The project will work with young people form the schools of Petare to create a series of urban interventions in the historic centre of Petare. These will include the facaed of the Cesar Rengifo Theatre that re-opened it’s doors this October after a long refurbishment process.
Want to know more about COnciencia Visual? Here you go: www.conciencia-visual.com
Follow Conciencia Visual on twitter: @futurosgraficos

I was interviewed by Halo, CSM’s Magazine for business in relation to cretaing social innovation initiatives and my Conciencia Visual project, alongside with co-director Penelope Plaza. “For a new generation of CSM graduates, design can and must have a positive impact on the way we live. Halo meets the social innovators forging a better world.” Conciencia Visual uses design to generate social capital which means confronting issues of crime and violence in my native Venezuela. The article quotes ‘The state here has failed to offer meaningful alternatives to young people who often get stranded without a way to express themselves,’ says Itamar. ‘They’re routinely exposed to crime and they get tempted very young. There’s nothing for them, no extra curricular activity to nurture their better social instincts.’

The book is the initiative of Fl@t 33, which spent more than two years in the making. It features over 300 projects by approximately 160 designers and artists from around the world.

Conciencia Visual is a self initiated project which I co-direct with Penélope Plaza in Venezuela. It aims to generate social capital presenting creative & alternative solutions to social issues, using a message as the foundations for urban interventions. From empowering the communities to have a voice via creating crime awareness campaigns to working with young urban artists to generate a 23 meter graffiti using the message ‘No more Paranoia’. Conciencia Visual uses a co-design process with the community as a methodology and design as an implementation vehicle.

This year the project aims to work with young students in public schools to facilitate the creation of a campaign that speaks about domestic and urban violence surrounding youth in Venezuela.

I have 3 very exciting projects in progress to share:
First of all FLiP, which I mentioned in a post last March, has been ongoing since then. FLIP is an online tool to help young people find a job that is right for them. With a core team comprised of Bruno Taylor & Vincenzo Di Maria from Common Ground (specialising in user-led design), Dave Fletcher from White October (specialising in web based tools) and myself (you know me, specialising in Applied Imagination, vision & commms) we’ve secured funding from NESTA to run a pilot until March 2011. We’re collaborating with Camden Council Apprenticeship Programme to help them meet their targets of getting young people living in Camden into apprenticeships. I know you have probably heard the concept of FLiP before but believe me when I say it’s different in many ways. The concept is completely scalable and the scope is broad. Unfortunately that’s all I can say for now as we are in the middle of co-designing it with young people, building the web tool and constantly researching.  But do not fret and watch this space because by March next year I shall be telling you all about it. Who knows, might be even sooner!

Secondly, the Design Against Crime Research Centre (DAC) website was launched last 13th of December at the Innovation Centre of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design (CSM) in a lovely event that also showcased Steve Russell’s still life of the StopThief chairs, designed by DAC. It took us a good 7 months to complete version Beta of the site that encompasses an inmense resource regarding designing against crime, the centre’s projects, student;s projects product of  collaborations with CSM courses, their unique design methodology and crime frameworks as well as opportunities of collaboration and partnerships. I worked closely with multimedia designer Matthew Pateman to build the site according to DAC’s requirements. We will be rounding all corners in early 2011 which includes adding videos and downloadable resources. So keep an eye out for this one!

And last but not least, Conciencia Visual, which has been making partnerships with very interesting organisations since our pilot last June. We are in continuos converstaions with Cultura Chacao (Cultural section of the Chacao Council), Paz Activa (civil association focused on finding solutions for improving security and living) and TAP Foundation (focusing on child abuse and domestic violence).  So with all these interesting converstaions going on, next year expects us to deliver 3 activities focused on crime and violence in Venezuela. We will be framing the activities from 3 different perspectives: education, communal architecture and aging. We’ll kick off with education by working with a primary school to facilitate the development of  a campaign that will be implemented throughout the city, accompanied by an exhibition that shoes the documentation of the design and creation process. All these activities are being developed in partnership with Penelope Plaza, co-director of Conciencia Visual. So as things develope I’ll keep you posted via this space.

