Week 2’s Studio
activity required us to form groups of four and brainstorm possible future
scenario in relation to social and cultural contexts relating to four different
areas: Regional, Virtual, Urban & Suburban
The fast paced nature
of the exercise made it feel like we were just making up scenarios and guessing
our way through. I think being able to justify the scenarios will be something
that we will have to work upon as the semester goes on.
REGIONALOur group came up with two scenarios relating
to the regional context.
The first idea was a utopian community
dominated by intellectuals in which “illiterates” and ”uneducated” are
unwelcome as part of their society. The main problem I had with this scenario
was “If simpletons are absent from the community, how would we know if the
intellects are actually educated and intelligent?” On which basis would we be
able to define and judge their intellect? I felt this also took from the idea
that if there were no poor people, there would be no rich people. Another issue
brought up by a group member was “Who would fulfil the lower tier occupations?”
which would be necessary for the successful functioning of the society? It was proposed
that technology could play a major role here. In retrospect, I believe this was
our weakest scenario.
Our next regional scenario focused on organ
harvesting through human farming. This idea was taken from the book Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro in
which clones are created for the only purpose of organ harvesting for
“original” humans. What arose from our discussion was that there appeared to be
many movies and books which already extrapolated upon this idea of cloning
albeit in very different ways. This gave light to the idea that it is something
already heavily discussed in the present time and although rather grim if
though of in terms of “organ harvesting”, may not be such an impossibility.
VIRTUAL
We attempted to brainstorm solutions of a virtual
nature for problems of a physical nature. Here we focused on The Virtual Office
and The Virtual Car.
I felt the Virtual Office and Virtual Car were
directly linked ideas. The Virtual Office concept had to do with eliminating
the physical office environment which, with the rise of modern technology, is
becoming redundant. With the birth of the Virtual Office, less people would be
required to travel to get work henceforth reducing the amount of traffic
entering the CBD.
However, it was discussed in the studio that
not all occupations would benefit from the Virtual Office and a large number of
people would still be required to travel into the business district. From here
we brainstormed the idea of the Virtual Car – pod-like automated system
throughout the city. Idealistically, success of the Virtual Car would
consequentially follow with the complete removal of cars from the CBD. As all
pods would be programmed to run in sync with each other on an automated system,
the idea is that accidents and congestion would be nil due to the eradication
of the involvement of human error. Pods could be called hailed or requested
much like a taxi, via phone or text message. Travel would be destination based
reducing travel time dramatically. I think the idea of the Virtual Car was our
strong idea from the brain storming session.
URBAN
It was proposed that in the future, the
Brisbane City Council would implement a congestion charge similar to that
imposed in London at this present time. Our brainstorm session involved thinking
of various issues that might have to be dealt with should the congestion charge
become a reality.
Cost was the most obvious issue. How would be
cost be determined? Would it be raised every year? Would those who paid the
congestion charge to enter the city be required to pay for on-street parking?
In order to avoid the congestion charge, it was theorised that drivers would
park outside the zone and then take public transport or others means into the
city. However, how does this affect the stagnation of cars in suburbs along the
congestion charge border, especially in residential areas? Would the charge be
enforced after business hours and on weekends? If so, how would this affect the
culture and social environment of the city? How would pedestrians travel
through the city? What about workers that are required to travel in and out of
the city various times a day?
Should the charge be
implemented, the revenue created could be used to advance the current public
transport system in order to manage the increase in use which would occur
should cars be completed prohibited from entering the city.
SUBURBANFor the suburban context we explored the
proposed idea that shopping has become virtual.
Virtual Shopping in the Home
Retail has gone virtual. Advancement in technology results in consumer
products in virtual format. Items are downloaded online/physically scanned from
public marketing schemes and virtually experienced within the comfort of the
home prior to purchase, INCREASING consumer satisfaction.
Virtual Shopping in Public
The technically advanced format of “mobile tagging” adds further
dimension to advertisements. Personal
devices are used as scanners, allowing consumers to scan virtual consumer items
of interest into their device to experience later. Items can also be purchased
in the same manner with immediate shipment following confirmation of shipping
details.
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