In a future of increasingly automated and disconnected lifestyles, the ritual of drinking tea becomes one of the few moments of respite from the impersonal world around us. I am interested in the intersection of customer experience, wellbeing, and cultural perspectives. Drawing on ancient Japanese tea ceremonies, I wish to understand people's sensory experience when drinking tea and how this ritual can positively affect our psychological wellbeing. Additionally, as the importance of sustainability becomes more prevalent to the ecological survival of our planet, I am interested in exploring how tea culture relates to the environment.
Domain Research
My research process led me to explore a range of domains related to Tea culture, the future of human connection, and wellbeing. During this stage, I interviewed several experts in various fields to understand their areas of expertise and projections about how these domains will evolve in the future. Below I will outline insights from each domain and how they relate to my future scenario and inform the artefact I will create.
Japanese Tea Culture
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In order to gain a foundational understanding of Japanese Tea culture, I contacted Ian Fookes, a lecturer of cultural studies at the University of Auckland. Ian teaches classes about Japanese culture and is also a keen member of the Auckland based Japanese Tea Ceremony club.
Japanese Tea culture is a meditative approach to improving social and personal wellbeing. Through my conversation with Ian, he described how Tea culture takes people away from the pressure of life to recharge and nourish themselves. The Tea room itself is based on the idea that one can create a world separate from everyday life, however, it encourages one to incorporate it’s values into one's life. Tea ceremonies are in many ways informal diplomacy and promote ideals found in Zen and Confusion practices such as becoming mindful of your environment and finding an inner peace. Tea is also related to health benefits as Matcha, which is often used in ceremonies, is rich in antioxidants and promotes longevity. Taking these elements together, Ian states that Tea culture creates healthy and mindful habits which are beneficial for holistic wellbeing.
In addition, Tea culture fosters intense environmental awareness. Japanese Tea ceremonies act on the once-in-a-lifetime principle. This encourages us to recognise that every opportunity to make Tea is sacred and in a broader sense, everything in life is limited. The once in a lifetime concept links to sustainability and encourages awareness of what's at stake in losing the environment. Therefore, in some ways, Tea culture promotes conscious consumerism through attitudes to material things such as not using disposable items and only taking what one needs from the earth. This sustainable aspect of Tea changes one's attitude to time and relationships with other people, actively engaging in gratitude for our environment. Tea culture is highly connected with nature, and everything is related to the seasons, including the utensils, ceremony type, calligraphy, sweets and flowers present during the ceremony. This means ceremonies are highly sensorially rich, and one becomes intensely aware of one’s relation to the physical environment. Ian describes this experience as almost a practice of mindfulness and joy as one is always looking forward to the next ceremony to celebrate the change in seasons. The environmentalist undertones to Tea practice are something I wish to acknowledge throughout my design process.
Tea culture also fosters social connection as a form of social meditation. Practising Tea fosters awareness of the social community and creates a stable identity for people. This connection to place and local community allows people to manage the pressures of fitting into society.
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Therefore, a Tea ceremony becomes a place of inclusion where everyone is connected in ritual to celebrate social relationships. Ian remarks that through ceremonies, one creates a strong connection to other Tea club members, the Tea master and nature as it makes you acknowledge your surroundings and relation to other people. Additionally, Tea has the potential to connect us to imagined communities. According to Ian, when you are part of Tea culture, you feel part of an imagined community of people who are also part of the culture. Although everyone may have a different imagination built around the meaning of their practice, we are all connected through it. I enjoy this aspect of creating communities through Tea culture and wish to investigate this for my future design.
I asked Ian to share his vision for what role Tea culture has to play in our future, he responded that Tea will reconnect future societies with mindful values of traditional Tea practice. Tea is already commonly occupying spaces in ultra-modern environments due to rapid urbanisation, as seen in Japan. Tea culture is increasingly being relied on as a form of respite from the everyday in urban centres and even acts as a digital detox for some. From these insights, I speculate that Tea culture will be very important for those who practice it in reconnecting with nature, with others socially and with oneself in an ever dehumanised future.
Human Connection
Alongside researching Tea culture, I sought to understand how wellbeing is intertwined with human connection and how my future artefact can create a meaningful experience for those who interact with, underpinned by the values of human-centred design. During this process I spoke out to several experience designers; Kris Nygren, a consulting partner at Pricewaterhouse Cooper. Shanshan Zhou, a designer at Optimal Workshop. And Alistair St Pierre, a freelance designer.
