disaster event: ARMED CONFLICT
Definition:
on an international scale it involves inter-state conflicts within countries; on a non-international scale it involves protracted armed violence between governmental authorities & organized armed groups or between such groups within a state
Consequences:
abductions of victims for combat and sexual slavery, maiming & killing, disruption of food & water supplies, destruction of crops and agricultural infrastructure, disintegration of families & communities, destruction of education & health services, destruction of water & sanitation system
In response to armed conflict situations humanitarian aids provide the basic life necessities to survive such as food, shelter, water, medication and security.
solution:
IDPs (internally displaced people) are direct victims of armed conflict; threat from civil wars and tribal clashes forces IDPs to migrate from their homes/villages to escape the potential violence. The focus of my proposed solution was to efficiently aid their migrations to safe places; the idea is to utilise a current necessity and further its functions to improve their living situations. By turning a plastic sheet into a bag eased the migration, allowing them to carry their possessions in an efficient manner. This also reduces the amount of belongings they carry.
initial concept:
initial concept couldn't translate onto a 2m x 3m tarpaulin, so I had to change the folding method
final concept:
rationale:
Approximately 42 million people around the world are uprooted by war with 26 million people being internally displaced persons (IDP). Most have been forced into homeless through armed conflict, civil war and political instability, seeking refuge through limited options such as in camps, bush or other villages. Often the ensuing violence leaves thousands dead or injured and whole communities homeless. Although many IDPs have survived the violence and have resettled, many feel they are unable to return home due to lack of security. Fortunately there are many global humanitarian aid agencies that have directly provided food, shelter, medical supplies and welfare.
I wanted to design a product that would ease and aid the resettlement of IDP. Initially I found this project hard to tackle as I felt limited to pursue a solution in the medical or war front. However after weeks of research I had noticed that all IDPs carry a plastic sheet, which shelters their temporary homes. These plastic sheets have been donated by aid agencies and help to provide protection from UV light and rain.
I have designed a product that makes further use of the plastic sheet; by configuring these large sheets into bags I believe it aids their constant relocations. It allows them to carry their belongings with them utilizing what they already possess, furthermore by combining 2 functions in 1 product, it reduces the amount of excess baggage.
My product, named RefuBag (derived from the word refuge) mainly consists of tarpaulin. I have chosen to stick with this traditional material as it is strong, durable, lightweight and inexpensive; functionalities which greatly benefit IDPs. Furthermore I have added straps to each corner to help tie it down when used as a shelter. The sheet has been reinforced with a tougher piece of tarp (200gsm), which reinforces strength when used as a bag. Also it serves as a guideline for users, where to fold and the required size for maximum compaction of sheet. The design of the bag is simple allowing the user ease of use. It consists of 2 back straps and 2 clip attachments, which secures the flap to the bag. It is intuitive so user can easily identify where to attach the different fasteners. Colour coding also makes identification easier; zippers are white, stud fasteners are silver and clip buckles are black. While the flap allows it to protect the users belongings, it contains a secured pouch for personal belongings. When the bag is folded out into a plastic sheet the flap can be folded back and clipped on reverse; additionally it further secures the bag straps when not in use.
reflection:
Designing for Disasters has been the most challenging yet rewarding studio project I've come across. When I first received the brief of project I thought this could be easy to handle and as so as a research group we chose armed conflict in Africa. After thorough research, I had difficulty in creating concepts for this group. I narrowed my concept choices to 2 categories, to create a product to improve medical & welfare conditions of the victims when injured. There were many product solutions that had been designed to aid these victims and I didn't want to create something similar. Eventually I realized that a lot of internally displaced people (victims) possessed plastic sheets/tarpaulins used as shelters on their temporary homes (consisting of large sticks & branches). There was potential in transforming tarpaulin into something useful; IDPs are constantly on the move so I thought why not tackle two problems with one product and create a product that will enable them migrate easier. So I created a bag out of one large sheet on tarpaulin.
At first I underestimated the size of the tarp, and so my initial method of folding a tarp into a bag couldn't translate on to large sized tarps (ranging from 2m-3m to 4m-5m). After experimenting many times I finally found a suitable folding method using fasteners (zippers, snap fasteners, buckle clips). Working with tarp was hard because when you sew the zippers on it creates holes allowing for water to seep through. After many trials and errors I found a solution!
In reflection of the whole project I realised that a lot of theories don't translate well in practise. This project required a lot of experimentation to find solutions, but then these solutions would create another group of problems which was very frustrating at times. Furthermore, as I found my product too simple my tutor encouraged me to find/add further uses of the tarp/bag; this also created more problems. In the end I decided to keep the design simple considering the users required basic necessities (food, shelter, medicine) to survive. To quote my Lachlan "sometimes the best solutions are the most simples ones". Presentation wise I thought my product was well made and I explained everything I needed to. I could've improved on my storyboard, product poster and technical drawings. I wasn't sure how to graphically present it however looking at examples of other's I realized simplicity is the key. My boards were too cluttered with pictures, while others with simple board explained and expressed their problems and ideas clearly. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed undertaking this project, it was very rewarding at the end when my idea was well received!
