Open Access Journals at Aalborg University
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A.N. Prior’s development and presentation of tense-logic and its context in June-August 1954
Get PDFA.N. Prior (1914-69) presented his tense-logic for the very first time at the New Zealand section of the Australasian Association of Psychology and Philosophy, Second Philosophical Congress, Wellington 27th – 30th August, 1954. He introduced his ideas as a new and important approach to the discussion of basic aspects of time. It is, in fact, remarkable that Prior was able to write such an important paper at this time of his life. He had to face several challenges mainly due to TB in the family. However, this also makes it possible to follow several of his considerations since he wrote about all of it in his many letters to his wife Mary, who was then at the sanatorium with TB. We present a selection of the letters along with the presidential address itself
Prior as Naphtali: Christian commentator and pseudonymous Christian public intellectual
Get PDFDuring 1951-1952 Arthur Prior wrote a column of firstly public comment, and then, in 1952, theological discussion under the nom-de plume Naphtali of the Outlook, the magazine of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church. This article discusses these columns, putting them in a wider discussion of Prior’s life, thought and Christian beliefs; and his early work in New Zealand as a public thinker
Leverage Points as an Analytical Framework for Preventing Rebound Effects: An Exploratory Study
Get PDFDespite global efforts toward sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, partly due to rebound effects (RE), i.e., systemic responses that offset the potential sustainability benefits of sustainability interventions. Designers often struggle to prevent RE due to dynamic complexities characterized by non-linearity, feedback loops, and delays. This paper explores how systems thinking, specifically the Leverage Points Framework (LPF), can support design activities in ideating and designing strategies for preventing RE. Through an exploratory case study of an electric car-sharing system, LPF and ideation techniques were applied to devise potential design strategies to prevent RE emerging from five identified RE mechanisms. Our findings suggest that integrating leverage points into the design process encourages a more systemic and comprehensive approach to ideation, expanding design opportunities towards the prevention of RE. We conclude that combining systems thinking with design thinking enhances the potential for creating effective, sustainable interventions and recommend further research to evaluate the practical potential of the proposed framework
Circular Fashion Success: Cross-Country Insights on Adoption of Circular Business Model Offerings
Get PDFLearning by Transforming: Widening Access to Complex Circular Economy Science using Experimental Design
Get PDFThis paper presents a pilot pedagogical project exploring the potential of experimental design methods to engage students with complex scientific concepts, by focusing on translating these concepts specifically for a public audience. Conducted within the UKRI-funded Textiles Circularity Centre (TCC) at the Royal College of Art, the project tasked design students with designing an experience that can communicate the science of biobased textile recycling, an emerging circular economy process that is complex and typically inaccessible for laypeople. Framed as a process of translation rather than mastery, the project integrated interdisciplinary, multisensory, and speculative design and teaching methods to engage with a range of ways of conceptualizing and communicating complex science to a diverse audience. Students worked closely with scientific researchers, engaging with scientific materials and techniques, including enzymatic recycling and bacterial cellulose production. Through iterative development, the students produced Catalyst, a multisensory installation that employs tactile interaction, visual displays, and soundscapes to create an interactive material simulation of biobased recycling. The study identifies three key pedagogical outcomes with potential for application in wider contexts: enhanced technical comprehension, emotional engagement, and learner agency. We discuss the relationship of multimodal design methods to whole-systems thinking and learning. We propose that interdisciplinary, multisensory methods for enhancing complexity-oriented learning and public engagement, and raise possibilities to scale the model to other contexts that involve communication of complex information, as it may be able to activate new forms of learning and public engagement
Wearing and sharing #wardrobechallenges: Finding inspiration when you have nothing to wear
Get PDFSince the emergence of the fashion blogosphere, sharing personal fashion choices and inspirations using hashtags such as #OOTD (outfit of the day) have become commonplace. The speed and volume of this content has grown exponentially, providing a mediated view of self-fashioning as well as a common trope of marketing communications adopted by influencers. Recently, there has been a noted change in wardrobe activities being shared on social media, that focus on the challenges fashion users have as they navigate their existing wardrobe. User-generated content (UGC) tagged with #wardrobechallenge draws together diverse posts ranging from how to re-wear wardrobe items through techniques such as the 30 wears challenge, struggles with closet decluttering and laundry tips. This type of wardrobe work is predominantly an activity undertaken in private; however, when shared and mediated through digital channels it offers greater visibility on the use phase of garments.