There are a few other projects going on in the background which I’ll start publishing more about soon. In the meantime, 2011…. here we come!

Although I must say I keep seeing more and more crappy ideas. Maybe my eyes have just been slightly closed. On the upside, I also see more social enterprises and initiatives around me (I’m also making an effort to dive into more interesting and deep waters). Hopefully I’ll manage to have some involvement in helping them move forwards, be it by getting involved directly, becoming a fan, liking it, getting a membership, volunteering or even just saying “Well done, keep it up!”.

One of these I’m thinking of volunteering for is The Peoples Supermarket. And this is the GOOD one!

So, for those that haven’t heard of it yet. And I’m hoping many have, this is English chef Arthur Potts-Dawson initiative.  The People’s Supermarket is a not for profit, co-operative grocery store. It was inspired by the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn that started in 1973 and now has 17,000 members, offers them a saving of 20%-40% off their weekly grocery bill and enjoys a turnover of $32m.

Anyone is able to shop at The People’s Supermarket. You’ll find our shelves stacked with a wide range of product, from conventional breakfast cereal to locally sourced produce, seven days a week. For an annual fee of UK£25.00 - reduced for older citizens, the unemployed and students – and a commitment to volunteer four hours time per month, members will earn a discount on their shopping and a share and role in the management of the enterprise.

Where is this lovely place? 72 – 78 Lamb’s Conduit Street, Holborn, London WC1N 3LP

Now for the BAD ones!
We tend to think that only physical products can be bad, but unfortunately so can service offers and both of these are.

Safetytat. According to their website “SafetyTat —it’s the perfect way to show how much you care, just in case. It’s The Tat That Brings Kids Back!®
“It is a fun and colorful temporary safety child ID tattoo that’s uniquely offered either customized with your mobile phone number or blank so you can write in your cell phone number on them. When applied to the arm of your child or loved one, SafetyTat provides an immediate, highly visible form of child identification that stays in place even when wet”

Now my translation: “SafetyTat —it’s the perfect way to help show kidnappers and crazy people that like to mess with kids out there how paranoid you are, just in case. It’s The Tat That will give strangers your details to get paid to Bring Kids Back!”

I mean, come on!!!! This is crazy. I mean how far can people go with this??? How paranoid can you be as a parent? I apologies to all those parents out there. I’m not one myself but this has to be common sense. What about the old fashioned “don’t talk to strangers, learn your address and home telephone number better than your name and stay where I can see you” I mean it worked for me and many other kids out there that were never lost anywhere because we listened to ou parents or because they were damn good in keeping an eye on us and took us out to safe places.

And the important people that support it? Like Tom Rice,
Ret. Superintendent and Colonel of Ohio State Highway Patrol who states on the testimonial page of the SafetyTat website, “I see SafetyTat as important to parents with young people as are seat belts in their cars or smoke detectors in their houses.”

I’m going to stop this one there and get on to the next BAD.

Flatter me. And I’m copying the description of this sparkling brand new service from their website “Make someone you know feel on top of the world. At Flatter Me, we
personally phone people to tell them how incredible they are – as often as you would like! You can customize the message. Or leave the compliments up  to us. Our Flattery Specialists will make sure that the people we are calling feel great about themselves. It’s only 5$. And it is guaranteed to make someone in your life feel special or at least make them laugh!”

Laugh! Laugh? I dare say and have no other words for it. I mean, how alienated of language and communication must we be as a society to have to pay for someone else to tell someone that we know that we appreciate them, love them, are thankful for having them in our lives, that they are a good employee, a good sister, daughter, mother….?
This one threw me. It just made my head spin of incomprehension. And I wonder what their turnover is, if any?