Designing for the Human Experience
Through my research, I found there is an increasing push toward designing for the human experience. Shanshan Zhou positions that human connection makes design valuable, and humanistic perspectives are critical to design futures.
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Designers employ strategies to appeal to our emotional side, spark curiosity and foster engagement in a world that is becoming lost in consumerism and digitisation. As Kris Nygren commented, there is constant competition to create memorable experiences in an oversaturated market for consumers with limited attentional capacity. Human-centred designers approach their work with the intent to create a metaphysical element such as telling a story. Beckoning the user in, the design’s story reveals itself slowly as users interact with it and draw on human emotions to evoke a deeper level of relating. Therefore, Alistair St Pierre states that understanding human psychology allows us to investigate how good design captures the human mind—enabling us to draw insights into how we should approach designing for the future through behavioural and cognitive analysis.
In their report regarding ‘Experiences Customers Want’ Wunderman Thompson emphasises the value of personalisation as a key to maintaining human connection with a design. The report highlights a trend that people are becoming more willing to give up personal data to receive products and services tailored to their wants and needs (Wunderman Thompson, 2020). This insight is brought to life by the exhibition ‘Playful Self’ by Alex Rothera, a case study that draws on biometric data-driven interactions to create unique experiences and promotes environmental awareness (I have analysed this case study in relation to my project in another blog). Additionally, Alistair StPierre speculates that mindfulness fata will become the next frontier for designing mental health solutions. He states that there will be a tool to measure the psychological impact of our environment and experiences in the future. Furthermore, Alistair positions that designing for the future of wellbeing requires systems through which people can understand themselves better. Taking this research together, I will aim to use aspects of personalisation in my future design to create a unique experience for each person and foster a more profound awareness of oneself and the environment.
An Optimistic Future
A strong trend that resonates throughout my research is a focus on creating optimistic futures. This has been particularly emphasised during the COVID-19 era. Wunderman Thompson’s report ‘Future 100’ pinpoints 25 trends shaping culture, behaviour and brands. The report highlights that people are seeking out good news now more than ever, emphasising the strong link between mental wellbeing and the impact of what we consume as part of our environment (Wunderman Thompson, 2020).
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Additionally, brands project positivity and engage in marketing messages of unity, solidarity, and hope to connect with their customers. Optimising was also a strong theme throughout my conversations with experience designers; collectively, they were hopeful for a positive future and actively designed to make this belief a reality. This trend of optimism reveals that brands are intentionally stepping toward human-focused design and marketing strategies that appeal to the human need for positive wellbeing. Working with these insights, my design will strongly emphasise fostering positivity and improving mental health.
A Digital Future
Another aspect I researched is human connection in an ever digitised future. The pandemic has catalysed the use of digital spaces to facilitate human connection in the absence of in-person meetings. Additionally, social media platforms are taking steps to become intimate and sheltered spaces that foster digital communities' pockets. Wunderman Thompson states that digital socialisation is here to stay and redefines our connected lives' fabric in both positive and negative ways.
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Digital technology is already becoming second nature to us integrated into the daily human experience. For example, our smartphones act as a second brain constantly by our side as a digital personal assistant, entertainer and much more. Soon innovations such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink will become commonplace, and the line between humans and cyborgs will blur even further. This points toward a transhumanist future in which humans develop technology that overcomes biological barriers to function in our future world (Solon, 2017; TRT World, 2020). In my future scenario, I wish to include elements of a transhuman future and explore how this way of being may impact wellbeing positively or negatively.
Future Wellbeing
My second research domain is centred around the role nature and the environment play in our mental health. Mental health issues are a widespread epidemic worsened by the impacts of social media, COVID-19 and the perpetuation of stigma against mental health issues (Remme et al., 2021). Poor mental health creates problems at all levels of society impacting productivity at work, leading to poor health habits and combative behaviour (Wunderman Thompson, 2021). The United Nations predicts that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050 and this rapid urbanisation will lead to a disconnect to the natural environment. Denaturalisation combined with digitisation will lead to a loss of human connection, placing a high risk on the wellbeing for those who reside in future urban spaces. Due to this high risk status, I wish to focus on my research in sustainable and indigenous approaches to improving mental wellbeing for those in future cities, creating a speculative design that will serve a real need based on current trends.
