our idea in 25 words.

Open Collective intends to educate Melbourne residents of the feasibility and sustainable benefits of neighbourhood sharing, using a promotional campaign and implementation of an ongoing infrastructure/system to facilitate long-term change.

A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE BENEFITS OF SHARING (TO BE ADDED TO AS RESEARCH PROGESSES)

/ SOCIAL + PERSONAL: EVERYDAY

• get to know our neighbors and make neighborhoods safer
• make friends
• find resources and referrals more easily
• find new ways to relate to friends, relatives, coworkers, and neighbors
• lighten our load of responsibilities
• create more free time
• meet the needs of seniors and people with disabilities
• increase resources and opportunities for low-income households
• support small businesses and buy locally
• access better nutrition, and
• access higher-quality goods.

 

/ ENVIRONMENTAL: BE KIND TO THE PLANET. GOODBYE BIG GREY CLOUD.

• uses space, energy, and resources more efficiently
• reduces consumption
• reduces waste
• reduces energy use
• helps us invest in green products, alternative energy, and durable goods
• shrinks your carbon footprint
• sets a green example for others, and
• helps take cars off the road.

 

/ FINANCIAL: IT ALL ADDS UP

• spread the cost of owning high-quality and durable goods
• reduce the cost of caring for a child or other family member
• reduce the cost of food, fuel, and supplies
• accomplish home repairs without paying for labor
• spread the risk of loss, damage, and depreciation
• share homeownership and build equity
• save money through collective buying, and
• get access to luxury items you couldn’t afford alone.

 

*** using colour coding for each category of promotion? eg. social/personal = blue, environmental = green, etc.

 

Look at: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

 

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MAIN POINTS FROM: http://www.sharingsolution.com/2009/07/sharing-revolution-v-big-grey.html

 

The economy, the environment, war, unemployment, evictions, foreclosures, homelessness, contamination, water shortages, businesses closing, and the disappearance of fish in the sea, to name a few, make for one very large grey cloud.

 

(BUT) We are on the brink of something exciting, something with the power to transform our world.

 

Those tiny green sprouts popping up all over the place.

 

I’m not expecting our government to catalyze the growth of the sustainability movement. (But..) what about all those millions of people with wonderful ideas, great intentions, and the will to change the world? The grassroots!

 

Sharing has the most potential to add momentum to the changes already taking place, getting us to the tipping point where a sustainable and socially just world is truly possible. Sharing is not just the fertilizer that helps those green sprouts grow bigger. Sharing is more like a catalyst — one small ingredient that you can add to the mix that makes everything just explode.

 

Sharing is naturally contagious. Sharing opens up a pattern of generosity and mutual caring that breeds on itself.

 

Sharing is self-serving. Sharing builds community, which makes us happier people, and cooperation has been shown to release endorphins.

 

Sharing reverses the drain on our time, energy, and resources. We’ll all get a little more rest.

 

Sharing connects all of our isolated world-changing acts and boosts their potential. But many of these are things we do in isolation — and when we can find the time and energy. Sharing adds the element of community, which boosts the potential and the impact of everything we do. It’s more efficient, and each additional person who joins the effort compounds the benefit to the earth and to the others in the group.This culture of “self-reliance” is so ingrained in us that it would feel awkward asking the guy in the neighboring apartment unit if he would like to share a vacuum cleaner.

 

We don’t have to wait for someone else to hurry up and do anything. We just start sharing. Today.

 

Every single one of us can share. I think the hardest part is getting started, then ironing out the details, understanding everyone’s expectations, and figuring out the logistics.

 

The “grow or die” economy: the best way for a company to sell a lot of a product is to create a culture of “self-reliance” and “convenience”.

 

Until recently, we could maintain this lifestyle without actually seeing the impact of it. Now we have seen how perpetual growth is eating away at the planet’s natural resources, melting the icecaps, and undermining a stable economy.

 

We are blinded to the harms that our consumption inflicts on the world.

 

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a more focused direction.

