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And so, she got her shit together!

Over the last four years there have been many late nights and scrambling to get to the hand in on time. However, I’m sitting here in bed 16 hours before hand in with just the files to look over and upload, and the decals and bags yet to be received!!, then to hand in all the physical! I’m thinking is there anything missing, but nothing I can desperately think of! It’s pretty incredible what can happen when crunch time comes!

I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this project and glad it took the turn from my research that it did, it was a journey trying to get my shit together even when I just changed my proposal! I could not have done it without the guidance of the lecturers though, they really helped me to realise what it was that I wanted to be achieving!

I think it’s now safe to say that even though it’s been a heck of a bumpy road,  my shit is somewhat together!

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Week 13

Presentation 

What the Kit!? Logo on kraft

Good afternoon! I hope that we are all doing well and are feeling great about everything! I wouldn’t have been able to say the same for myself recently, especially throughout the last few years of my degree, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind and I have had a wobbly time trying to get my shit together!

So, I’d like you guys to put yourselves back in our shoes, think about being a stressed out undergraduate who is trying to get their shit together before finishing their degree and heading out into this thing we call the “real world”.

What the Kit!? is for undergraduates of all disciplines who don’t know quite how to deal with the stress of university and life in general as everything is just getting a bit hectic and too much.

It is a kit that they can literally get their hands on in order to help try and get their shit together before graduating and heading out into the ‘real adulting world’.

My proposal was looking at how designers could use sensory design in order to trigger their target audience’s nostalgia. I was finding it rather difficult trying to figure out how to curate and put this into the works, as there were many different tangents and possible variants. I was getting quite distraught on how exactly to attack this.

With an interest in generation Z, as they are the majority of the people around me, therefore a great group to focus on, I decided I had to look at what I had already done. I asked myself “So, what am I actually trying to do here, and more importantly, why?”.

I came to the conclusion of encouraging people to feel better with what stress they’re surrounding themselves with, in terms of both university and what is happening in their life. Along with getting people to interact and engage with what I produced.

So, how can design help navigate the stress of undergraduates through an interactive output?

What the Kit!? is for stressed out undergraduates attempting to get their shit together. In an interview about tertiary students mental health with Stuff, the president of the New Zealand Union of Students Associations, Jonathan Gee says

“You can’t really see it [the importance of your mental health] when you’re stuck in a bubble and you have got these deadlines and you don’t know where you’re going to go with your life. It can seem a bit much”.

During university at all stages, we are faced with all sorts of stress. We start settling ourselves down about the excitement of being independent and getting a degree, and we see the need to focus and hone in. For a number of students, we have also moved out of home and, in general, there are many other things that life can throw at us.

And unfortunately, we just don’t know how to deal with the stress of it all. In June and July of this year, New Zealand Union of Student Associations ran a survey called Kei Te Pai for students around their mental health experience. And out of one thousand seven hundred and sixty two students who responded, 56% said they had considered dropping out of tertiary study. With the main reasons being that they were “feeling overwhelmed, living with mental illness and fearing failure.”

What the Kit!? is used to get stressed out undergraduates to take a step back and use different suggested methods in order to tackle their life.

At the beginning of our degrees we are provided with a lot of information and shown what is available to help us cope with life at university. However, there is an element missing which needs to be able to help us navigate our way through the shit, and get it together. Students are given What the Kit!? at this time that guides them on how to take a step back to help themselves with the stress.

The central proposition and intention of What the Kit!? is to help people in a similar boat to myself, make them feel not so alone throughout these stressful years, and to help guide them in getting their shit together. Giving them a hand, with the contents of the provided handbook, A Loosely Fitted Guide on How to Get Your Shit Together written from my point of view, being a fellow stressed out student.

So, imagine you’re a stressed out undergraduate looking for a hand, and this poster catches your eye on campus, you follow the directions to go to your student association and pick up one of these kits.