Recognising that the use-stage holds much potential to extend the lifecycle of garments (Gwilt & Rissanen, 2012), this paper explores UGC to understand whether the sharing of wardrobe challenges holds potential to drive sustainable behaviour change. With many fashion users mistrustful or confused by what fashion brands say regarding sustainability and little evidence of industry engagement with the post-purchase phases of fashion – the study asks if #wardrobechallenge content offers an effective way of communicating sustainable fashion practices. This is a socio-material investigation, that draws on data from Instagram and TikTok tagged with #wardrobechallenge. A typology of wardrobe challenge practices has been developed; its classifications offer inspiration for ‘doing’ fashion beyond consumption and designations of the fashion industry. The study concludes by discussing how this form of UGC could build new ways of socialising and supporting sustainable behaviour change. 
Exploring Material Potentials for Product Design: In Pursuit of a Narrative-Based Approach
Get PDFThis research proposes a narrative-based approach and two corresponding strategies as part of an interdisciplinary project. The approach could be an initial step in understanding the user’s first impression concerning materials experience and other material potentials, informing designers about translating them into product design decisions. The project combines Material-Driven Design (MDD) and user-centred research methods to develop composite Do-it-Yourself (DIY) materials by upcycling textile and plastic wastes. It aims to transform these materials into seven products designed for office environments that promote sustainability. The project’s design brief includes the product’s primary function, context, and target group. However, the MDD process follows the material exploration to decide on the product proposals formed towards the end. That calls for an alternative method that adapts MDD to broader product development scenarios, particularly those guided by a predefined design brief, to enhance the value of Materials Experience (MX) in conventional design processes. This research initially implements a design probe study to address this gap and to understand forty-six office worker participants’ first impressions of DIY material. Based on the study’s findings and initial material tinkering process within the research group, a need for a contextual elaboration of materials to address material potentials holistically, including experience, form, function, and affordance, became apparent. Hence, a narrative-based approach is grounded with materials agency in mind and strengthened with anthropomorphism and material journey mapping strategies to obtain insights for the abovementioned scenarios
Coupling LCA and product lifetime modeling to support repair & reuse: A case study in the WEEE sector
Get PDFGarment Reuse in Practice: Insights from a Clothing Swap
Get PDFReuse is a key strategy to intensify the use of goods. Hence, clothing swaps are typically presented as a sustainable alternative to conventional fashion consumption. However, research into the mechanisms and dynamics behind these exchanges remains limited. Using qualitative and quantitative methods to study a swapping event in a city in Belgium, this study explores the potential of clothing swaps to enable the reactivation and reuse of clothing. The mass flow analysis reveals that about half of the garments brought to an in-person swap using an indirect exchange system found new owners. Certain garment types (t-shirts and sweaters) were more easily swapped than others (pants). Survey responses indicated that participants use swaps to hand off dormant clothing that is no longer suited to their needs. Further, participant stated that most of the garments they acquired will substitute the purchase of garments. When comparing the wardrobe composition of swap participants to a general sample, we found that swappers have a similar wardrobe size but a much higher fraction of pre-owned garments. Unexpectedly, swap participants had a slightly higher fraction of dormant garments in their wardrobes. The observed differences cannot be solely attributed to participation in swap events, as participants are likely also engaged in other reuse activities. Meaning it provides an important glimpse into the potential effects society-wide policies focused on increasing garment reuse could have on wardrobes. To summarize, by combining different methods, this study provides new insight into the dynamics behind swapping, and clothing reuse in general
