Another Saturday at the Library

Enjoying the access to an infinite knowledge repository!

Posted by Mattias Axell on September 5, 2015

What have I Done Today?

Went to the library in the city to get a better focus for work. It worked very well! Although there was a lot of activity it really supported me in focusing with Pomodoro Technique.

Started writing an application for project funding to pretotype a concept I have for a potential third year project. I'm currently curious on how I can create sustainable value and support to programming and hacking. I am researching the area to potentially provide a concept to the hackathon and hacker culture such as hackerspaces in Sweden.

Got to use quite a lot of tools as support to the application writing, perfect use of timing and inspiration. Only some relevant scan cards and perhaps interviews missing to get spot on with the application. So far I have taken inspiration from principles of Cradle-To-Cradle and Upcycling.

“Human beings don’t have a pollution problem, they have a design problem.” - The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

Donald McDonald, stationer, and his Circulating Library, Gulgong, 1870-1875, American & Australasian Photographic Company Access to data and information anywhere and anytime is a key contributor to my exam project.

What Tools have I Used?

  • S.W.O.T.
  • How Do I Start - Used the mindmaps with relevant question for inspiration.
  • Scope Wheel - Looked at the Scope Wheel for further inspiration to application writing.
  • Storytelling
  • Pomodoro Technique
“Good design, with intention, with the goal of upcycling, makes things better over time.” - The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

What Surprised Me?

That I get so much more focused on my task and overall engagement if I am around strangers and a public space! School really turns me into a wannabe multi-tasker.

Getting out to the library or another public space with a café-like is probably the best idea whenever I cannot focus.

Image from page 99 of "Bell telephone magazine" (1922)This is not too far away from how I looked today. Writing-cred achieved.

Quote of the Day

“How can one design or manufacture in a way that loves all children of all species for all time?” - The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability – Designing for Abundance by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

What has Changed My Project?

Realising that combining my interests and theories in the areas of open-source, open-data and sustainability can most probably unlock a steady and sutainable flow of inspiration for my exam project.

Seeing that bits and pieces are starting to fall to place with a concept. However I'm still keeping in mind that I need to be open for all possibilites even though I dive into one value proposition at this point.

Image from page 298 of "Commercial fisheries review" (1946)Getting feedback at the machine when writing could be a good idea!

What are the Next Action Steps?

  • Continuing the project funding application!
  • Ask for feedback tomorrow of what I have written.
  • Sleeping on it and listening to my gut feeling.
  • Taking on the further intrinsic tasks on Sunday or Monday for structured self-exploration.

Photographs by The Commons.