My response - the basic review
(When a word or number is marked in blue then you can click on it to follow a link to the article I am referring to.)
1. Demonstrating Design Skills
I have become familiar with several methods of working through the design process, (SADIMET, OBREDIMET) and have explored other ways of working also (The design web approach.(1) Through this practice I have developed a deeper understanding of how to begin a design and the best and most thorough and effective way of working through it. I have also learned through experience which methods of working suit me the best to make the process as effective as it can be for me personally. In project five (2) after several client interviews I carefully considered the clients' needs to choose the best way forward with the design.
I have explored input/output analysise (3) PASTE analysise (4) and zone and sector analysise (5) and I've grown aware of how these tools can greatly benefit my thinking and final designs. I have progressed from early designs based upon my life and personal situation, to creating coherent designs for clients in public places. I have also grown to creating multi-layered and staged designs to be undertaken over a long period of time, taking into account my own personal strengths and limits (6).
2. Applying permaculture in your own life
My first three designs in my portfolio are all based around my own life and personal choices, and follow a process of trying to find effective ways to integrate permaculture principles into my own life. The design process has been followed in each case, and all have been reviewed and assessed for their effectiveness.
3. Applying permaculture to your work and projects
You can see solid examples of the land based application of permaculture in design number 5 where I took a lead role in redesigning a garden for a charity/school/cafe.
In the outcomes of design number 2 you can see how the design process caused me to make changes to my everyday life, implementing the answers that came up whilst working through the design process.
I am also currently involved in living into the design number 4 of my portfolio, which involves creating an income for fair trade groups in Nepal who are practicing organic cotton and hemp production and natural vegetable based dyes. I have set up an online shop selling their products in the UK (link) and am holding market stalls over the winter of 2012 in Edinburgh to raise money for implementing further stages of this design, which will ensure a long term income for these fair trade organisations, whilst increasing knowledge and availability of handmade, sustainable organic fabrics and clothing. I am also in the process of looking into further community based funding to help this design progress. (www.wethetrees.com)
I am also working towards sharing my growing knowledge and experience with others through offering introductory permaculture courses via my nomadic permaculture enterprise. I am also an active member of the facebook diploma group, where we share questions, advice and a permaculture reading circle.
4. Dissemination
I am building up my confidence in sharing my knowledge with others. I have begun planning and offering introductory courses in permaculture which I hope to begin in early 2013.
5. Community Building
I am an active member of a social networking site for permaculture students, sharing knowledge, support and advice. I also currently live within a community in Scotland where we all work together to live as sustainably as possible. We trade food and firewood with local farmers in exchange for work, we cook together to share on energy, heat the house partly with wood burning stoves and try to keep our footprint as small as possible. We try to eat local and wild foraged food as much as possible, make everything we can to avoid unnecessary buying, car share, and even bath share!
6. Symmetry
A part of my diploma journey involves completing peer reviews for other students, reviewing their work to help them gain an outside perspective. After each project is finished in return for completing a review for a partner I also receive one back. The partners change on a rotational basis so we gain a balanced and varied view of our work.
7. Evaluation and Costings
This is one area that I'm not sure I have really dived into yet. But this has highlighted where I can head with my next projects..
1. Demonstrating Design Skills
I have become familiar with several methods of working through the design process, (SADIMET, OBREDIMET) and have explored other ways of working also (The design web approach.(1) Through this practice I have developed a deeper understanding of how to begin a design and the best and most thorough and effective way of working through it. I have also learned through experience which methods of working suit me the best to make the process as effective as it can be for me personally. In project five (2) after several client interviews I carefully considered the clients' needs to choose the best way forward with the design.
I have explored input/output analysise (3) PASTE analysise (4) and zone and sector analysise (5) and I've grown aware of how these tools can greatly benefit my thinking and final designs. I have progressed from early designs based upon my life and personal situation, to creating coherent designs for clients in public places. I have also grown to creating multi-layered and staged designs to be undertaken over a long period of time, taking into account my own personal strengths and limits (6).
2. Applying permaculture in your own life
My first three designs in my portfolio are all based around my own life and personal choices, and follow a process of trying to find effective ways to integrate permaculture principles into my own life. The design process has been followed in each case, and all have been reviewed and assessed for their effectiveness.
3. Applying permaculture to your work and projects
You can see solid examples of the land based application of permaculture in design number 5 where I took a lead role in redesigning a garden for a charity/school/cafe.
In the outcomes of design number 2 you can see how the design process caused me to make changes to my everyday life, implementing the answers that came up whilst working through the design process.
I am also currently involved in living into the design number 4 of my portfolio, which involves creating an income for fair trade groups in Nepal who are practicing organic cotton and hemp production and natural vegetable based dyes. I have set up an online shop selling their products in the UK (link) and am holding market stalls over the winter of 2012 in Edinburgh to raise money for implementing further stages of this design, which will ensure a long term income for these fair trade organisations, whilst increasing knowledge and availability of handmade, sustainable organic fabrics and clothing. I am also in the process of looking into further community based funding to help this design progress. (www.wethetrees.com)
I am also working towards sharing my growing knowledge and experience with others through offering introductory permaculture courses via my nomadic permaculture enterprise. I am also an active member of the facebook diploma group, where we share questions, advice and a permaculture reading circle.
4. Dissemination
I am building up my confidence in sharing my knowledge with others. I have begun planning and offering introductory courses in permaculture which I hope to begin in early 2013.
5. Community Building
I am an active member of a social networking site for permaculture students, sharing knowledge, support and advice. I also currently live within a community in Scotland where we all work together to live as sustainably as possible. We trade food and firewood with local farmers in exchange for work, we cook together to share on energy, heat the house partly with wood burning stoves and try to keep our footprint as small as possible. We try to eat local and wild foraged food as much as possible, make everything we can to avoid unnecessary buying, car share, and even bath share!
6. Symmetry
A part of my diploma journey involves completing peer reviews for other students, reviewing their work to help them gain an outside perspective. After each project is finished in return for completing a review for a partner I also receive one back. The partners change on a rotational basis so we gain a balanced and varied view of our work.
7. Evaluation and Costings
This is one area that I'm not sure I have really dived into yet. But this has highlighted where I can head with my next projects..