Unit 4 (6-1)

In this week’s tutorial, I received feedback on the draft report and intervention.

• People engaged more with the second art toy than the first one because…
  • The personality of Hebby – how it expresses feelings by using body language.
• I have to calculate the price of my art toy so I will know how much it costs and can ask people what they think it will cost.
  • Calculating by how long it takes? How much does the materials cost?

• Innovation bell curve – identify who these people are?

This bell curve can relate to my project by helping me understand the different stages of how the public accepts and embraces new ideas or products. To understand and use this theory for my project, I have to…

• Target Innovators and Early Adopters first with my storytelling and process-focused posts. These groups will most likely appreciate my message and engage deeply with my project.
• Use positive feedback and engagement from Early Adopters to build credibility and influence the Early Majority.
• As my intervention gains traction with these early groups, I might see a gradual shift where valuing crafts and the creative process becomes more popular.

I can design my content and engagement efforts to gradually influence consumer perceptions from trend-driven to craft-appreciative in a way that aligns with the natural adoption curve.

– Secondary research –

I read the book Ways of Seeing by John Berger, which is about how people interpret visual images and art. This directly relates to my goal of changing Thai consumer perceptions from trend-following to valuing crafts.

• How people view and interpret images: His ideas on how art is perceived in a modern context could help me understand why some consumers may focus on surface-level trends rather than the deeper craftsmanship behind the work.
• The impact of storytelling in art: Berger discusses the role of context and narrative in how art is appreciated. This aligns well with your use of storytelling to increase appreciation for the process and effort in creating art toys.
• Cultural influences on perception: Berger’s theories about how societal influences shape how people see art can support my exploration of consumer behaviour, especially as I work to change perceptions in a specific cultural context like Thailand.

Another book that I read is The Secret Life of The Pencil by Alex Hammond and Mike Tinney. It illustrates themes of crafts, creativity, and the value of everyday tools in the creative process.

• Highlighting Craftsmanship and the Tools of Creativity: This book celebrates the pencil as a humble yet essential tool for artists and creatives. It showcases how even simple objects hold value when appreciated for their role in the creative process. This aligns with my focus on shifting consumer perceptions to value the crafts and tools behind creative works like art toys and illustrations.
• Appreciation for the Process Behind Art: By focusing on the pencil and its significance, the book invites readers to think about the tools and steps that go into making art. This idea connects with my aim to make consumers aware of the story and process behind each creative piece, encouraging them to look beyond trends to see the effort involved.
• Changing Perception of Everyday Objects: “The Secret Life of the Pencil” repositions an ordinary tool as something meaningful, which could inspire ideas on how to communicate the value of crafts in my art toys. I may draw parallels to how art toys can be viewed not only as trendy items but as products of crafts, skills, and creativity.

– Intervention update –

I prepared the survey for both online and on-site intervention by creating a set of questions using the same method from the Unit 3 intervention.

1. Online Intervention: Survey
   • Invite Instagram followers to take an online survey using Google Forms. The survey will be divided into 3 parts.
     • Part 1: General information
       • Age, Gender
       • Have you followed Song.Soong.Sooong on Instagram?
       • Are you familiar with art toys?
       • When buying creative products, what is most important to you?
       • Etc.
     • Part 2: Pre-survey
       • How often do you engage with or buy creative products, like art toys?
       • I will show the images of Pop Mart’s art toy and my art toy and ask them which one they like?
       • How much would you pay for each piece?
       • Etc.
     • Part 3: Post-survey
       • I will show them the videos of making art toys of Pop Mart’s art toy and my art toy and ask them the same question from the pre-survey to see if they change their perception or learn anything from seeing the process.
       • Does knowing the story and effort behind a product make it feel more valuable to you?
       • After seeing the story behind it, how much more likely are you to pay for a product?
       • Do you think you will now consider the craftsmanship and story behind a product before buying it?
       • Etc.
2. On-site Intervention: Survey
   • I will print out the survey, bring art toys to the Pop Mart store in London, and ask Thai consumers whom I will meet at the store to participate in my intervention.
   • The question set will be the same as the online intervention.

– Interview Experts –

I have sent interview query emails to 3 illustration artists working on Instagram, stating that I would like to interview them about my project.

References:

ADOPTION CURVES (no date) Art of change making. Available at: https://www.leadershipcentre.org.uk/artofchangemaking/theory/adoption-curves/.

Berger, J. (1972) Ways of seeing. London, United Kingdom: Penguin Books.

Hammond, A. and Tinney, M. (2017) The secret life of the pencil: Great creatives and their pencils. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing.

Phair, D. and Warren, K. (2021) Saunders’ research onion, Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/saunders-research-onion/.