Background
At a crossroads in Camden Town, I pass by every time I go shopping to buy daily necessities, such as personal care products and fresh food. When I first arrived here, I heard many people around speaking different languages such as English, Spanish, and French. Some of them were dressed in very fashionable ways; some had various tattoos all over their bodies, including students like me and even couples and tour groups. This small crossroads is precisely the place where different cultures from all over the world converge. Not only that, but the public infrastructure of this place is also quite different from that of China. For instance, there are no fully filled zebra crossings, and the traffic lights that need to be pressed to turn on are different. Therefore, my first impression of London was formed here. So during the first week of this research, I only focused on seeing if there is any link to this area.I will use three different methods to observe this place: mapping,
collecting, and photographing.
Method 1 Mapping
At the very beginning, I first tried to observe my own path to see what the path looked like in this particular place. But every time I come here, my path changes, so I use the GPS on my Apple Watch to record my path, how much time I spend and what my path is like , to see which way changes my path.
In order to further improve my current route and the destinations I’m heading to, I temporarily used Google Maps as my mapping system, and used Photoshop to refine my route. Take a look at the city’s infrastructure and its impact on my route. I have discovered that what is likely to be most significantly affected by me is my purchasing intention. What daily necessities I will purchase today and where I can find them determines the basis on which I will utilize this space’s infrastructure.
Method 2 & Method 3 Collecting& photographing
Through the initial mapping, I discovered that different stores such as Sainsbury’s, Boots, and M&S were significant factors in altering my movement path within the Camden area. Therefore, I further collected the goods I purchased at several stores along the way and created collages of them. By juxtaposing everyday items from different stores, I attempted to bring together the previously scattered purchasing experiences at different times and locations, making daily consumption behaviours more concrete and visible. For me, these goods are not only the results of purchases but also record my daily needs, as well as how these needs affect my use of this area. The collage thus becomes a way to reorganize and reflect on personal experiences, allowing me to understand how I establish connections with this place through daily consumption, starting from specific items.
Feedback
Although Camden Town is a place of great research value, it is still too large as a research subject, which may lead to unclear research directions and difficulty in determining exactly what should be observed.
Therefore, the teacher suggests that you choose a smaller and more specific location, such as a small area beside the canal, near the entrance, or the space where people often gather and meet near the station.
By narrowing down the research scope, you can more closely observe the specific behaviors occurring in this location, such as a person stealing something, someone looking at their phone, and how different people use this space. For example, near the station, it might be a place where people leave the station, meet each other, or briefly stop, and these phenomena can all serve as entry points for further research.
self-reflection
feel that perhaps the amount of information I gathered was too much, but I didn’t properly filter it out, nor did I focus on one particular aspect. Also, I suddenly shifted from academic research to design research. I might have wanted to express too many things, or maybe I was too rushed and didn’t slow down to fully observe these things. So, in the next week, I might express myself more specifically. Instead of just wanting to do whatever comes to mind, I will first do some screening on my own
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