Entry 2

Part One: After writing my counter argument I realized I may need to narrow my topic even further to find interesting contradictions that will support my opinion. A lot of interesting articles appeared as I did my research but I think different types of research are going to be more beneficial for my topic. Observational methods will give me an alternate viewpoint in my reflections.  In the process of creating my counter argument my thesis changed a lot. I started focusing specifically on quality upcycled products affecting economies compared to more generically designed products. This comparison allowed me to talk freely about upcycling basics, its effects on the economy and environment, and the benefits to quality based design.

Part Two: In the review of Upcycling Create Beautiful Things With the Stuff You Already Have the author reveals that “what is lacking… is philosophy and methodology in project design.” The author is analyzing the components involved in the article Upcycling Create Beautiful Things With the Stuff You Already Have. These products are lacking in quality and uniqueness and therefore can’t thrive in a quality based market. In order to support a cradle-to-cradle system these products have to be of higher value while eliminating waste impacts on our environment and economy.  His viewpoint can help my article by showing the difference between DIY and upcycling and how it can help design. I plan to use this as supporting evidence to support my claim that upcycling can positively impact the economy and environment through design. Quality repurposed products such as designer gowns made from deteriorated garments will attract dependable markets. A product must meet a series of requirements to be deemed upcycled and it must abide by a series of waste restrictions comparable to environment-friendly standards. Today the problem with upcycled products is they tend to be designed with usefulness as the most important component. The designs are easy to execute leaving the products appearing as generic DIY projects.

Entry 1

During our Gaps free-write in class my thesis and overall topic evolved into something very specific and interesting. I started asking questions like: 

“why is upcycling focused on cheaper design? 

Why is upcycling not focused on quality merchandise?

Why is upcycling very DIY oriented?” 

Eventually, I focused specifically on individualism and quality. I began brainstorming key phrases for the counter argument based on these ideas: 

“specific items of higher quality, 

individual, 

profitable, 

upcycling is generalized.” 

My thesis could now stem from something more basic:

“Individualistic upcycling apparel design will stimulate the economy and reduce waste impact on the environment,”

to something more specialized: “upcycled apparel designs focused on individuality and quality will stimulate the economy while reducing waste impact on the environment.” 

At the end of the activity I listed the important ideas I had created: 

“higher quality, 

individualistic design, 

green washing, 

upcyling design generalized.” 

This free-write allowed me to narrow my topic and find an interesting contradiction within my area of interest. Instead of just focusing on how upcycling benefits the economy and environment I’m exploring how it specifically achieves that through design and what types of design are beneficial.

The work in class along with the counter argument has really grounded my opinion and helped me realize that I want to focus specifically on how quality apparel design can benefit a cradle-to-cradle industrial system. I’m excited to integrate different forms of research into my final research paper that should culminate into an interesting proposal for beneficial social and industrial systems.