lie in the target group, in order to change the way they act. There is one problem with this though, peoples behaviours can change depending on a number of different variables meaning they canchangefromdaytoday.Fogg(2009)breaks human behaviour down into three factors; motivation, ability and triggers. In order for a behaviour to happen all three of these factors must occur at the same time. For example if someone is triggered and motivated to do something but it is too hard they will not perform the action as the ability factorislacking(Fogg,2009).Allthreefactors must be considered when looking at changing user behaviour towards washing within the home.

By assuming a trigger is present and then mapping motivation against ability it is possible to determine how to target actions both now and in the future so that behaviour change can occur (Fogg, 2009).

31Research

The trigger is quite simply the spark or ignition that triggers the action; this can come from a number of different sources from emails to sounds. The trigger is something that is always present when an actionhappens.Fogg(2009)statesthat“First we notice the trigger. Second we associate the trigger with a target behaviour. Third, the trigger happens when we are both motivated and able to perform the ability.” Bearing this in mind a trigger also has the ability to impact the other factors of behaviour change in the way it is delivered. Forexamplethetriggercaninfluencemotivation by providing a spark to the user by provoking emotional response or perceived ability, with it showing the task is easierthanfirstthought(Fogg,2009).

Trigger

32 Research

Motivationisthegreatestfluctuationwithinthis model as peoples motivation levels cycle from high to low. This constant fluctuationasdescribedbyFogg(2009)haspeaks and troughs where peoples desire to do something changes over time. When analysing this wave it is clear that people are able to perform hard tasks when at a peak and easy ones when in a trough. It is more common for high motivation to happen less often so it is important to target these opportunities by getting people to perform hard tasks when in this state as it is possible tosetupfuturebehaviours.(Fogg,2009).

Motivation

33Research

AbilityisidentifiedbyFogg(2009)asthekey factor in this framework; even with high motivation and a trigger present if the ability to do a behaviour is hard the subject is unlikely to do it. In essence if all behaviours were easy then little motivation would be needed to do them. As previously mentioned though when people are motivated to do something that is hard it should be used as an opportunity to set up future behaviours, this can be done in a number of ways. First it is possible to put in place structures for future actions, secondly it is possible to reducebarriersfromthesubject,andfinallythere is increasing capability so that the ability is changed and becomes easier.

Ability

34 Research

Clean Clothes

Clean clothes is a process and desire that has existed for generations and like many other systems the technology and habits that surround the way we wash our clothes has changed dramatically. It would commonly be believedthatpeoplewashinordertofitinwith societal values but when looking deeper into the issue it is clear there are a number of other reasons. These can be broken down into three categories of pleasure and duty,justificationandnaturalbalance,eachwith their own reasoning. No matter what values are at play though it is clear there is a normalisation of standards whereby comfort and cleanliness is hard wired into everything we do. There is no longer a cultural difference when discussing these practices; comfort and cleanliness is no longer an optionorsocialstatusitisthenorm(Shrove,2003).

When analysing the practices of comfort andcleanlinessShrove(2003)discussesthe role that convenience has to play in their frequency and adoption. The technological advances and desire for convenience along with the need to be comfortable and clean has moved many processes that used to sit outside the home into the domestic space. The washing machine is a clear example of this; by allowing the process of cleaning clothes into the home the environmental impact of the activity has changed. With the grip of consumerism taking hold of products within the home there was an increase in the number of machines that endedupinlandfill,thishoweverisnottheonlyenvironmentimpact.Shrove(2003)also discusses that by bringing washing into the home the habits and behaviours towards washing have changed. With the convenience of being able to wash at any time people are washing their clothes more frequently and often in small loads using large amounts of water and energy in the process.

35Research

1965

52%

2010

96%

Between 1965 and 2010 in the United Kingdom the uptake in the ownership of washing machine increased rapidly due the cost of them decreasing and more people wanting the luxury of washing at home. This lead to a huge decrease in the number of launderettes available with most going our of business (Office for National Statistics, 2010).

36 Research

Technology

The basic methodology used to clean clothes has not changed for generations; a combination of water, heat, mechanical force and some form of detergent or soap. The technology advances that have taken place havesimplymadetheprocessmoreefficientand less labour intensive, with machines now doing the work for the user. Recently there has been improvements in detergents with the introduction of cold water detergents reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the water. There has not however been much innovation in the other areas. The typology of the washing machine has not changedsinceitfirstcameintothedomestichome.

