I
found the talk interesting, it was the first time I have been introduced to the
concept of service design on this course and probably in my artistic education.
Gail described service design as being about “looking at the process of service
delivery with service users and providers, identifying where and when people
come into contact and how those interactions could be improved to meet people’s
needs and expectations.” Both my parents are social workers, my mum works with
children and their families and my dad works with elderly people. I feel guilty
as I don’t really know much about their jobs and what it involves day to day.
It is obvious that it is a very stressful job and I suppose this is why when
they are at home they leave the stress at the office and don’t really talk
about it. My mum is very interested in art therapy and using drawing a lot in
her job. She uses mind and body maps to help children talk about themselves,
their relationships and life goals. The talk has inspired me to go home and
really find out what they do!
I
found it interesting that service design is a topic Gail has always been fascinated
by, starting when she was studying for her degree. Her interest was sparked in
reaction to the briefs she was being given and their lack of involvement with
people and the general public. Most of the work we are producing at art school
is probably subconsciously intended for relatively small and defined groups of
people; people who attend exhibitions, people who buy books and collect zines,
people who use the internet and read blogs, our fellow peers and tutors. It was
obviously brave of Gail to move away from what most of the people in her class
and field were doing and what was perceived as ‘current’ and ‘on trend’. She
has an inherent interest in people, in particular vulnerable people whose needs
are maybe unrepresented and require support.
As
an illustrator I find I too have an inherent interest in people and this is
where a lot of my inspiration for my work comes from. However I found my
practice didn’t really relate to Gail’s. My work differs because with a lot of
it there is no obvious problem being solved and therefore nobody’s life is
being obviously bettered. Most of my work is centered around exploring my
interests, experiences and personality and sometimes I do worry that being an
artist is too self indulgent. I suppose I am creating visuals to stimulate
emotions and memories. I would like my work to benefit people by making them
happy and to bring enjoyment to everyday life, in the same way that many other
artists work effects me.
However
coincidently I have recently become involved in a project in which I think my
work could be described as service design. Working in a small group with other
students from the art school, we have been asked by a local care home to paint
a mural of a sweet shop. The sweet shop is the manager of the care homes idea,
and the idea behind it is to help and allow the patients to reminisce. Through
the smells and the sounds of lids coming of jars, sweets rattling and being
weighed in scales, maybe the patients will be taken back to their childhoods.
When you are in a new or alien place and perhaps have problems with your
memory, being able to remember your history, who you are and stories from your
past would be an important and comforting thing. I am really excited about
getting started with the painting and spending time in the care home and
hopefully getting to know the patients.
Art that makes me happy
David Hockney- Salts Mill Saltaire Yorkshire
Reminds me of home and the hills and my house
Tracey Emin- Birds
I like the text, it makes me think of all the people I love and why I love them.