You open the bag, which is super handy to chuck in your school bag or car for when you need something to help carry all of your extra shit,

And you find A Loosely Fitted Guide on How to Get Your Shit Together inside, and the What the Kit!? box. Naturally, you will flick through the book to have a look at the gist of what is going on, and also open up the box.Once you open the box you will find a note with the The Tools which explains what this little tool kit is. The note explains that the tools are individually wrapped with a tag as a small give away of what it is, or when to use it. Almost like a like a lucky dip that we had when we were children. These tools are to be opened when you see fit, some of them are tools that are going to help you, but a handful are also small things to keep your brain ticking while you are procrastinating.

The handbook A Loosely Fitted Guide on How to Get Your Shit Together will be beneficial to the user as it gives the perspective of a fellow stressing student, essentially showing them that they are not alone through the stresses of university.

Hopefully giving them a giggle and something to relate to, as well as teaching them that taking breaks is not only encouraged but necessary in order to help recharge your brain.

And to keep their brain ticking while procrastinating, doing small brain teasers, as it can boost overall brain activity, increase memory power, and improve concentration.

I’m not much of a writer, but making the contents for what the kit was a fun challenge. I use the point of view that speaks to numerous amounts of students, I sent out the words for people of all disciplines to have a read and the feedback they gave was positive, in saying they really enjoyed the fact that they aren’t alone with the stresses of uni. 

What the Kit!? uses the tone of voice that is a little bit frantic, with a touch of explicit language, as myself and other students seem to have a bit more of a potty mouth when we are stressing out.

Using this tone not only reassures that I was stressed at the time of writing and curating, but also shows that I was in the exact same boat as them while trying to get my shit together.

Sometimes we can feel like everybody who are in the same boats as us are going with the flow, and just cruising around us, but in fact people around are just as stressed as you. So, having a helping hand guiding you through this and not making you feel so alone would be such a wonderful tool.

In curating What the Kit!? I wasn’t sure on what kind of style I was going for, so I just began sketching, doodling and to start brainstorming ideas, and also do some productive procrastination, as doodling is something that makes me happy. This turned highly in my favour as I created all of the typography by hand and then scanned and refined it to make it look consistent.

It is printed on 100% recycled paper to give the user that little boost about doing their part for the environment. It ended up looking like a scrapbook, with items crafted by hand, it reflects the doodles and piecing together that a student would be doing in their own pages of notes.

It evokes the idea of getting hands-on with the kit, which is exactly what I want What the Kit!? to encourage.

With a number of different approaches in the handbook, stressed out students are given information in easily digested short paragraphs, making it not such a drag to read through. It is also broken up with different tasks and procrastination tools, some to help get them where want to go, and some to ignite the child living inside of them.

The book speaks to both sexes that are going through stresses, the sections of the handbook are as follows with sub-sections: About This Shit, which introduces the concept of the book and where it’s coming from

Oh for Keepsake, which explains the importance of nostalgia and memory keeping and how you can use it to make yourself feel better about where you’re at. As per the research in my proposal, having nostalgia be something that is almost a ‘mental safe zone’, so they feel safe and comfortable or ‘at home’ due to the evoked nostalgia.

Curating your Happy, where you are encouraged to surround yourself with the things and people that make you the happiest in order to get you to step back into a less stressful area.

The Importance of taking a step back focuses on not getting caught in the hurricane that is your stressing and to do lists, but it also guides you on how to step back so you can look at the bigger picture in order to help you prioritise

It’s All About You speaks to everyone in the sense that you need to be focusing on yourself, for your sanity and also to not be comparing where you’re at to everybody else. Even the Be Your Own Beyonce section, where I justify that even if you’re not a fan of Beyonce, you know that she not only slays her days, but she’s also just a human too, so don’t try to run yourself out or you will run yourself down

And finally, Trying not to be Bambi on Ice where I suggest ways in how to act like everything is together, and if you look and feel like someone who has their shit together, the likelihood is going to be that you are.

Along with how to try and go out into the ‘real adulting world’ with your head screwed on somewhat straight.

I curated what the kit while being a stressed out undergraduate and attempting to get my shit together, while trying to act composed.

What the Kit!? is put together with the intent that stressed out undergraduates will be able to use the kit to get away from the stress of their day for however long they desire.

It is an interactive kit which offers pointers and tips to help people take a step back and look at the bigger picture, getting them to feel a little bit better about where they are at. It encourages stressed students to take a break to reset their busy minds, using the tools of the kit in order to help get their shit together!