When researching into technology there is more room for scope, some of the greatest innovation comes from taking ideasfromotherfieldsverydifferenttotheissue. A common example of this is James Dyson taking cyclone technology from an industrial application to a domestic one. This approach can be used in the process of cleaning clothes too with many new and improved methods to sterilise objects that do not include water. Water usage is one of the greatest environmental impacts when it comes to washing clothes.

37Research

The four main elements that are currently used to clean clothes; mechanical force, water, heat, and chemicals.

WATER

CH

EMIC

AL

HEA

T

MECHANICAL

38 Research

Although there are designers out there that suggest that research can constrict a designerandstopthecreativeflowofideas,my philosophy is that without research you are not designing but guessing. In order to conscientiously and ethically design the best outcome for a project, a background and knowledge of the area you are working in is required. This process is not a simple one though and it has been no different in this project with the process being iterative and many of the areas recounted in this chapter being revisited a number of times over the journey.

This chapter was aimed to logically map out the main areas I analysed to help frame my agenda and approach discussed in the next chapter. This was not the end of my research practice though with it continuing into the next phase of the project.

Reflections

39Research

Trialing washing by hand to gain insight into the evolution of clean clothing (2012).

Statement

41Statement

Agenda

For decades Industrial Design has been tarnished with the perception that its only purpose is to stylise existing objects for clients with little emphasis placed on innovating the way these products function. In recent years, with the growth of knowledge surrounding the damage these products cause to the environment, therehasbeenasignificantcallingforsustainability to play a larger role in their design. There is a large discourse though between the publics desire to be sustainable and the ability many of these products give them to do so. By creating a link between the user habits and sustainable practices it is possible to innovate and develop a set of products that can create environmental improvement through their use phase. This accompanied with collaborative consumption systems can provide a holistic improvement to a products life cycle.

Water is a resource that in the future will be at a premium. Increased population demands and a changing global environment are going to lead to this commodity needing to be conserved in greater levels than ever before. Washing of clothes is one activity within the home that currently uses large amounts of water and a task where there is a need to reduce its use. Although I considered other functions within the home that used consumer appliances, washing was the most generic need most people would be able to associate with. Washing of clothes is a need that has grown and developed over many years giving it great opportunities to be radicalised in the future. A combination of lack of large technical improvements and poor unsustainable user habits has lead to the environmental impact of washing growing rather than reducing. By engaging a collaborative consumption model, technical innovation, and behavioural theory I will endeavour to visualise a new and more sustainable method for domestic washing in the year 2030.

42 Statement

WASHING 2030

SHARING TECHNOLOGY

REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ECONOMICAL

USERHABITS

EASY TOUSE

TECHNICALINNOVATION

reduce end of life waste

reduce water consumption

reduce water consumption

Reducenumber of

userinteractions

Increase efficiency

and capability

Reduce waste to landfill

reducewaste

savewater

savetime

PSS

43Statement

Approach

The approach taken when tacking any problemwilloftendefinethesolutionandtheapproach connects closely to the position of the project. In this case I felt that creating a provocative and disruptive scenario for the proposed future would be the best way to position the project; subverting the way in which people live in the future. Therefore this project investigates this question of a future sustainable home by addressing the hypothetical scenario that the practice of consumerism is disrupted with the purchasing of products outlawed. This setting will be positioned and targeted at providing solutions for the top tier of consumers; those that habitually consume and are less likely to enter into a cascading system where older products are continually tradedandrepaired(amodelalreadyinplace today.) As previously outlined the function within the home that will be used to demonstrate this new future is that of cleaning clothes.

This disruptive position sits above the tools and methodologies within my approach; by placing the project in a future space it becomes propositional and allows me to push the boundaries of the key elements within my methodology. These three key elements of sharing, technology, and user habits when placed in this proposition scenario should be able to provide a clear and progressive visualisation of future domestic washing. Throughout the rest of this chapter I will aim to analyse both the position I took and my exploration of each of the methods I used to help me identify the key atributes of the artefact for this project.

