I will… | I will commit to performing acts of kindness to better myself and strengthen my community
Porcelain cups centered around the statement “I will…” stamped into the carrier | Each cup is stamped with a unique act of kindness
Community members are encouraged to claim their own cup | When a cup is claimed, the individual is committing to complete the act of kindness stamped on the cup
Acts of kindness chosen: “use positive self-talk” and “speak my emotions, as well as my intellect”
Two cups are placed on a shelf in the community member’s home to demonstrate that this individual has agreed to complete these acts of kindness
The cups serve as a reminder of this experience and can be passed on from person-to-person to take on the responsibility of performing these tasks
Acts of Kindness
become a mentor to someone who would benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experience
volunteer energy and skills to a local organization
engage in an intentional practice of honesty
speak my needs and listen to others’ needs
offer the love and care that I can, receive the love and care that I need
shift from individual transactions for self-care to collective transformation
celebrate love in our community as a measure of healing
notice how others respond, and pay attention to verbal and nonverbal cues and engagement
grant another person the opportunity to grow without judgment
cultivate resiliency through self-love
be present and engaged
be aware of the intent and impact of my actions
expect and accept discomfort (and joy)
speak my emotions, as well as my intellect
speak from your own experience
listen to learn, not to respond
practice active listening and curiosity
validate someone’s feelings
express belief in someone's abilities
cultivate a mindset of gratitude
express appreciation for a friend’s best qualities
use positive self-talk
Process
I pursued a practice that navigated the intersection of experiential and visual research, theoretical investigation, and studio practice.
Functional Ceramic Design Inspiration:
Emma Lacey, Eva Zeisel, Gwendolyn Yoppolo, Villeroy & Boch, Helen von Boch
Researching emotional durability in the context of ceramic design led me to consider how meaningful user interactions may be facilitated by repeated tactile investigation. I was inspired by the Relationships, Identity, Imagination, and Evolvability themes outlined in Jonathan Chapman’s journal “Emotional Durability Design Nine—A Tool for Product Longevity.”
This led me to develop and seek the answers to my own research questions: As a designer, how can I curate the level of awareness required to explore an object in detail to enhance the user’s initial experience? In the case of handmade ceramics, what visual and tactile clues will encourage the user to explore the details repeatedly? How does the history of interaction, the associations the users have with the objects, and the memories they evoke influence the longevity of the designed object?