If I were to continue with putting this kit into action, I would push the interactive aspect much more by having a website with a live blog where people are able to post their queries or own tips. Or eventually expanding into different areas, like how to get your shit together and get a job, or expand on the section on adulting and how to get your shit together and be a real grown.

I would be curating and talking about these experiences, once again as they are happening!

And now I think it’s safe to say I managed to get my shit somewhat together by the end of this research project!

Thank you for listening! Feel free to unwrap the kits if you would like to have a nosey!

_____

Report

#s2w13

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Week 12 Studio

Final class!!!

Wrapping it up and class photo

Chatted to Donald to double check about my tone, and it is no worries! 

I won’t be posting about explicit language on the Exposure page, no way man!

_____ 

Whakatinana

My process very much followed this and was even based around this. As students, we are all faced with challenges, one being university and the stress of everything. 

Throughout my project, I talk about the many challenges we face and how to divert them. The ones that I faced personally, with how I changed my direction from the proposal, and how this impacted my project. I had to be wary about how I was talking to people as I realised just how stressed they could be while reading it. Giving the information to them in small manageable chunks not only allows them to digest it better, but also gives them more room for interpretation and I have allowed them to have their own go at these suggested methods in the book.

#s2w12

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Week 12 Homework

Picked up my book this week!!

Presentation starting!

Report writing!

There are three major parts to What the Kit!?, the first being the handbook, A Loosely Fitted Guide on How to Get Your Shit Together, the second being the posters which help them keep track of their shit as it come together, and finally the ‘tools’ including a drawstring bag, which can be chucked in the car or your bag, to help them get all of their shit in one place if they are running out of hands.

_____

Piecing the Tool Kit together!

So once had swapped the boxes I decided I should start filling them! 

I made 4 posters, 3 of which you draw on and one of which is just to keep!

My Adulting Chart is like a star chart you would have has a child, getting things done for rewards! Keep track and make sure that you are staying on top of your life tasks, while rewarding yourself at the same time! The more progress you are seeing, the more motivating it is going to be to keep going. These mundane tasks shouldn’t go unrewarded!

This is purely for the motivation and colouring fun!

The Map of A Loosely Fitted Guide on How to Get Your Shit Together helps you also keep track, but it’s more like a treasure map, keeping you on the right and  sane track before you head out into the ‘real world’.

_____

All of the other items in the Tool Box are to be used as see fit of when you would like to open them! They are to trigger the inner child inside with them being individually wrapped with a tag giving an indication through a pun of what it holds! Some are brain teasers to keep your brain ticking, and others are to keep you entertained throughout procrastination!

There are stickers in there just for the pure fun of it, and also can be used on the adulting chart

Make your mark on the world! = Stamp, can be used on the adulting chart

Add some colour to your life! = Colour pencils, to be used to colour in the posters

Time to knuckle down! = Knuckle bones, too keep your brain and coordination ticking

Tissues for your issues! = Tissues, because sometimes we are sad and stressed, and sick!

To replace the marbles you’re currently losing! = Marbles, grab a buddy and play marbles!

Life has its up and downs! = Yoyo, keep your brain and coordination ticking

Your degree is like a maze, you may get lost, but you’ll make it out eventually! = Maze, keep your brain ticking! 

#s2w12

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Week 11 Studio

Lecture

Submission

Report 1500 words, reflecting second showing and super crit  3 copies and link to the blog!

Drop off EVERYTHING between 1 and 4pm on Tuesday 23rd

Slides on USB

Digitally submit files at the same time

Hand in anything you want to be assessed 

#s2w11

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Week 11 Homework

After the breakthrough on Friday, I decided to package my kit in pizza boxes, as the majority if students like pizza! I gathered pizza boxes from Pizzeria Napoli. 

_____

Finishing off book and then meeting with Annette before I drop off book to Wakefields - I got her to have a look at the spreads to fine tune, she gave me pointers and made the comment that even though it’s not the style she would usually gravitate towards, she was pleasantly surprised - safe to say I was stoked!