MARKETING THE BENEFITS OF OPEN DOOR

 

 EFFICIENCY

- open a door 10 metres away, not 10km. 

- the average family accumulates a lot of stuff. why not put that all to good use? 

 

 SAVE RESOURCES: 

a drill is only used for an average of 12 minutes in a lifetime. why buy when you can borrow from 2 doors down

- Money (yellow?)

- Time (blue?)  

- Energy  (green?)

 

 LESS CLUTTER

- most of us already have too much stuff. 

 

AS A FINAL POINT, GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS! 

 

 

 

INITIAL/CONTINUING PROMO/EDUCATION CAMPAIGN:

 

- Campaign to generate hype around concept of sharing belongings and explain above benefits

 

- Somehow use new media/technologies

 

THE SIMPLE SYSTEM:

 

- answers needs of residents within the street

 

- could be as simple as: 

 

 1. download a list of objects (random/everyday)

 

 2. shows house number that needs it

 

 3. up to neighbours to initiate contact based on education which we have  provided

 

- using a new technology(s) simply to download this information

 

- potentially could have an online equivalent if people prefer which is JUST as simple… eg. using twitter to ‘tweet’ what people need. 

 

THE THINGS?

- could be anything! just depends on what people need… a coffee grinder? a dvd? a magazine? ski gear? camping gear? a textbook? children’s toys? power tools? food? travel books? garden supplies?

 

 

 

THE MARKETING STRATEGY (promo campaign/simple system): 

 

NEW TECHNOLOGIES COULD USE:

/ USB KEY THING

 

/ SOMETHING TO DO WITH LETTERBOXES: 

using a bluetooth sticker to show that they’re part of Open Door, which is placed on letterbox. 

 

/ BLUETOOTH POSTER:

Bluetooth posters are a new and exciting way of advertising your product or service. Poster sites are part of our way of life and your cannot go a day without noticing one. An hotspot logo on the poster will allow people to download more details about the product or service, it can tell your where your nearest retailer is located or even give you the capability to buy it now either through reverse billing or using Paypals new mobile service. The average range of Bluetooth proximity marketing is 100 meters, although with advances in technology, this distance is increasing. 

 

http://www.bluetoothmarketingsystem.com/ >>>fantastic website for this 

 

/ SMS

 

 

VISUAL DIRECTION:

idea 1. having on a bluetooth poster a photo of household objects. caption: what if you could open a door 10metres from your house for all of this… and for free?introducing, open door.  load up or load down your street or house’s list HERE, or go to (website/twitter page). (bluetooth technology logo + instructions underneath)

 

 

MARKETING QUESTIONS:

/ who are we trying to target here?

 

/ lead by example? does there need to be a literal example that people can follow – like a mascot? 

 

/ establishing TRUST and a PERSONAL CONNECTION within the street needs to be part of marketing strategy. v important. 

 

/ making the whole thing about being part of a CLUB! that makes a difference..today! people respond to status anxiety. 

 

/ we need to market the concept of sharing as a BRAND. a PRODUCT. something cool, fun…something that people will want to follow.  

focus group results

FOCUS GROUP #1

Under what conditions would you be willing to share your belongings, skills or knowledge with your neighbours or local community members.

For example, how well would you need to know them, would you need an incentive (eg. something in return, more of an exchange, or would it have to be for money? or would you purely do it for the good of community?

- I’ve been involved in a Language swap via Gumtree (no money), but wasn’t so localized so I had to meet people over the other side of the city. It did work, and it was beneficial. I think a skill swap can work.

- I always judge someone when I first meet them, and I go by that. Age group is important – I wouldn’t meet with older men.

- I would only be willing to share with people in my street, you know where they live and you can get it back easily. To begin with, it should be secluded to your own street, and then once it gains momentum and people are more aware of it and responsible, it can expand in area. If someone has a problem with someone in their own street – everyone knows about it. “report a bad person” Because it’s so localised, no-ones in the dark about it.

- Definitely if it was in my street I would be willing to share belongings with someone even if I didn’t know them prior.