So, what can I say? As a designer who is in love with communication, effortlessly working to refocus all efforts towards creating services that help people, services that are co-designed and work with social groups to empower and enable them to make the place that they live a little bit better, I get completely thrown when I see things like these being what seems somewhat successful. And then so many other which deserve to be, not.We need to apply this formula to make more GOOD ONES!

The results for both are beautiful and intriguing images of Sound Sculptures.  So, all in all I think I did pretty well (if I can say so myself!)

Have a look of imagery below and please let me know your thoughts!

© 2007. Itamar Ferrer. Project VAIN, MA Applied Imagination

© 2010. Dentsu London. Canon Pixma Sound Sculptures

Then I found this huge blackboard in a hallway with the question ‘What is the future of design?’. I was surprised (not really) to see people’s answers written on the huge wall. I left my contribution: COLLABORATION. If anyone was taking this wall seriously, no idea but from the scribbles I would guess not. Is this how we are considering design as well? Hmmmm, I wonder. Mind you, over 26,000 design professionals visit this event this year. Anyway, enough of this one.

Designersblock. proved more interesting. One designs on display worth highlighting (at least the one I saw ticks all my boxes) is ‘Transensing’ by RCA graduate Christina Biliouri. “The goal of this project is to shift inclusive design from being merely a problem solving process to an emotional approach, which addresses disability on a social context through a sensorial exploration. It is focused on the implications visual impairment has in everyday social transactions.‘Transensing intends to raise awareness by introducing objects which provoke and invite people to immerse themselves in a new experience where touch and sound are celebrated.”

The idea of an object that focuses on questioning how to improve an experience for the disabled population, allowing them not only to access a space but enjoy it and share it with another was a refreshing one to see within the realm of products on display.  When I asked Christina about the type of feedback she had during the design process she was excited to tell me about how the visually impaired users she had worked with during the process were very excited and positive about it. It was her proudest moment, she mentions. When I asked her about the feedback throughout showcasing it, the reaction was the opposite. “Unfortunately people are not interested. They just want to make money.” By “they” I am assuming she meant the different manufacturers approached for possible production.  I mean, a new product that merges disability, inclusive design, sound, simple technology and clean aesthetics….. This is where I ask, “What’s wrong with you people?!?” I’ll leave it there…for now.

Another bunch at Designersblock. worthy of mention is Puff & Flock,  “…a collective of textile designers united by their bold values. As individuals, each member has her own unique take on textiles. As a group, they share a vision for a risk-taking approach that will expand boundaries.  They challenge perceptions on many levels, blending craft with industry, narrative with technology, characters with objects, future with past, aesthetic with content.”

From Kathy Schicker’s ‘Woven light’, a ground breaking collection of colour changing and light emitting textiles to Aurelié Mosse’s exploration of the boundaries of how textiles can redefine our relationship with the home up to Elisabeth Buecher’s designs combining concepts of danger, risk and provocation with playfulness and humour to open people up to talk about crucial topical issues. Puff & Flock are definitely worth checking out. You can follow their journeys on the Puff & Flock blog.

Another one on my list for the day was Tent London, but the day proved short to catch up with that one. Next year!

From the 23rd to 28th of June I was in Caracas, Venezuela delivering the project ‘Conciencia Visual para la vida urbana’ (Visual Conscious for urban life).

A bit of history:

Conciencia Visual was a personal initiative regrading youth crime prevention that began two years ago. In my view, Venezuela and the UK share this particular social issue, despite their differences in context. The aim was to build a bridge between the UK and Venezuela and try to collaboratively generate a creative response to this problem. Unfortunately Britain did not respond as positive as I would have wished for. However whilst searching for funding I got a ‘this is a great project, let’s do it!” response from arquitect Penélope Plaza in Venezuela, now project partner and strategic coordinator.

There were 3 main activities for the pilot phase, an intense process delivered in only a few days.