44 Statement

When looking at the future of washing it was firstlyimportanttoframewhatthefuturewould be like and how this would affect such activities. I chose to use 2030 as the year in the future I would target my approach at. Although I considered dates further in the future I felt for the project to have realistic tangible outcomes and for me to be able to philosophise what the proposed future might be like more accurately this date was best. If we look at the rate of innovation and technical advancement over the last decade it has been exponential and there is no evidence to suggest that the next two decades will be dissimilar, leaving 2030 as a time that is set to be very different from now.

The Future - 2030

A visualisation of a future city scape. (1)

45Statement

With consumerism and the end of a products life at the core of the agenda it became clear that in the future this would somehow be addressed at a policy level. True innovation often occurs after policy change as policy reflectstheneedsandproblemsoftheperiod. In this case stipulating that in 2030 the practice of consumerism is disrupted with the purchasing of products outlawed frames the paradigm in which the solution will be developed. This frames the 2030 scenario as something that forces people to adopt a collaborative system in order to go about their tasks. By doing this I am able to focus upon the other aspects of this model and look at what a product within this system could look like without the possibility that the product needs to be sold. This however does not mean that the product does not need to be desirable to the customer as it is possible that there will be more than one provider of such products within a service.

It was a challeging task when proposing what a 2030 future would be. In order to help form this image for the project to sit within it was important to work from current issues of importance and see how they would develop in the future. Some of the major issues that arose were population increase, increased demand on agriculture, growth of urban areas and technology advancement. Theseareallaspectsthatcaninfluencetheecosystem that the proposed artefact will sit within and things that need to be addressed when formulating the outcome.

46 Statement

Mapping out the key factors in a 2030 future that will impact he way in which we live.

2030

Policy Consumption banned

Service only model

Cascading model encouraged

Energy80% from renewable sources

In home generation available

WaterNeeded in vital areas

Cut back in non essential areas

FoodUses most water

Localised farming returns

Ground to mouth encouraged to remove strain on services.

Population Set to be between 10 and 15 Billion

Strain on services

Ageing population

Communities Dense urban living

80% of the world lives in urban areas

Increasingly digital community

TechnologyInfinite Increase

Cost reduced

47Statement

User Diversity

One of the issues that I looked at was the change in lifestyles of the future, as culture has a large sway in how a product is developed. One of the most prominent discoveries that arose from this analysis is that the demographics of the population will become increasingly aged. This means there will be increasing varied needs from the population with the elderly having more of say in how they live than ever before. This along with the younger populations increasingly instant and busy lifestyles will mean that products need to be more versatile than ever with the possibility of using a univeral design methodology.

48 Statement

49Statement

As with all design orientated projects exploration of a problem and the formulation of ideas plays a key role in developing a solution. In this case as I am more interested in the general characteristics of domestic washing in the future I chose to use a mind maptoflushoutmyideasandthoughts.This process was take over a number of days with the use of different stimuli such as conversations and the internet. I chose to break my ideas up into sections of the map as I thought of them; these sections related to the different locations or types of machines that I envisaged in the future. One of the main outcomes from this activity wastheidentificationofthearrayofdifferentopportunities there are when it comes to washing clothes domestically. There also seemed to be a lot of smart technology concepts that linked to the user behaviour.

Exploration

50 Statement

By transferring the ideas from my mind map into a convergence tool that categorises the different aspects in sections based on their impact I was able to come up with a circle diagram. This diagram breaks down each of the ideas into what aspect of my approach they apply to. This includes technology, system and user habits, but also an additional category of intelligence. This new category was one that became apparent when sorting the concepts from the mind map and it seemed worthy of its own category separate from technology. The intelligence section deals with a whole range of new technologies that are able to learn and interact with the user in the same way smart phones do. This leaves just the washing methods in the technology section. As well as these main groups some of the categories are able to be broken down into sub groups for ease of sorting.

Once this circle diagram was complete it became clear that by taking one or more items from each other sections of the circle concepts were able to be formed that held the necessary attributes. Not all of the combinations work however with some of them contradicting each other. For example a user habit that aims to encourage more habitual washing habits clashes with a single item instant washing technology. Although a good tool it was clear that more thought and analysis was needed into each section in ordertodefinetheatributesoftheartefact.