_____

I wasn’t so sold on just having a box, so I thought about a tote bag! They are very popular right now as plastic bags are in the process of being banned

-

So I sent an email to my dad asking if he could heat press onto cotton and found these great bags at AS Colour

However, when I got back to uni I thought about it more, and I can’t see many guys just casually using a tote bag, but I can see them using a drawstring sports bag

So I mocked one up quick and sent an order up to dad for these to get underway at his signwriting shop up in Auckland! Along with some decals on the boxes, I had gotten from Spotlight which were the perfect size for my book and tools.

However, this box was not the size advertised and did not fit my book in it. So I sent a strongly worded email to spotlight and I went back and changed the boxes to a smaller size to keep just the tools in

#s2w11

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Week 10 Studio

Lecture

Grant Robertson - Minister of Finance

Alex Gilks - speech 

The Future of work - what's going to happen in the next 20 years 

Change is driven by technology

Collaboration, try and try again - empathy = core skills people are looking for

Employ good human beings

Value to add - can lift something and take it to another place 

Engine of our identity

_

Deciding what matters

Design is about purpose - sense of something that is bigger

What the purpose of your project, the real why

Making meaningful say something to capture a moment to be able to break through 

_____

Class

**** Brainstorming**** stencil on pizza box - painting, torn paper, material 

Clear stickers, places that have blank pizza boxes,

Report workshop 

Report your particular way, on your particular project

What the Kit!? - the get your shit together kit

3 x copies you will hand in 

Pull them in - sets up purpose and tone

Briefly outline what you did prior

Succinct

Central proposition - short and sweet, 1-2 sentences - from your perspective - how you might use deign to add value

Aim

Design strategy and format - what you have critically chosen 

Design approach - what you’ve gone through and how you’ve done it

People’s stories - the poster and sudoku

Challenges - how you’ve grown as a designer - strengths and weaknesses you’ve had to encounter 

Conclusion - offer insites - where it might go -  can see where you went and how 

Written in constructive way 

Report stands in for you - report needs to embody your project

Start with the heart and soul 

#s2w10

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Week 10 Homework

Final crafting, making cover

#s2w10

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Week 9 Studio

Lecture

Arm them with the correct lens

LAND THE PLANE

Dr CC  - the report 1500 words 

The report accompanies the work

Be honest in speaking - the significance of it at the end - who, what, why

Project - working title

Talking to someone who has never seen your work

Can have images - highlight and emphasise - reference photos

*Listen to Jacinda Aderns speech NY*

Manifesto

Standing back and reflecting on your own journey

Reference your project - respond to proposal

The Presentation

10 minute presentation talking about work and your process

5 minute questions - treat them as questions and not an attack 

5 minute panel discussion 

Design presentation for the industry person 

20 min set up and pack down 

Report x 3

_____

Studio Class

In a cluster crit with Christina and Bodgan and Joe, it was really good being able to show what I had actually been working on and getting a feel for what students are thinking and wanting to see and get from this. 

They loved the idea of interactive and thought it was speaking to boys and girls equally, so this was great! 

They liked everything I had done by hand, so encouraged me to be going down the scrapbook lane as it would appeal to both sexes. 

#s2w9

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Week 9 Homework

I finally made a decision on the style I would like to be using - a sketchbook, it fits perfectly with frantic students as we are always writing notes and doodling where ever we can, so it will be a little bit more welcoming to look at!

#s2w9

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Week 8 Studio

Lecture

Chloe Johnston - what the audiences need

Aim, point of difference, when you land on something keep it running

Embrace beautiful failures

Test early

Trust your gut

Landing the plane to get a job

Write a list, prioritise it, cross it out

Proposal, set it out through that lens

Broadcast - let people know what you’re doing

Make it achievable

Start thinking about presentation 

Any changes should be shown

Make sense of your process - make sure of it

Show aspects in your presentation

Section out workbook

Try writing a blurb as if it has all gone perfectly

Tell the story of your project as often as possible

Craft every aspect - make it look and feel as if its meant to be there, in a proactive, useful, delightful way. Plan time for it

SURPRISE EVERYBODY

REASSURING - report and presentation

Talk in steps - long copy is daunting

What is the right tone of voice - who would be saying this

User centered method acting

Take more of a gut approach

Move me, break through and feel

What and where is going to have the wow factor - the sensational thing that captures my project

Make people remember it - both in presentation and exposure - visual memories

Put the love into it, delight people

They will be marking against what we set out to do

Mock it up if it were to happen

__________

Make it worth your time - making comfortable to come out for a moment

Not too perfect - meet where you are

Start them bigger

Need to know the reward

What does it do for me?