- I think I would be more willing to be involved in sharing of services. Don’t think I would be willing to share my belongings, I don’t want people using my stuff. I wouldn’t really ask to borrow anything.

- I would just ask to borrow from my friends if I needed something. If I got to know the neighbours in my street I would borrow things from them.

- Young people tend to move a lot, renting houses that sort of thing, That could be an obstacle. If someone’s only been living in a house for 6 months or something, how well are you going to trust them, because they could leave with something you’ve lent them.

- I used Gumtree when I was looking for houses which was quite good. Gumtree can be quite localised. I know people that have bought stuff off Gumtree. The system does work.

- Although its a bit greedy, I’d want to feel as though there was an exchange. Do a kind thing, but do I get a kind thing back? You don’t want to be the one person that everyone borrows from. The idea of exchange of services is good, trade of skills and knowledge within your street.

- If I was lending something of value, it would have to know them quite well. I would have to have touched points with them a few times. Get to know them, and feel as though you can trust them. Food and appliances I’d be more comfortable lending. However more personal belongings I’d be more hesitant with.

- One of the Systems and Services projects from last semester was about communal belongings – certain people owned certain things, so only one person had a washing machine that everyone used.

- I guess really – only one person needs to own a lawn mower in each street.

If there was a secure online system available to share and borrow within your local community, would you be willing to take part in it?

- yes but needs to be localised really narrowly – that makes it more safe.

- There would have to be some for of meeting – I would want to meet them before hand, not just communicate online.

Do you think it would be helpful if you could borrow and share belongings rather than buying stuff? For example, a bike pump or a ladder?

- For shy people probably not. It would be better if there was an option for an online or offline connection.

- Cameras would be good to borrow. But more so skills – if someone in my street wanted to know how to use flash and they knew how to use another program that I didn’t – I’d be more inclined to swap skills like that. Or if I wanted to learn to play guitar or something.

- Kitchen appliances, video games, dvds…

- I wouldn’t lend someone in my street something of monetary value if I wasn’t sure I was going to get it back.

- If I could design a business card for a landscape design in my street and he could do my front yard – something like that would be better.

- Knowing what skills people have – there needs to be some sort of online hub where you could find out what was available within your local area.

- If I had an electric mixer… or blender that I never really use, I’d be happy to lend people, I don’t really care. Sure I care if they run off with it, but if they live in my street I’m more confident I’d get it back and people would be responsible.

- Thats the whole issue with how well you know them, because some people at first can be really nice.

- If its young people they have no money, their not as trustworthy.

Do you think sharing things would help you get to know your neighbours, or do you think it’s more the other way around, where you have to get to know your neighbours first, and THEN you’d be willing to share?

- Yes as you mentioned before the idea of an even where you could meet your neighbours, you need that initial contact point. Then an online hub when you already know them.

- In my street thats not likely to happen – my street has no young people. Instead of having an event, if iniitially everyone posted up their skills to create an initial trust, and get to know each other that way. Like a notice board where you can post.

Things like that already do exist – community notice boards exist in most suburbs – do any of you use that? No

Do you think that is because of how the system works – how the news is delivered, or is it disinterest in the system in general? Do you think if that system delivered the information to you in a more immediate efficient way, would you be more responsive to it? Or is it just you don’t use it because you’re not interested in it?

- I think its more that you don’t know about it. It’d be good to have something where people could post things like for example, notifying the neighbourhood that you were burguled last week…

So its not so much about sharing, more about community information?

- It might be good to let everyone know if you were having a garage sale or things like that.

- Near my house there is a notice board outside some shops that has been there forever, but I never notice it. However my sister found a notice on it about someone selling puppies – so thats how we got our dog!

- Its really effective if people could put information up thats current and relevant to your street. I’d take notice. I’d be a good way also to get to know people in your street – I don’t even know who half the people in my street are.

Initially online, or offline ‘get to know you’?

- Because of the way society is structured nowdays, its all online. But thats what this is trying to break – but initially it needs to be known online. But there has to be initial marketing so its known about it.