Opportunities

51Statement

USER HABITS

TECHNOLOGY

SYSTEM

CLEANCLOTHES

INTELLIGENCE

PHYSICAL

WAT

ERLESS

MECHANICAL

ENERGY SAVING

OTHER

DIGITA

LAUTOMAT

EDMANUAL

OzoneRadiation

Silver nanoTechnology

Digital washing communityLinks to wifi

Links to clothes share initiative

Recognises colours from

whites

Links tocalender

Levels of clean

RemoteWashing

Ability Make behavioureasier

Remove ability to wash?

Set goals

Pre specified min load

Reduce needto wash

Usageupdates

Transparencyof habits

Redefine clean

Education

Change association people have with

activity

Motivation

Trigger

Appnotifications

Tap into eco awareness

Apps

Washdatabase

Create youown cycle

Programoptions

UX designedinterface

Links tocalender

Learnsbehaviours

Connects toserver

Talks to othermachines

RFID chips -recognises items

Smarthangars

Selfsorts

During washfeedback

Automatedwhen to

wash

Remote Washing

Apps

User inputsDirtiness

Pre Sorting

Spacesavy

ErgonomicsOf use

P2p

CommunalWashing

Routine Orientated

PhysicalNeeds

Work out

Steam

Uv

Hot vs coldWashing

Mechanical Efficiency

Load size

Cycle lengthSoap nuts

Negative ions

Microwaves

Water reuse

Water Filtering

Chemical waterCleaning

NanoChemicals

Ball vs drum

Vibration

Compressed Air

Spin speed

Movement

Encourage multiple wears

Bill perwash

Points system

52 Statement

When looking at sharing in this context it relates to the PSS system model that was developedandanalysedbyMorelli(2002).Although not a new methodology it is a complex one that often involves a large number of stakeholders and actors. These actors must all work together in order for the PSStobeasuccess(Morelli,2002).Inthisproject the challenge is to bring together the features of technology and behaviour change in the service to provide a holistic and complete approach to washing. It must be noted that technology and behaviour change have a role to play in both the product and service side of the system.

The domestic home is a complex and diverse system and one that has many inputs and outputs making it complicated for the user. By analysing and simplifying these interactions into a concise service for the user it would open up opportunities to create better dialogue between the user and the service provider. Technology and smart technology give a vareity of opportunites in this area. This new dialogue can be used to help direct the users behaviours towards being sustainable, by providing them with a simple easy to follow system where they can see how to save money and improve their environmental impact.

Sharing

53Statement

SHARING - PSS

Statement54

Smart technology is something that has come to prevalence in our products in recent years. Smart phones, smart TVs and smart heating systems are all examples of this. Derzko(2006)describessmarttechnologyas “if a machine/artefact does something that we think an intelligent person can do, we consider the machine to be smart.” This brings us back to the behaviour theory outlinedbyFogg,(2009)wherehestatesthat often the greatest problem when getting someone to perform an action it is not the motivation or trigger but the ability to do it. This introduction of smart technology into washing, where user habits are one of the main down falls in its environmental impact, could allow for the ability of users to wash more sustainably to be made easier.

With its increased introduction today it is safe to say that smart technology will be much improved by the year 2030, giving a range of opportunities. For it to work smart technologymustplayalargeroleindefiningthe habits and routines of users, both making sustainable behaviour easier but also making unsustainable practices harder. Smart technology sits within a larger digital ecosystem where information is transferred instantly and gathered autonomously giving the service provider more information about the user’s habits. It is plausible that in this scenario this information will be able to be interrupted by the smart machine and acted upon accordingly; planning routines, sending reminders and even loading you washing for you.

Smart Technology

55Statement

SMAR

T TE

CHNO

LOG

Y

56 Statement

When discussing behaviour change it is important to identify the three key aspects that need to be present in order for an action to happen. Just as relevant is the idea of removing one of those in order to make a behaviourhardertodo(Fogg,2009).Bytargetingspecificbehavioursitispossibleto dramatically change the washing habits ofauser.AsoutlinedbyShrove(2003)the trigger for cleanliness and washing is definedformostpeople,thishowevercanbe altered to manipulate the time washing takes place or to extend the period between washes. Motivation can also be altered to reduce the desire to wash with a pay per wash system reducing the motivation to wash clothes regularly. These are all grey path changes though - promoting the reductionofanactivity(Fogg,2009).