23rd June: Workshop ‘Future Graphics’|
We brought together a multi-disciplinary team: sociologist Jessica Simonovis from Paz Activa; designers Carolina Arnal, Jefferson Quintana y Ricardo Benaim from the group Manifiesta, together with Gabriela Fontanillas from TipLAb; Carlos Sánchez from maspop, and ERGO, recognised urban artists fr his stenciling work. To complete the team, the special ingredient in the mix were seven young Venezuelan urban artists (el calvo, blue chicken, sink, thediep, bypato, flix y seph)

The workshop objective?
To produce creative and innovative crime prevention messages. These messages were translated into an urban graphic by seven urban artists using graffiti ans stencil technique. The artists also were challenged to participate in the workshop to generate the messages, create the graffiti artwork and paint them live during the Festival Por el Medio de la Calle.

Live paint session at Festival Por el Medio de la Calle (In the middle of the street)
During a period of 10 hours straight, the amazing graffiti artists each took over a section of a 20 mt mural and collectively created a stunning visual production. Each of the artists was inspired by the messages generated in the workshop. However, although each created and painted their own artwork, the whole created a crime prevention story that expressed their worries and desire for “No more Paranoia”  as the main message.

Talks at Centro Cultural Chacao (Chacao Cultural Centre) & Prodiseño, Escuela de diseño (design school)
‘Designers can also be Superhereos’ was the title of the talk at Centro Cultura Chacao, focusing on the designers ‘powers’ to see, create and materialise alternative solutions for complex problems. At Prodiseño, we engaged with design students in conversations regarding social innovation. Both themes were new approaches for the audiences as these areas of the design disciplines are just emerging as a concern within Venezuelan designers.

The receptivity of Conciencia Visual was so positive and overwhelming that whilst developing the long term phase with our Criminology Association partner, we will also be developing a series of workshops to be delivered over the next 6 months.

If you are interested in knowing more or wish to subscribe to Conciencia Visual’s emailing list, please visist www.conciencia-visual.com

We will also be making a case for the potential of design as crime prevention tool, through the creation of innovative communication platforms within urban space.
Over the last 2 years (slowly but surely) the project ‘Conciencia Visual para la Vida Urbana‘ (Visual Concious for Urban Life) has been in development in partnership with architect Penélope Plaza.  I’m happy to say after many jumping many hoops and and an uphill journey, the pilot phase is ready for take off!   Visual Conscious aims to generate innovative crime prevention campaigns through the intervention of urban public space as a medium for their dissemination.

We have been invited this year by the Foundation Plátano Verde to participate in the urban festival ‘Por el Medio de la Calle’ (Through the middle of the Street) in Caracas, Venezuela and lead the one day workshop ‘Futuros Graficos’ (Future Graphics) as a first pilot activity. The workshop counts with the support of Prodiseño design school, Civil Asociation Paz Activa (Active Peace), +Pop consultancy, and designer Jacinto Salcedo as strategic consultant.

The workshop will be carried out on the 23rd of June with the participation of designers Jaime Cruz  from Prodiseño, Carolina Arnal, Jefferson Quintana & Ricardo Benaím from Manifiesta; Álvaro Bustillos from LaMarca, and Gabriela Fontanillas; a sociologist from the team of  Paz Activa,  social ommunicator Carlos Sánchez from +pop and eight young Venezuelan urban artists (El Calvo, Blue Chicken, Sink, Diep, By Pato, Flix, Seph y ERGO)  with the aim to promote multi-disciplinary collaboration to reach a better understanding of the social and crime context in Venezuela.

The workshop participant’s challenge is to produce creative and innovative social messages in order to create effective crime prevention campaigns. Once this is achieved, the eight street artists will then design and transfer  the messages into stencils that will be painted ‘live’ during the festival on the 26th June, 2010.

More info: www.conciencia-visual.com
Twitter @futurosgraficos