MyCommunity

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

The aim behind the ‘MyCommunity’ campaign is to increase communication and more intimate dialogue in local communities and neighbourhoods. The campaign hopes to bring together the people next door and across the street to engage in real face-to-face dialogue and conversation. This campaign recognises that we have so many connections on social media sites that are based all over the world, but so often we don’t know the lady next door, or the family across the street, showing that intimate dialogue in local communities and neighbourhoods has been lost. I wanted to put a positive twist on this situation by having a campaign with a focus on building friendships, communication and connections within local neighbourhoods.

I came up with this concept as I looked into areas where there is a lack of dialogue and conversation, and one of these places is in my local neighbourhood. I realised that I only ever said hello to my neighbours and have never engaged in a proper conversation with them. I also don’t know anyone who lives in the houses across the street or anyone else in my street. It is funny that I consider this home, yet don’t even know anyone else apart from the people in my own household.

After doing more research into this idea, I started to find some statistics and articles written on the topic of a lack of dialogue in neighbourhoods. I found that there were very high numbers of people saying that they don’t get on with their neighbours, will look the other way if they see their neighbours and would rather snub then than have to talk to them.

After doing this research, I decided that there needs to be a reason to get people to start talking, or an event where people are called together to interact with each other and have something to start a conversation over. It was suggested in class that one way to build a sense of community is though a garage sale. So I decided to use this as the event that would bring the local community together, by holding a ‘Social Garage Swap & Sell’, where members of the local community are invited to put some items they no longer want up for sale or swap them for other items. By holding this event, it is giving people an excuse to get out of their house and go have a look around at other sales, to give them the opportunity to engage in intimate, face-to-face dialogue, and acts as a way for people to introduce themselves and start a conversation with the neighbours or people across the street, with the added incentive of potentially making a bit of money at the same time. By engaging in this dialogue and getting to know people in the neighbourhood, it starts to create a safer, friendlier and coherent local community.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

Because this is based in a local community, I felt that the communication medium and approach needed to be a more personal and intimate one, keeping it inside the local community that it is based. I did this by creating posters, which would be displayed in the local area itself, such as community centres, libraries, schools, supermarkets and bakeries. I decided to use mail box flyers, meaning that somebody would have to hand drop it into the mail box, making this medium personal as it has been delivered directly to them. Another communication medium I have used is large stickers that can be placed on bins, this shows that the household who has placed this on their bin are supporting the idea of creating a closer community and one where more dialogue and communication takes place. With these communication mediums I have tried to create a personalised approach by asking the viewer with a question ‘Do you want to be part of a closer community?’. I hope that the viewer will answer ‘yes’ to the question and read on to find out more about how they can get involved. I have used a bright colour scheme and simple, flat vectors across my communication collateral in the hope to convey a happy, friendly and inviting atmosphere for the campaign. I have also used speech bubble in my design to convey the idea that this is a community event aimed at building networks, communication and more initiate interaction between its members. Whilst this is a rather literally way to demonstrate dialogue and conversation, I feel that in this instance it is appropriate for the target audience and to convey the objective of the event in a visual form.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

I think that there are many social benefits that could potentially occur in local neighbourhoods because of this communication approach and campaign. This campaign is recognising that in many local communities, there is a lack of dialogue and conversation between people. By aiming to bring people together over a ‘Social Garage Swap & Sell’ it is giving people an opportunity to get involved and engage with each other. The garage sale event is providing common ground for people to start a conversation, as often it is hard to know how to introduce yourself or start a conversation with someone you have never spoken to before.

As this campaign is trying to increase dialogue and communication in local communities, therefore increasing peoples feelings of belonging and inclusion due to the friendlier neighbourhood they are a part of. It also hopes to foster a community where stronger connections are made and so a feeling of safety is increased as people may feel that they have people close to them they can go to if they are in need of help or in danger. With greater dialogue, conversations and stronger networks, disputes and arguments, which may arise between neighbours, can be solved more easily and with greater respect for each other.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

From completing this work I have learnt a great deal about dialogue and how it has changed over time. I learnt that now there is a lack of intimate dialogue in society, and that through advances in technology, there have been changes to the way we connect with each other. Too often we only really connect with people through the computer or mobile screen. I have learnt that one area in which communication is often lacking greatly is in local neighbourhoods, hence why I chose this as my focus. I have learnt that by creating a greater dialogue within neighbourhoods, there will hopefully be an increase in communication, connections and understanding, ultimately leading to greater respect for each other.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

I believe that good communication needs to have a simple, clear and clean message, which I believe my campaign does. I think that good communication and advertising should not just be concerned with the look and form of something, but instead have a greater benefit to society. I think that my work has a greater benefit, as it is aiming to bring people together and increase dialogue and communication. It is calling people together to start a conversation and connection. I also think it is good advertising design work as it appeals to the target audience through the colours and direct language used.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

As mention earlier, the three different mediums I have chosen for my campaign are posters, mail box flyers and stickers to be placed on garbage bins. These would all be installed in the local community that the event will take place in. They would be installed all throughout the local community, to make everyone aware of the campaign and calling them to get involved and engage in dialogue. Posters would be put up in places such as local schools, churches, community centres, parks, supermarkets and on posts in streets to make people aware of the campaign and get them thinking about their own relationship with the neighbours or people across the street. The poster would also appear in places such as the local newspaper. Mail box flyers would also be handed out, giving people in that particular area a personal invitation to the campaign and event to follow, giving them more information about the aims of the campaign and how they can get involved. Stickers would also be given out to households in the area so that they can display them on their garbage bins. By doing this it shows that they “support a closer local community” and helps to unite them with others who feel the same way.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

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