When looking at green paths that look to create new habits and activities it is important to look at the link between ability and motivation. These paths are usuallymorebeneficialincreatingnewlong lasting behavioural pattern, this can bedonebytargetingspecificactionsatdifferentmotivationlevels(Fogg,2009).Customisation is also a tool that can be used to engage part or all of the user group to interact with a change in behaviour. This is an example of a tool that can be made easier so that it can be tackled at any level of motivation. When linking this with smart and washing technologies it can be a very powerful tool to dramatically change washing behaviours.

Behaviour Change

57Statement

CHAN

GIN

GBE

HAVI

OUR

S

58 Statement

Like smart technology, washing technology is set to improve in the future. There is alwaysnewandradicalscientificadvancesand even today there is theory and examples of washing machines without water. Many of these processes however are incrediably energy intensive and to some extent unstable. In 2030 it is unlikely that we would have moved completely away from using water as a mean of cleaning clothes but it is likely that the amount of water used will need tobereducedsignificantly.Whenlookingatthe four components of contempory washing many of these have not changed much since their inception into the home. There is plenty ofscopetoimprovetheefficiencyofthisprocess in regards to water conservation and with the realisation that in the future most energy will be from renewable sources, theissueofenergyefficiencyalthoughimportant is not such a priority compared to waterwhichisafiniteresource.

As previously outlined the washing technology links strongly with the both the user habits and smart technology aspects of the product. All of three of these factors need to be addressed together in order push user habits towards a more sustainable practice. The system as a whole sits around these linking ideas. The next part of my process was to map out and identify the outcomes that will meet my agenda, this is described in the artefact.

Washing Technology

59Statement

WASHING TECHNOLOGY

60 Statement

Service mapping a proposed ‘smart washing machine’ and its surrounding service.

61Statement

Thenextstepistoidentifywhatthisfinalartefact will look like. This is broken down into three sections; the system, service interaction, and the object. It must be made clear that the system sits above the other twoelementsandthatallthreeinfluenceeach other.

Artefact

SYSTEM

USERINTERACTION

OBJECT

62 Statement

When identifying the key features of the system at this point we must look at what interactions the key actors have from the start to the end of the service. Any service can be broken down into three periods; pre-service period, service period, and post service period. Each of these must be succinct and there must clear links between all three in how they communicate with the user.

Within the pre-service period it must be simple and easy for the user to sign up and join the service, with clear and concise information available to them. With 2030 being a digital environment most of this will take place virtually using smart phone apps and the internet. There must still however be a physical and tangible display of the service, this will take place in a ‘display store’ where examples of the object or objects within the service can be viewed and trialed. Although 2030 will be a digital world the system will still include the option of human contact with the service provider - the value of human interaction will not diminish.

The System

63Statement

The service period is most important when looking at environmental change - the agenda of the project. Within a product service model the service provider is able to have much more control over the users experience during this phase. Like the pre-service period this phase will also rely heavily on digital media in order to manage the users experience. This will be done by a smart pay per use system where the user is able to make a recognition between their environmental impact and the cost - increasing motivation to wash less. This will all be managed digitally using smart applications and an online database that helps the provider to develop and improve the service provided to the user. It is also envisaged this system will make it easier for the user to have sustainable washing habits - increased ability - this will be built upon with the user interaction aspect of the artefact.

The end of service period is simple as it is developed upon a closed loop system where the service provider collects the object and 100% of the materials in the product are reused or recycled by them.