This is how it works for you - validate with science 

Presentation - get the reactions you want

Look at good fucking design advice 

How mature do you make it

For assessing - ask them to put our shoes on 

Cover ASAP - once you hit the cover it will determine the rest of it

How would you want someone else explaining your project

#s2w8

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Week 8 Homework

Blogging catch up 

Getting people to read my shit - both in and out of CoCA - here’s what they had to say ... 

Planning another section - Workforce - Connections - Having your head screwed on right  - Being the kind of person you’d want to hire

Treasure map - interactive thing 

Tidying up my writing

Having a bit of a play with drawings and styles, still not sure 

#s2w8

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Week 7 Studio

Lecture

OWN IT - it’s yours!!!!!!

Now is not the time to stall 

Craft and keep moving

Don’t psych yourself out! 

Be true to yourself

Write as yourself - Design as yourself!

Caroline - Man on a Wire - Believe in yourself and what you can do 

- Lachie -

Test with people early and often 

Collaboration - working with people who have a different set of skills to you

_____

Chatting to Kerry Ann Lee

Rieges and Prestige for printing - TBC 26 Sept 

Paper source - Petone

DAK group - vinyl

Wellington Photographic Supplies

Box - think about portability and mass production 

Moore Wilsons - packaging - wholesalers

Spotlight - take mock-up size with 

Briscoes

Made on Marion 

Look at marital boxes

In the box - quotes - tissues - DIY pone book (build up contacts)

Look at self-help kits 

Building up confidence - building up contacts 

What you need to get into the workforce 

Who are go-to people

Charting user journey Last little stretch | Holiday/regroup | Workforce

Being clear - customisable 

Looking at other people - what do people do in their breaks?

Look at Hui website

Find people outside of uni for their opinions

Compass

#s2w7

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Week 7 Homework

Exposure filling out 

Get Your Sh*t Together Kit is for stressed out undergraduates, like myself, who are looking to get their shit together! With the help of this 'kit', they are encouraged to get their shit together, with my informal guidance, and making them feel okay about where they're at in attempting to get their shit together. This is essentially a Kit which undergraduates can get their hands on (literally) and use in order to help get our sh*t together before heading out into the real world. Hopefully, my explanation of life gives them a little bit of a break from their busy lives, and makes them chuckle or smile, providing a little companionship as we try to get our shit together before the time comes round to get out into the real world!

_____

Finalising writing woohoo!! 

Getting various people to read, for grammar and also to see how they react to it. Students from many different disciplines and also year groups!

Talking to wakefields - I went in and spoke to Ross, I took in a book that I really liked and inspired me, and said to him that I would like to just get a rough estimate, hardcover and possible foiling. 

I have not decided on my style at all yet but I just wanted to get a whereabouts!

#s2w7

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Mid Sem”Break”

10/5 report

Good afternoon! Here is my 10/5 report from Friday's Super Crit! Amy Hanlon, Get Your Sh*t Together Kit After to speaking to both of you this week about my project, I feel like I am on somewhat of a good track and am starting to really nail down what I want to be getting out there!  The super crit, I think, went really well! I felt super inspired after talking with Caroline and she was understanding my project really well and I was thankful that how I had pitched my idea seemed to be easy to for her to interpret, and am so grateful for her wonderful critique! The critique experience I found the most useful was definitely having the third person standing there and taking notes, as sometimes when you are trying to listen, take in and respond to the person whom you are discussing your work with and can tend to forget things later! So it's always extremely handy to have these notes! What I intend on doing when I get back from the break is to hold some form of 'test' to have with people in which will be related to the Get Your Sh*t Together Kit, and to have this as a low-risk experiment in the pyramid or something (as recommended by Caroline) to see how people react and interact with it. So I will be planning and get the ball rolling on this over the break. From what I saw at #supercrit was that everyone was happy to be jumping around and looking at other peoples work and getting their opinions on it. There was a great sense of "collaboration" coming through as people were offering advice on what to do, add and change. But as I said, the most helpful thing was the notes as it makes for great referral and reminders for later on! Hope you guys get to relax this break, Regards, Amy

_____

Writing Planning

About This Shit

Okay, so what is it?