- Offline

- Online

- Offline. Everyone in my street is old and doesn’t have a computer. But if I was living somewhere full of young people, I’d say online. It depends on where you live and the people i that neighbourn=hood.

- At the start, you need face to face. You would have to come to my door and tell me about an event, otherwise I probably wouldn’t go. I would just ignore an email. Once I met them, then be online.

Suggestions: suitable event?

- Bbq, afternoon tea. Sunday arvo when most people are home.

- Young people are probably more likely to go if it was a bbq and there was beer.

- Just needs to be something casual where people can walk out of their house, even just for half an hour. If its too much effort, people wont go.

Opinions: Initial campaign explaining benefits

- Definately. You need to know what you’re going to get out of it.

- The whole governement initiative seed that gets into your brain about hte benefits of getting to know your neighbours, raises social awareness.

- Pre-campaign that was exciting and got you interested you would be more willing to get involved.

- Like with your survey, I just thought I didn’t really care, don’t want to get to know your neighbours. But now thinking about the social structure of society, the environmental benefits that come from it, I didn;t think of that at all. But if I was provided with that information initially I would definately be more on board.

- Gen Y, its all about me. You need to make people think about what the benefits are.

Is the general perception that the service needs to work as an exchange?

- Not necessarily, because if you are going to use this service for the rest of your life, you will get something back, what goes around comes around. I don’t think if you lend someone something, you need to get something back immediately.

FOCUS GROUP #2

Under what conditions would you be willing to share your belongings, skills or knowledge with your neighbours or local community members.

For example, how well would you need to know them, would you need an incentive (eg. something in return, more of an exchange, or would it have to be for money? or would you purely do it for the good of community?

- would it be restricted just to street? yes.

- it’s also about excluding – making sure it’s about being part of a group

- what are the benefits of getting to know your neighbour? - creates a safer community – depends what community you live in – my friend who lives in glen waverly he asks neighbours to mind house – my area is ‘dodgy’

opinion: sharing belongings?

- if they knew them for a while, only if they really needed it

- first step is building trust, establishing an environment where there is trust

opinion: online/offline initial meeting?

- online doesn’t provide reinforcement. would need to be block party or street party. otherwise becomes like facebook stalking.

- it might need to be a personal, physical party

- we don’t have street parties, it’s just not that sort of neighbourhood. but it would be interesting to try and see if it could happen and we could try to get people to mingle, and then once there is that initial knowing each other, then bringing in a system that can enable people to talk more about themselves, list some things they have, be friendly – if people are willing to do it, because not everyone IS willing to do it.. some neighbours are complete jerks, and some are psychos.

if there was an environment that created the opportunity to get to know your neighbours, would you be willing then, to share?

- i think it’s important to make it really personal. for a lot of people

- i think if there’s a cool little quirky system in place, that enables this system to work on a personal level within your street, that could be interesting to see what people do with it

maybe we need an initial campaign which promotes the benefits of sharing and getting to know your neighbours within your street, and THEN people get it, and then after that the service or event happens?

- absolutely. we’re doing copyright for our project, but the problem is that nobody cares. so what we’re doing is trying to make them a little bit more interested in it

- i think you’ll need some sort of incentive or reward in the immediate sense, like how neighbourhood watch have those stickers – it’s that association thing, that you’re part of a group – like those yellow safety house stickers when you were a kid. it creates a community by putting a sticker on your fence.

- if you could put a sticker on your letterbox to let people know that you’re a part of it

- like number 15 or number 25, can be added… become part of a club that’s non-exclusive, but rather, inclusive.

If there was a secure online system available to share and borrow within your local community, would you be willing to take part in it?

- if it was going to happen, i don’t think it should be online. it would be freaky if someone was to knock on your door after that. it would be weird talking to your neighbour online, because you live nearby anyway, why not talk face-to-face.

- stear away from sharing belongings?

- i think it’s a case where you offer your own services, you know – paint someone’s fence or something like that – so that it’s not someone forcing you to give up something which you may or may not want to give up?

would it have to be something which responds to a need, or would people be willing to just list things that they’re willing to share, straight off?