64 Statement

HUMAN ACTORS

ORGANISATIONALACTORS

DIGITAL ACTORS

USER

ONLINECOMMUNITY

OBJECT

REPAIRSERVICE

AMENITIESPROVIDER

MANUFACTURER

DESIGNGROUP

ENGINEERINGGROUP

STORE

ONLINE DATABASE

SMART PHONEOTHERUSERS

INTERNET

CLOTHING

DELIVERYSERVICE

SERVICEPROVIDER

SERVER

65Statement

HUMAN ACTORS

ORGANISATIONALACTORS

DIGITAL ACTORS

USER

ONLINECOMMUNITY

OBJECT

REPAIRSERVICE

AMENITIESPROVIDER

MANUFACTURER

DESIGNGROUP

ENGINEERINGGROUP

STORE

ONLINE DATABASE

SMART PHONEOTHERUSERS

INTERNET

CLOTHING

DELIVERYSERVICE

SERVICEPROVIDER

SERVER

Actor Network Theory is a methodology that can be used to map out the actors in a system in order to see the different connections they have, both human and digital. When mapping out the visualisation for washing in 2030 there are a large number of organisational actors indicative of the PSS taken to the project. Along with this there is also a lot of digital and virtual actors reflecting the growing involvement of technology in this proposed system.

66 Statement

Focusing on user interaction within a service is vital to ensure the service performs it task well. In this case the user interacts with both the service infrastructure and the product that sits within the service. These two touch points must accurately interact with each other. Within this system smart technology will primarily be used to facilitate the interactions experienced by the user. The smart technology will sit across a number of platforms that includes the object itself and the many digital touch points within the service. These digital touch points include a smart phone app, a website and the digital interface on the object. The combination of these mobile digital interactions, that allow communication with the machine from anywhere, enable the ability to change users washing habits with the user no longer needing to be present to start a wash. Routines and cycles are also able to be set up to get washing done when it is most efficienttodoso-forexamplewhenaloadis full.

Smart technology in its purest sense is technology that is able to make decisions and act without the user. By having a product that is able to make decisions over washing times, cycles, and even reminding the user when they might need to wear a piece of clothing that is dirty and so they should wash it with a full load rather than individually are all aspects that will make the ability to wash sustainably and save water easier. An element of customisation is also needed to help facilitate a change in behaviour. A platform that allows the customer to use both preset intelligent washing cycles and also ones that they themselves or other users have developed motivates engagement with the servicea and change in behaviour. This customisation will also encourage education of the user as to what goes into washing their clothes. Washing of clothes is a process that requires the user to at some point interact with the product physically something that is to be discussed in the attributes of the object.

Service Interaction

67Statement

By looking at the motivation levels of a user over the period of the service it is possible to map where these user interactions sit in relation to behavioural theory.

68 Statement

The object section of the project has been theleastrefinedoverthisjourneywithmostof the focus being placed on the systems and service sides to the solution. However, it is clear that the technology and interface aspects of the object will be heavily influencedbytheserviceandbehaviourchanging methodology. Technology is a key component of the object and its ability to create environmental difference both at a washing and smart technology level. There are a variety of opportunities within this area from touch screens and holograms to radiation and nano technology. Although the project is targeted at 2030 and is aimed at conserving water rather than removing it completely from the process, waterless technology is not completely disregarded from the equation at this point and is something that will be considered in more detail in the next stage of the project.

So far aesthetics is also an aspect of the object that is yet to be explored; the look and feel of an object can also have a role to play in helping the user engage with it. This is also something that I wish to investigate further as the project moves forward. Being placed in a proposed future and in a service, where the service provider has greater control there is greater scope and freedom in regards to styling the product. Although it must be noted this is not the main priority with function being the major role of the product. Visualising the physical product within the system along with its service interfaceis envisaged as the next step in the project moving forward.

The Object

69Statement

NOW

2030

The Share Smart - 2030 artefact envisages a dramatic decrease in the amount of water consumed through the act of washing clothing.

70 Statement

Early concept visualisations of a smart washing machine that sits on the wall.

71Statement 71

The future is set to be a different place and if we are to continue to exist in this world into the next decade we must change the way we undertake many of the actions in our lives. No longer can we blindly consume and believe that things will work out for the best. By using the framework I have developed throughthisreflectiveprocess,theevolutionof products within a consumerism free world are set to revolutionise the way we interact with technology. Intelligent products that sitwithinanecosystemaresettodefinethe future of our everyday needs. Share Smart - 2030 has given me a belief that there are opportunities that not only improve our environmental impact but also our lives.

The system I have developed through this research intensive process is one that has an object at its core and moving forward I am excited about envisaging this. Designing this product will be a technical task, but is a challenge I am excited and invigorated to make a start on. Most importantly I have a true passion for the project and am committed to producing an outcome that truly evokes the principles of my practice and helps me display my skills.

Conclusion

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