Final Essay

Hilary Altanbadralt

Tara Wren

Writing Across the Arts 201

June 11 2014

Making then Consuming

Making our own product should be an integral part of our society. Today we live in a time where we constantly consume without clearly considering the consequences of our consumption. By participating in the DIY (do-it-yourself) culture we are able to become responsible consumers by becoming “makers of things, not just consumers of things” (Samtani). In my course, Writing Across the Arts we were challenged to explore our role as a maker and a consumer. In order to achieve this goal, I choose to make a wrist wallet because I can obtain a product that I need through the process of making. The main challenge that I faced in this process was the thought of easily buying a mass-produced product rather than going through the slow process of making. However, overcoming this challenge gave me an understanding of the many benefits of physically making a product. I believe that we need to have a strong balance in what we buy and what we make because what we have, defines who we are (Belk 168).

The Maker or DIY (do-it-yourself) culture is built around collaboration, invention, and participation with a goal to “create new things” (Samtani). This culture gives a chance for millions of people who are dedicated to creating and selling self-made products. With the help of modern technology it is easier for these people to produce, distribute, and promote as well as obtain the roles of both designer and entrepreneur (Margolin 161).  This increase of growth in the Maker movement is now shifting big companies to focus on the emerging maker market. (Anderson). This shift defines the importance of the maker movement and clearly shows its immense growth in our society. I believe that by participating in the maker culture we can be fully engaged in our life because we are taking a physical role in it. Therefore, through my own participation, my goal was to understand the dependence on products that human beings have “in order to live their lives” (Margolin 159).

There are so many unnecessary products that I am surrounded by and I believe that it was my responsibility as a “maker” is to create a product that would be useful in my life. My journey in finding a product ranged from making a jewelry box to a leather bag however, I eventually decided to create a wrist wallet considering my time frame. A wrist wallet is a type of wallet that can be secured to the wrist and can be worn in order to carry personal items such as cash, credit card and phone. However, regular wallets can be traced back to the days of ancient Greece where people carried portable storage containers for their belongings. These belongings were used for carrying food instead of money/cards. But as we move into the 1600s wallets had become better known for carrying paper currency and identification cards. The history of wallets is very rich and immense but it clearly shows that wallets have been with us for centuries. This knowledge impacted how I thought about the object because it gave me an understanding of the importance of having this possession in my everyday life (Brief Overview and History of The Wallet).

 In order to execute my plans, my goal was to make a durable wrist wallet. I began making different iterations by considering factors such as materials, tools, durability, size and aesthetics. The process of making “mattered most” (Kaplan 12) and allowed me to make adjustments by improving my design as well as my sewing abilities. For the first iteration, I was able to create a simple design using paper, which allowed me to understand the basic shape for my wallet. For the next iteration, I found scrap cloth around my closet and I decided to make a quick mockup based on the paper model. This step allowed me to test the product, which showed that the overall size of the wrist wallet was too small. Therefore, the next iteration allowed me to make size adjustments by using scrap leather and it also gave me an insight of how the stitching would look like on my final piece.  Finally, for my final product I was able to create a wrist wallet by hand sewing all of the components together. After considering the aesthetics and the durability of my object, I decided to use leather as my final material to have a definite lasting product (Leather Resource). Some other materials that were essential in my design include a zipper, a black string, and a needle. The zipper was used so that I can easily bind the edges of the leather in order to make a wristlet. The black string was then used for securely stitching everything together. However, throughout my process I made minor adjustments to the string by double threading because the string was too thin and kept breaking. I also had to make some adjustments with the needle that I used by switching from a ballpoint needle to a leather needle. I used a ballpoint needle for the mockup iterations, which has a rounded tip that slips between yarns rather than piercing them. I then realized that I would need to use a leather needle which gives a “superior piercing power for unyielding”(Types of Needles) materials such as leather. The process that I went through into making this product helped me understand my position as a maker and a consumer.

I put a lot of effort, time and energy into becoming a maker and not just a consumer. However throughout this experience of making, the thoughts of quitting ran through my head. I couldn’t help but dwell on the fact that I could easily buy the product but the process made me understand all of the benefits of making. One of the benefits includes individuality or authenticity. We live in a world of mass-produced sameness and because of this more people are craving the unique/handmade artifacts. I think that if we were able to use the things that we made, we will have a satisfaction within ourselves. Another benefit is that we have ability to make something that is durable and choose to become environmentally aware of what we make. We as designers and makers have a chance to change the consuming market in a way that will help our economy in the long run (Margolin 164) by becoming environmentally aware. The next benefit is that this journey from becoming a consumer to a maker is also a journey reflecting my own identity. We live in a world where our identity constantly changes due to our changing circumstances and surroundings. Due to this, consumption plays a big role in expressing our own identity in order to understand who we are. Research shows that this identification with our things began as an infant learns to “distinguish self from environment and then from others who may envy our possessions”(Belk 139). Furthermore, we need to acknowledge the importance of making as it brings many benefits and defines who we are.

In conclusion, supporting the Maker Movement will give us a better understanding of consumerism and shifting into a DIY culture. Through my own journey I was finally able to understand how it feels to be a maker in this society. There are many challenges in committing yourself to make a product however these challenges can bring positive outcomes for both the maker and the society. Furthermore, we need to remember to have a balance in making and buying because our possessions play a key role in defining who we are. Instead of having possessions that are mass-produced we need to seek individuality because “we are what we have” (Belk 168).

Works Cited

Belk, Russell W. "Possessions and the Extended Self." Journal of Consumer Research 15.2

(1988): 139-68. The University of Chicago Press. Web. 10 June 2014.

"Brief Overview and History of The Wallet." Street Directory. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2014.

Kaplan, Wendy. “Design for the Modern World.” The Arts & Crafts Movement in Europe &

 America: Design for the Modern World. Ed. Wendy Kaplan. Los Angeles: Los Angeles

County Museum of Art and Thames & Hudson, 2004. 10-19. Print. (Excerpt: 10-17.)

"Leather Resource." History of Leather. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2014.

Margolin, Victor. “The Designer as Producer: Working Outside Mainstream Marketing.”

Citizen Designer: Perspectives on Design Responsibility. Eds. Steven Heller &

Veronique Vienne. New York: Allworth, 2003. 159-164. Print.

Samtani, Hilten. “Meet the Makers.” School Library Journal, 59.6 (June 2013): n.pag. Web. 8

September 2013. <http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2003/06/k-12/meet-the-

makers-can-a-diy-movement-revolutionize-how-we-learn/>

"Types of Needles." Sew It Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 June 2014.