- i think the reward is important so maybe it’s an exchange as opposed to a one-sided thing

would you all find it beneficial if you could access the knowledge, skills/belongings of your neighbours?

- i think i’d just give my friend a call. it’s that fear of the unknown… maybe if it was more about skills, what you do?

- there’s also the risk of getting too personal.

- but there are a lot of people who are willing to share those things…

- if you categorised it? gumtree is in the right place…

is there that trust within our age group? under what conditions? how many points of contact would you need?

- it’s more quality not quantity

- there’s a guy who lives in my street who apparently knows a lot about lighting, but  i’m not sure that i’d be willing to knock on his door, even if i needed that service..?

- i think you’d have to be quite generalised with the demographic you’re targeting. you can’t be exclusive, you guys are talking about creating a community.

- i think people are selfish. they don’t want to give favours.

completely getting rid of the concept of sharing – if there was an online ‘dialogue’ – kind of like neighbourhood watch online – which let you know what was going on within your street…

- if it’s online, it has to stay online… it shouldn’t become like online datingopin

opinion: initial campaign…

- new technologies can be a new METHOD, not necessarily a new technology. implementing a new system/service is still a new technology.

- you need to create the infrustrucutere to keep this thing going… looking at the social aspects

- maybe it’s about the idea of status anxiety, being part of a club

- there needs to be a sense of immediacy. maybe people get something in the mail that’s different from a flyer. something multifunctional. make it fun.

- very skeptical. you get to know each other naturally. i don’t find it natural, at all… to sign up online. if i was to get to know them i’d knock on their door, it shouldn’t be online, i wouldn’t sign up online.

- it reminds me of that seinfeld episode….

- no, i’d get to know my neighbours in my own time, i wouldn’t sign up…

- facebook network like high school ulumni work… giving people the choice, enabling levels of depth of commitment.

Similar projects

http://www.loanables.com/

Web site that “brings together people who have worthwhile items to loan out and people who want to borrow them.”

It works by loaners posting items for others to rent – they get to decide the terms of the rental, including price and security deposit. Borrowers request to borrow things, and loaners can allow or deny.

They state the benefits as being the following:

• Make money off the stuff that’s gathering dust in your garage, closet, attic, or driveway.
• Save money by borrowing things that you only need infrequently.
• Help the environment by reusing instead of consuming.

Loanables started out as two families living in Austin, TX who realized the untapped power of neighborly connections. More specifically, we observed a couple of trends that we felt needed to be changed:

1) Neighbors tend to be strangers.

We enjoy our neighbors and our neighborhoods, and we welcome the opportunity to meet more of the folks who live in our area. The trend today is towards less neighborly interaction. Many people communicate more with folks halfway around the world than with the families living just a couple of doors away. That seems odd to us.

2) People have a lot of unused stuff.

We realize how much “stuff” the average family accumulates, and more specifically, how much dust this stuff collects from not being used most of the time.

So we said “hey, why not put these together in a way that benefits everyone!” And Loanables was born.

http://blog.loanables.com/2007/05/loanables-mission.html

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http://us.zilok.com/

More of an online rental marketplace that isn’t as community focused as the above, also charges fees. However worth looking at how the system is structured.

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http://www.freelender.org/

Freelender is a free online service which allows you to borrow and share things amongst your local community.

The freelender.org service has been set up with the following aims:

• To strengthen people’s connection with their local community
• To reduce resource use
• To reduce the amount of clutter in people’s lives

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http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/006082.html

Use Community: Smaller Footprints, Cooler Stuff and More Cash

This article begins by outlining the environmental problems associated with consumerism. It explains existing systems such as tool-sharing and car-sharing and how they work. It then proposes:

What’s more, why stop with drills and cars? We already share exercise equipment (gyms), books (libraries), outdoor space (parks) and short-haul rides (taxis); what kind of a scenario might present itself if we took the concept one step further?

