This is a brief report of my fieldwork in the community of people with disabilities in Samutprakran province in Thailand.  I went to visit my participants on Nov 14-29, 2009 after I  monitored the activities of my participants for 6 months (April-October 2009). I found that their activities have been growing tremendously since I withdrew from the community last April. This is everything that I hope for from my PhD research.  It is flourishing. They finally find their ways of life that they are desired.

I realized that the  keys of their success are:

1) Self-confidence

2) Individual and collective capacity

3) Various supports from local government organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, private sector and residents both inside and outside of the community especially the long-termed financial support from the local government.

Right now they are on their ways of building their own capacity, production team, and facilities. When they are ready, their next plan is to expand and secure their market.

This time, I realized that they are really happy and proud to talk about themselves and their projects. I knew that they are happy to see me but they don’t really need me anymore.  I guess this is the end of my quest.

Challenges and Opportunities for Design Research, Education and Practice in the XXI Century.

LeNS Conference, Bangalore, 29th September to 1st October 2010

The Sustainability in Design: Now! Conference is a platform for sharing the latest knowledge and experiences in product, service and system design, to promote sustainable systems thinking in design education, research and practice communities. The conference approach is to look at various stakeholders in this arena – designers, design educators and design researchers – as a unique learning community. The objective is the creation of a new ethos, within such a community, enabling all possible synergies and fruitful processes of knowledge and know-how osmosis and cross-fertilisation.

This conference is promoted and organized as the conclusive event of the LeNS project, funded by EU under the Asia-Link program, that aims at the development and diffusion of design for sustainability in design institutions.

The conference is for free.

The Asia Link Programme, Europe Aid  involves the following 7 design schools in Europe and Asia:

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, India
  
• King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand
  
• Politecnico di Milano, INDACO Department, Milan, Italy (Co-ordinator)
  
• Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore, India
• Tsinghua University, Academy of Arts & Design, Beijing, China
  
• Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• University of Art and Design (TAIK), Helsinki, Finland

Call for Papers

Participants are invited to submit papers in the areas related to the conference sub-themes outlined below. The conference is structured around three main themes that include:

1. Design Research for Sustainability (DRfS)

2. Design Education for Sustainability (DEfS)

3. Design Practice for Sustainability (DPfS)

Note : To submit your paper please go to the “Registration – Author” link on the left navigation menu to register and follow the instructions sent to your email id immediately after registration.

Deadline for Abstracts
31 March 2010

Notification Of Acceptance
01 May 2010

Full Paper Submission
30 June 2010

Notification Of Paper To Be Presented
31 July 2010

For more information, please visit the website:  http://www.lensconference.polimi.it/

Finally, the book is here.

This book is an interdisciplinary collection of essays that examine the subjective experiences of the moulding of creativity, for good or bad, by institutional values. It is essential reading for anyone who wishes to gain a glimpse into the circumstances that surround the creative individual in our current globalising world.

For more information about this book,  please visit this website http://www.brownwalker.com/book.php?method=ISBN&book=1599425157

Abstract

Packaging design for the current competitive market must consider packaging’s 5 functions: containment, convenience, protection, promotion, and communication. Packaging not only is used as marketing strategy for enhancing trademark and product identity but also can be used as 3D trademark to protect product from being copied locally and internationally

Prior to packaging design to increase values of agricultural products, three strategies, including design, technology, and marketing, must be identified.  Packaging must be designed according to these strategies to compete in local and international markets.  In addition o the good design, application of intellectual properties right can help in dealing with unfair competition of Thai agricultural products in world market.

Packaging design is divided into 2 components: structural and graphical design.  Structural design deals with material, production, packaging operation, closure, and cost.  Graphic design must consider marketing channel as well as regulation of the country of origin and those of destination market.  These are parts of the process for packaging research and development that includes both science and art to have commercial benefits.

Source: NPHT conference, Bangkok 2007 by Keynote speaker: Siriporn Peters

Siriporn is working as a research collaborator with  researchers of Faculty of Industrial Education and Faculty of Architecture of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand from 2008-2009.

This project aims to develop sustainable product design, branding, and sustainable packahing design with people with physical disabilities in different communities in the central region of Thailand. It is in the progress right now.

Mr. Sophon ThinJinda is one of the partcipants who works as a multi-media producer in this team. He became a co-researcher in this research this year and help the researcher team to creat powerful message to communicate insights activities in disabled communities.

This website will be created and displayed soon.

This is my 4th GRC. The main goal of this conference was to present the progress from the research field and my finding. I will monitor and evaluate the participants’ activities in the disabled community for 6 months. While I am monitoring their activities, the panel suggested that I should start writing my thesis for the 5th GRC in October 2009.

A case study in this research will demonstrate how communication design enable the participants create their own solutions based on their capabilities. In the 5th GRC, I plan to answer my research questions and explain the role and contribution of communication design in enabling sustainability.

I will present the progress of my research at RMIT University, City Campus, Building 8 Level 11  on May 30th, 2009 at 1:30-2:30pm.

For information: 2009 GRC booklet Com Des

Communication Design can help the disabled who are illiterate understand complex situation and problems easily. Moreover, Communiction Design can enable the disabled to share their ideas and  develop their skills through practice.

Developng Eco-products with people with physical disabilities in the Samutprakran community in Thailand is my seed project. This project is part of my Ph.D. research in School of Applied Communication at RMIT University, which is part of the creation of a sustainable livelihood for the disabled in Samutprakra community, Thailand as a case study.

Designed and produced by Mr. Boonyarat Konthong on December 25th, 2008. Photographed by Mrs. Siriporn Peters.

We need helps in natural dyed textile for this community if you would like to contribute please contact Mrs. Siriporn Peters. E-mail: siriporn.peters@student.rmit.edu.au

Find out more information about a seed project on March 31st, 2009 at 3:00-5:00 pm at the research lounge at RMIT University, City Campus or visit RMIT website: http://www.rmit.edu.au/seeds

Abstract

Developing the necessary capabilities that enable people with physical disabilities to establish sustainable livelihoods is a long-term project which requires the participation and collaboration of local government organizations, non-government organizations, and the private sector. This paper discusses research that is currently being undertaken with the Samutprakan community. The disabled members of this community have various skills that can allow them to make a living. However, despite this many of the community members choose to sell lottery tickets in their community as there is a lot of demand in the market and it requires little skill to do so. Recently, the Government Lottery Office of Thailand introduced electronic tickets across Thai society thereby ceasing the need for the traditional methods of sale Consequently the livelihoods of disabled people in Thailand were threatened by the introduction of this new technology. The objective of this research was to investigate how participatory communication design enhances the capabilities of disabled people to achieve sustainable livelihoods and not be bound to external forces such as changes in government support. The methodology of this research was Participatory Action Research using Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The participants had active roles and full participation in developing their own capabilities. This research was undertaken through design intervention in a particular community in Thailand. As a result, participatory communication design made ideas visible, and complex situations easier to understand. Moreover, it enabled the participants to analyze their own situations, make their own decisions, set their own goals, and take their own actions based on their capabilities. Developing capabilities requires full participation of the people whose livelihoods are affected by this process.

Keywords: participatory communication design, people with physical disabilities, capability development, sustainable livelihoods, Participatory Action Research.

This is the abstract for the Subjectivity, Creativity and the Institution conference. The conference was held at the John Curtin Gallery in Perth on the 9th and 10th of February 2009.