-Research: "What specifically do we want to address within the student body?" How do we compete for students' attention? Will we address a specific issue?
-Getting visionary: How do we push people into new territory, or "transform the list into a poetic form of awe and revelation?" How do we inject this with the extraordinary?
Current suggestions from group members:
-ornaments/ornament-like objects hanging from trees, in which people find the to-do list items
-having 1-2 displays of the ornamental objects, mobiles, etc., then having tear-off to-do lists nearby so that people can bring them home without dismantling the artwork
Suggestions from classmates:
"things that will make people act on the spot, such as "smile at the nearest stranger""
"What would you all rather be doing? Who are you all outside what is expected of you? How can you introduce a prescription for chaos that sets off the trajectory of our collective, let's say, Mundane Monday at EMU? The everyday is inevitable, but it is also oppressive. If I saw a To- Do list, I pray it would be ridiculous"
"I don't think that the list necessarily has to make sense or include things that are possible, that's the idea of it right? It should include items that make you think of things you wouldn't ever normally think about within your daily routine."
"Some of the new ideas I enjoy in this post are those that especially target individuals and make them think, such as the "relational checklist tasks": "“call a family member”," etc.
Here's Christine & Linette's response, for reference:
Basically, you've done some good initial thinking, but now you need to (1) research, and (2) get visionary. What specifically do you want to address within the student body. You profile EMU students as being very busy and list-oriented; this is interesting, but I'm not sure your list will break them out of their habits and patterns of thought. Giving them another list, in the form of a traditional to-do list, won't push anyone into new territory. First re-consider the items you mention--transform the list into a poetic form of awe and revelation--and second, reconsider the form. How might you transform the list into something less task-oriented, less expedient, less productive? Invest in an extraordinary idea that will inspire others. If you do a little research, you might discover something about students, campus, or business that will significantly shift the focus of your project. What might you want students to rethink in terms of how they live their lives? Why would students take in a to-do list that is not their own? Why would they stop for yours? What will you ask them to remember on the flyer, and what will inspire them to take the imperative seriously? Subverting the practicality of these two forms is a good idea, but now how might you inject the project with a healthy dose of the extraordinary? How will you compete for students' attention in the student union? What specific issue will you address? Hope that helps. Let us know when you've revised your proposal. Thanks, Christine and LinetteReady, set, DISCUSS!
Perhaps instead of giving them a To-Do list, we could structure things in the form of a question, so the students had something to think about instead of a clear cut objective. If we did have a question, maybe they could respond to it also and leave it (wherever) for others to read and add on.
ReplyDeleteIf our format of doing so is an extravegant display, then people will gravitate towards it out of curiousity, breaking their daily routine.
My suggestions kind of remind me of the huge whiteboard idea we had, I am not trying to purposely go back to that if that is what it seems.
I like the "extravagant display" idea a lot. Even something as simple as using a crazy font type can make people look at something, and if we combine that with other features (hanging things up somewhere, making them strange shapes, contrasting colors, etc.), we should be able to get a lot more attention.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how well questions would work; I know that when I see questions up on a bulletin board or poster, I often tune them out because I don't want to put in the mental effort to answer them. That might just be me, though.
For research, what if we compiled a several lists (things that stress students out, things we wish we still did from childhood, things we never have time for), then passed them around in class to see which resonated with other people? This might be a good, quick and dirty way to see what would pack the most punch in the project, as well as generate some suggestions from outside our group.
It might just be better to do the giant white board idea. I know whenever I see something like that I become interested. And maybe we can incorporate the to do list in that, we could have one topic/question like "what is something you haven't you done in while?" and have many people answering it at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAs for research we could compile a survey to what interests students or takes up most of their time these days, be it studying, work, or play.
I also liked the idea:
ReplyDelete"things that will make people act on the spot, such as "smile at the nearest stranger""
because it could be done instantly. But would that be more convenient or would it actually "disrupt" a person's day? Just a thought I had.