Let’s call it a use community. Imagine a member-owned facility located in the heart of a dense urban neighborhood where I could not only access a tool library, a laundry room, a gym and a shared car, or what-have-you, but access a whole suite of services designed to outsource my responsibility for owning or buying things.

One could also over-lay this basis of shared space and shared objects with systems for informal sharing — like Sharer! or RentAThing, even a place-based FreeCycle — so that me and my fellow members could function as one large, informal, distributed product-service system on top of the formal program. Heck, we could even go the whole nine yards and host various neighborly technologies like yellow chairs.

The whole article is very useful.

lending libraries on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLvGBcpzJf4

research plan

This week: Conduct survey 

Monday 28th: Conduct focus group, write research aims for case study

Tuesday 29th: Conduct case study, field trip

Wednesday-Thursday: Write case study report 

All the time researching new technologies and thinking about possibilities for this project.

initial thoughts and ideas

> event launch for website. sharing. get to know each other. other promotional material for the concept using new technologies.

1. website (or iphone app) for each suburb

2. categories of stuff/knowledge/skills of what you need (“can you do it // do you have it // do you know it”)
/ food
/ music
/ reading
/ digital entertainment
/ sport
/ toys
/ travel
/ craft
/ household items
/ fix it
/ clothing
/ health
/ everything else

OTHER THOUGHTS:
/ wordcloud? showing the most popular categories needed
/ possible email/notification of this to be sent to all in area.
/ photos of stuff comes up – or for skills/knowledge it could just be a word

3. when photo/word is clicked on, a house number will appear (possibly with other information such as name, photo etc.)

4. from then on it is up to the audience to instigate further involvement

research

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/events

Interesting use of technology to create an interactive - collaborative art 

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http://www.roundtheworldconnected.com/blog

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http://72rivingtonstreet.com/library/

72 Rivington Street is the new physical home of YCN, a multi - purpose space comprising a public ground floor, two floors of studio and a rooftop too.

YCN create projects and platforms to showcase emerging talent; as well as producing design, campaigns and other communication for varied clients. The ground floor at 72 Rivington Street is open publicly daily, to present the outcomes of YCN projects alongside other creative work and products.

72 Rivington Street is open daily from 10am and currently incorporates a lending liibrary that’s free to join and that presents a stimulating collection of publications.

The lending library includes a colourful collection of stimulating books and magazines; available to borrow for 14 days.

Membership is free, and application forms can be collected in the space. 

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www.movingbrands.com

the moving brands blog has some interesting examples of new technology uses…

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http://www.popsci.com.au/diy/article/2005-08/free-neighborhood-wi-fi

this article discusses the concept of sharing a wi-fi connection within your neighbourhood to establish a connected online environment within your area

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http://www.ehow.com/how_2045814_plan-neighborhood-block-party.html

looking at the concept of block parties – how to plan one!

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http://www.worldchanging.com/archives//003297.html

article on the concept of ‘neighbournode’

- a service “that uses urban density and geographic proximity to faciliate hyperlocal networks…Neighbornodes are group message boards on local wireless networks. And local here meansreally local — the nodes transmit a signal for about 300 feet. When you get online using your nearest Neighbornode, you have access to the node’s bulletin board, where you can both read and post….From finding out why the nearest laundromat has shut down (big local quality of life issue, trust me!) to why the cops were on the block last night, from where the good yard sale is to changes in local zoning, to simply making a few friends right nearby, there are all sorts of down-to-earth reasons it might be good to shift attention from the cross-continental, trans-oceanic network for a bit, and get better connected with the local neighborhood.

It’s almost counterintuitive in our era, when tech and electronics, and networks, are praised for their growing power — in megahertz or gigabytes, or millions of eyeballs across thousands of miles exposed to given content — but the Neighbornode’s limited range is part of what gives it value.”

hello world, hello neighbour!

Introducing the exploration of how well we know our neighbours and the benefits of strengthening local communities, Felicity Mitchem and Noemie Le Coz are working together to produce a project which provides a physical representation of this exploration. 
Our initial findings are represented in our literature review, with key points highlighted in yellow. Happy reading!