Where the bloody hell is this coming from

A bit of background about my shit

Right, so what exactly is your point?

Oh For Keepsake! The Importance of Nostalgia and Memory Keeping

What is it and why do we need it?

Bittersweet function

Let out your inner child

Memory keeping - then and now

How do we practice it?

Curating Your ‘Happy

’Creating your happy place/space

Adulting, and attempting to do it well

The Word “Happy” Evoking Happiness

People

Importance of Taking a Step Back

See the bigger picture

Helping you prioritise

Coming back your Happy Place

Little bit more clarity

It’s All About You

Be your own Beyonce

Be greedy - Start saying no

Making a bad bitch playlist

Trying not to be Bambi on ice

Stability

Mentally

Physically

Socially

Spiritually

Being Wisdomous

_______________________

Things I’ve been inspired by out and about!

_______________________

Open Day setup

#midsembreak

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Week 6 Homework

Unfortunately, I had a migraine on the Friday of class, so was unable to come in. However, I sought out advise from Donald as I wanted to make sure I was still on somewhat of the right track!

- Notes from chat with Donald -

Find the style - retro what - justify why you’re using it

Don’t worry about the page numbers now, it’s only restricting you!

Presentation - Persuade the assessors, they get fuck all time to look through, so sell the best parts of it

Don’t over complicate it! - don’t need to bind it yourself!!

It’s all good and well what you’re doing, but at the showing on Friday, DRAW THEM IN - into the style, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER poster

#s2w6

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Week 5 Homework

Responding to Week 4 Class

I really enjoyed the feedback from last week, I feel as though I finally am getting the feedback I want to hear! I have be so lost recently and was super unsure of what to do. 

But people showed interest in what I was putting out there which made me super happy to hear, and also was quite motivating!

_____

Compass

For Week 5 - Planning

Where you were

I was looking at creating an immersive space for people to gain nostalgia through their senses. I was going to create this space for people to come into (at some stage this semester) and have sounds, scents, foods and artifacts of which were from the time of which us undergraduates grew up with, I would then see how and if people would interact and open up with memories and nostalgia that would be potentially triggered.

I had a look at what I had done already and asked myself, “So what am I doing here and why?” and came to the conclusion of people being happy and interacting with whatever I put out there.

Where you are

So, I am going to create a “Get Your Sh*t Together Kit”, aimed at graduating students of all disciplines (TBC). Essentially, helping like-minded people to help get their sh*t together before we head out into the real world. I will write it from my perspective, in order for the users to hear it from a like-minded point of view, as we try head out into the world of adulthood and employment (hopefully).

It is going to be set up as an interactive kit in which people are given pointers, tips and recommendations and then to put some of them to practice.

It allows for people to take a step back, while subtly helping their brain take an active break. The kit will contain three main parts; the Handbook which holds different sections on getting your sh*t together, the ‘zines’ in which people can write/scribble on and allow them to take a break, and the literal tools you are given to help you take this break. These are used in combinations in order to help people step back and look at the bigger picture, helping them to feel more confident in tackling tasks, whether they be for uni or just general life.

The goal is for people to take a step back and allow them to take better steps in order to not get caught up in the whole entire thought of having to get everything done right away.

Where you’re heading

I need to focus on the sections I want to channel, so far these are; Oh For Keepsake, the importance of nostalgia and memory keeping, Creating your happy place/space and self-care, the importance of taking a step back, surrounding yourself with happy things (kind of goes into the happy place and space section), and also Be your own Beyonce; you gone slay (needs rewording as unfortunately, not everyone finds Beyonce as inspiring as everybody else) however, it is about being your own motivation and inspiration

I am going to have different elements within each of these, but you will have to wait and see what they encompass. I need to get all the content sorted before I can go out and explore more visual and interactive components. I am also looking at creating a website in which people can order this kit off of, also print out the zines again if they so desire, and an ongoing element of something like a blog, where people can post suggestions and what they’d like to see, and we can respond accordingly.