Biophilia and Wellbeing
To research this area I reached out to Gregory Bratman, a scholar and progressor of environmental science. His work primarily investigates how nature experience impacts human mental wellbeing, specifically cognitive function, mood, and emotion regulation, with an emphasis on people living in urban environments. Although I wasn’t able to interview Gregory, he pointed me toward his research on Biophilia. Fundamental to Bratman’s work is the fact that humans have developed to live in harmony with our natural surroundings; due to this, we have an innate need to connect with nature on physical and emotional levels. This connection is directly linked to our inter and intrapersonal wellbeing. Many psychological problems created by societies departing from rural life and moving to cities can be resolved using biophilic designs. Several empirical studies have proved that direct and indirect experiences of nature have a multitude of positive effects on our overall wellbeing (Remme et al., 2021). In my work, I will emphasise Tea and Tea Culture’s connection to nature to leverage quantifiable benefits of biophilic design, reconnecting people in future cities to the natural world and improving their overall wellbeing.
Future Cities
A guest lecture by Gary Marshall about social innovation in sustainability and design inspired me to research more into what life will be like in future urban spaces. Gary Marshall is a designer and landscape architect working at Resilio Studio. I also reached out to Alessandro Premier to discuss this domain; Alessandro is the co-director of Auckland’s Future Cities Research Hub. Throughout my conversation with Gary and Alessandro, they stated that re-naturalising urban environments is key to maintaining sustainable practices and positive mental wellbeing for urban residents.
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Integrating nature into future cities will also allow us to combat the nature deficit disorder phenomenon as current cities are a super stimuli and unsustainable to our human condition as we evolved to live in harmony with the natural world. However, Alessandro emphasised that re-naturalising cannot simply be tokenistic biophilic designs and urban greenery can be leveraged more beneficial for urban community farming. He stated that to have a sustainable future, everything must be intentional, multifaceted and self-sustaining without the support of external institutions. These conversations with Gary and Alessandro have prompted me to evaluate the sustainability of my design at every step of the process to facilitate a green vision of the future.
Pacific Approaches to Wellbeing
In keeping with my framework, I wanted to include indigenous approaches to wellbeing in my research and maintain cultural competence from a New Zealand based Maori and Pasifika perspective. Cultural competence requires an awareness of cultural diversity and the ability to function effectively and respectfully when designing for a future with diverse people. In order to maintain integrity to my indigenous and pluriversal design framework, I contacted the University of Auckland professor Juila Ioane to gain her expertise surrounding Pacific psychology.
Julia and I discussed my existing knowledge regarding cultural clinical psychology models. According to Julia, these pacific models of wellbeing are influenced by environmental factors and will be greatly impacted by future urban living. Both the Maori health model, Te Whare Tapa Wha, and Pacific Fonofale model for mental health and wellbeing emphasise environmental and social influences, which links to my previous study on human connection. Te Whare Tapa Wha and Fonofale have five core components to mental health; social, spiritual, physical, mental and emotional, and lastly, family, the foundation for cultural roots and the land. Additionally, these models are encompassed by elements of the environment, time and context. These holistic worldviews to wellbeing emphasise the importance that different aspects of our lives play in impacting mental health. Therefore Maori and Pacific cultures have very collective and pluriversal ways of being to maintain good health in all areas of the model.
(Fonofale Model for Wellbeing)
Values-based perspectives such as indigenous models for wellbeing will become increasingly important in future urban settings. Julia emphasised that Pacific and indigenous values have an important role in future mental wellbeing. These holistic worldviews must be at the table to design inclusive futures. This sentiment is echoed in previous conversations I had with Alessandro Premier and Allistair StPierre. They state that we need to step back from western perspectives and create spaces that allow people to learn from and experience other cultures, such as Maori and Pacifica, or more geographically removed cultures such as Japanese. Reflecting upon these conversations, they reinforce the pluriversal approach I set out in my design framework. I will strive to incorporate holistic and inclusive aspects to designing my future artefact for improving wellbeing.
Final Research Insight
Throughout researching these various domains, I found that a common thread through my findings was that both tea and nature have the potential to become highly beneficial in improving our wellbeing. In particular, I wish to focus upon future urban environments that I predict will reap the most benefits of tea culture and natural remedies for boosting mental health due to the increasing denaturalisation that threatens even current urban environments. Following this reasoning, I formed my speculative insight into the future role tea will have in wellbeing.