________

Presentation (didn’t get to present as I got a migraine) 

My audience is undergraduates that are starting to think about getting their shit together. By creating a get your shit together kit. At this stage, I am unsure if it just going to be design students, or if it is multidisciplinary.

I am wanting people to be able to take a step back and have an informal structure of trying to assemble their lives and priorities before we go out into the real and more-so adulting world.

The idea of people stepping away from their everyday hustle and bustle and doing some constructive steps to getting their shit together.

I had a look at what I had done already and asked myself, “So what am I doing here and why?” and came to the conclusion of people being happy and interacting with whatever I put out there.

Encouraging undergraduates that are on the final home stretch being happier, a little bit more stress-free and not feeling guilty to take a break from everything. And encouraging interaction with whatever I put out there.

So, where I was:

I was looking at creating an immersive space for people to gain nostalgia through their senses.

I was going to create this space for people to come into (at some stage this semester) and have sounds, scents, foods and artifacts of which were from the time of which us undergraduates grew up with, I would then see how and if people would interact and open up with memories and nostalgia that would be potentially triggered.

And where I am

So, I am going to create a “Get Your Sh*t Together Kit”. Essentially, helping like-minded people to help get their sh*t together before we head out into the real world. I will write it from my perspective, in order for the users to hear it from a like-minded point of view, as we try head out into the world of adulthood and employment (hopefully).

It is going to be set up as an interactive kit in which people are given pointers, tips and recommendations and then to put some of them to practice.

It is a Kit in which undergraduates are able to get their hands on (literally) and use in order to help get their sh*t together before heading out into the real world.

It allows people to take a step back and have a loose guide of How To Get Your Sh*t Together, which is spoken from a like-minded perspective and the exploration of how I’m trying to get my sh*t together.

The main idea behind is it trying to get people to feel much better about where they’re at, and have something they can use to escape from their busy days, or whatever might be bothering them.

The kit will contain three main parts; the Handbook which holds different sections on getting your sh*t together, the ‘zines’ in which people can write/scribble on and allow them to take a break, and the literal tools you are given to help you take this break. These are used in combinations in order to help people step back and look at the bigger picture, helping them to feel more confident in tackling tasks, whether they be for uni or just general life. The goal is for people to take a step back and allow them to take better steps in order to not get caught up in the whole entire thought of having to get everything done right away.

Having three components of this Kit two being print, and one being tools included.

They will work all together in order to have a handbook as such, interactive elements that come with “tools” you use in order to interact.

Where you’re heading:

I need to focus on the sections I want to channel, so far these are; Oh For Keepsake, the importance of nostalgia and memory keeping, Creating your happy place/space and self-care, the importance of taking a step back, surrounding yourself with happy things (kind of goes into the happy place and space section), and also Be your own beyonce; you gone slay (needs rewording as unfortunately not everyone finds Beyonce as inspiring as everybody else) however, it is about being your own motivation and inspiration

These are going to be set up in multiple zines, each for the previously mentioned sections. These are where you can put your new knowledge to practice and start getting hands-on and proactive about getting your sh*t together. I am going to have different elements within each of these, but you will have to wait and see what they encompass. I need to get all the content sorted before I can go out and explore more visual and interactive components. I am also looking at creating a website in which people can order this kit off of, also print out the zines again if they so desire, and an ongoing element of something like a blog, where people can post suggestions and what they’d like to see, and we can respond accordingly.

The “Tools”

These are the exciting little things that come in the Kit that can be used in combination with the Zines and book, or just used in your own leisure I am going to have different elements within each of these, but you will have to wait and see what they encompass. I need to get all the content sorted before I can go out and explore more visual and interactive components. I am also looking at creating a website in which people can order this kit off of, also print out the zines again if they so desire, and an ongoing element of something like a blog, where people can post suggestions and what they’d like to see, and we can respond accordingly.

#s2w5