If you would like to read further about the specific interview insights I gained throughout this process please head to this google document. To view my progress checks and timeline throughout this process please head to this google document.
Systems Map, Timeline and Scenarios
This research process led me to explore a range of domains relating to Tea culture and the future of wellbeing. During this part of my process, I switched to heavily using Miro to organise my ideas and will include screen captures of relevant parts of the process as we go on. I used Miro to create a speculative timeline and speculative scenarios about the future of tea and wellbeing. The creation of the system map below is actually a step I took later on to create greater clarity for myself about how my domain research linked together. However, I think it is best to present this information to you now so that you have greater clarity understanding this project. The system map synthesises insights from my research domains, showing how they link together. I highlighted key areas of interest within this research, which inform my speculative scenarios later on.
View my Miro board here to get a closer look
Visualisation Process
My visualisation process initially took me in two directions. First, I created two mood boards to inspire my artistic style for my visualisation throughout this process. The first mood board featured artistic renderings of people predominantly in a corporate Memphis style, often either faceless or emotionless. I wanted to use this style as it links to the aspect of cyborg dehumanisation as well as depleted wellbeing in future cities. However, after I ruminated over this for several days, I decided that my original mood board's drawing based art style does not convey enough realism regarding my scenario. Therefore I also explored a mixed media style using photographs. I believe this photo surrealism aspect allows the viewer to relate to the speculative scenario more.
Creative Writing Process
After brainstorming with my lecturer Nick, I decided to base my creative writing about my future scenario on a Japanese prose format Haiku and Haibun. Haibun is a poetry form that combines with Haiku. Haibun prose is usually very descriptive to evoke a sensory impression in the reader. The Haibun is traditionally followed by a haiku that serves to deepen the meaning of the prose, intensifying its themes. A Haiku is a Japanese poem of traditionally seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five. This prose also typically evokes images of nature. I will draw loose inspiration from this format, not sticking to the syllable rules of the Haiku but taking the general approach of three lines. For both the Haiku and Haibun I will focus on telling a descriptive story of a man in the future and how his interactions with Tea culture change his perceptions of the city, focusing on his environment and feelings.
Bringing It All Together
After completing my creative writing, I returned to finish the accompanying visualisation. My intent with this visualisation was to portray aspects of the character, environment and tea ceremony that are the focus of my prose. See below the outline of my visualisation process.
Final Outcome
I am happy with the outcome of my speculative scenario. I believe that my visualisation and the accompanying prose coherently synthesise my domain research. Overall, I am pleased that my outcome reflects the message I conveyed through my insight. Reflecting on the process of this assignment, I truly enjoyed researching further into my interests and tea and wellbeing. The second half of the process, including creating the visualisation and creative writing, was more challenging than I anticipated, and in the future, I would like to spend more time honing my skills in these areas.
References:
Roy P. Remmea,b,1, Howard Frumkinc, Anne D. Guerrya,d, Abby C. Kinge,f, Lisa Mandlea, Chethan Sarabug, Gregory N. Bratmand, Billie Giles-Cortih, Perrine Hamela,i, Baolong Hanj, Jennifer L. Hicksk, Peter Jamesl,m, Joshua J. Lawlerd, Therese Lindahln,o, Hongxiao Liup, Yi Luq, Bram Oosterbroekr, Bibek Paudels, James F. Sallist,u, Jasper Schipperijnv, Rok Sosicˇw, Sjerp de Vriesx , Benedict W. Wheelery, Spencer A. Woodd, Tong Wuj, and Gretchen C. Dailya,z. 2020. An ecosystem service perspective on urban nature, physical activity, and health. PNAS 2021 Vol. 118 No. 22 e2018472118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2018472118
Solon, Olivia. 2017. Elon Musk says humans must become cyborgs to stay relevant. Is he right? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/15/elon-musk-cyborgs-robots-artificial-intelligence-is-he-right
TRT World, 2020. Towards a cyborg future: Study reveals support for human enhancement. https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/towards-a-cyborg-future-study-reveals-support-for-human-enhancement-39984
Wunderman Thompson. 2021. Well-series: APAC
Wunderman Thompson. 2020. Experiences Customers Want. https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/experiences-customers-want
Wunderman Thompson. 2020. The 25 trends shaping culture, behavior and brands. https://www.wundermanthompson.com/insight/the-future-100-2-0-20
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