here2aid

Introduction/Back Story

For my Final Body of Works to graduate my BA Graphic Design degree, I knew that I wanted to do something centred around helping those who society tends to suppress. As a social activist, I advocate for equality of race, gender and class.

In January 2018, a homeless man died on the street due to his sleeping bag being taken away. As we continued to see an increase in the cold weather and snow due to the Beast from the East, the deaths among the homeless had risen. However, it wasn't the death toll that affected me the most; it was the sadness that I felt when I realised that I couldn't even empathise the suffering and pain that rough sleepers must experience, while we turn on our heating and wrap up warm.

I remember visiting New York City in February 2017, and a statement from a homeless man really stood out to me "I know I'm a worthless piece of shit" he said "but could I please have some food", and of course, just off of the forever busy Times Square, no one stopped to help. Every time I'm in Central London I see homeless people, who not only do not have a home but are suffering too. Walking into London College of Communication while I studied for my Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, the underpass used to be a regular spot for the homeless. Every day, when I would walk in, I would hear the begging of those in need, while everyone walked on. One day, a man was actually screaming "PLEASE! PLEASSEEEE!!"; admittedly, when you're walking through an underpass which is quite nerve-wracking alone, hearing someone screaming at you made you more determined to look ahead and exit as quick as possible. But looking back, I feel terrible, as for that man to have been screaming with such desperation, it now makes me realise the suffering he must have been experiencing - and no one stopped to help, including me.

Whenever we hear someone in need, when we are selfishly trying to get on with our day, we tend to not make eye contact and pretend that they do not exist. We turn a blind eye and allow these things to happen to other human beings. After discussing this issue with others, I noticed something. Particularly within females, I discovered that people felt uncomfortable when approaching a stranger who is asking for help. Whether it's the fear of safety or awkwardness, there is always something that prevents us from walking up to them and asking if there is anything they need. It's easy enough to throw money into a pot, as lose change (often coppers) is something that no one cares to have in their purse/wallet, however that doesn't amount to much, and there is always the uncertainty that cash donations could contribute towards the purchasing of drugs or alcohol, rather than basic survival needs. I believe that there are stereotypes and assumptions about the homeless: that they're possibly mentally unstable and drug users. This, of course, discourages people to help.

I decided this needs to change. I needed to find a way where the homeless could ask for help, and people would not only listen but would take note and feel safe enough to act on this aid to physically help. In our current Age, everyone in large cities has their phones with them. When we are pretending to ignore the pleas of the homeless, we idly scroll through our phones as a distraction.

The solution

I came up with a system called here2aid, to remind people that we are HERE to help one another and to also navigate people from their current location 'here' to where the aid is needed. The idea is that there would be digital screens (kiosks) installed around London, and possibly other towns and cities too, where rough sleepers/those in need can input a specific need or request (including any allergies that they may have, or specific requirements such as socks). Once this request has been submitted, the general public can accept these aids, almost like a quest, via their phone app. Once they have accepted the aid, a navigation system would locate the user to the digital kiosk where the request was made, so that the specific needs can be met in a public and secure environment.
This system promotes dignity, as through the use of the here2aid kiosks, the homeless do not need to physically beg people for their help - it provides them with the respect that they deserve as we are all humans. As the general public can accept or decline the requests, it still gives them the option to provide aid or not, but I believe that the virtual communication would assist with alleviating any worries or fears that people may have with approaching a stranger, as they would be accepting aid requests digitally, and then drop them off to the digital kiosk where the request was made. If the user does not want to experience physical interaction, they do not need to. Furthermore, it would encourage people to contribute, as many people do not agree with donating to charities as there are many conspiracies about where the money and the aid really goes; this way you know exactly what is being donated and to who. You have more control and a hands-on experience with doing good.

The branding and identity 

As I wanted here2aid to be respectful and overall friendly, I decided to go for a calming and approachable aesthetic, as outlined in our branding guidelines. Using shades of green and grey (as a softer substitute for black) the colour scheme is soothing and calming. Similarly, I opted for a humanist, sans-serif typeface for the app text, Myriad Pro. I used regular weight for the body text and Myriad Pro Bold for information hierarchy. Headers feature the muted green while the body is a mid-tone grey. For advertising and promotional materials that are marketing towards the general public rather than the homeless, slightly bolder methods have been used. Striking statements are written in Bureau Grotesque for more power and intensity, while still being kept soft with white on green. Black only features on the poster designs, for added contrast in order to be powerful and more attention-grabbing. The language used throughout the brand is optimistic and more hopeful, rather than emotive and dark. I wanted here2aid to have a subtle effect, rather than pushy, but an effect that makes a positive and hopeful impression. Icons have been used to accommodate text within the app, for ease of use and to echo the friendliness of the brand; this idea has been repeated within the logo and app icon/website favicon along with the colour scheme, to tie it all together. I have made a document called 'Little Book of Elements' to showcase these branding and identity decisions, to complement my project.

The outcomes

Originally, I set out to only create the design interface for both the digital kiosks to be used by the homeless and also the connecting app to be used by the general public. However, this project has developed into an entire brand, as I hope to obtain permission, funding/investors, and the ability to make this a reality. Along with creating the entire brand identity and designing the two interfaces, I have also produced a promotional video that explains the project and how it is to be used in its designed situation. I designed invitations/promotional packs that would be delivered to potential users, to inform them about the app and encourage them to download and begin to provide aid; cards from recycled t-shirts have also been produced as additional marketing tools, as on the back there is a QR code with a short snappy statement, for people to scan. By scanning the QR code they are redirected to the here2aid website, a website that I designed and developed so that people can watch the introductory video, test/experience the two apps and how they work plus also download the posters that I designed. Along with the posters, the QR code can also be downloaded, as I converted the design into stickers as a campaign idea, so that people can stick the QR code onto bins to encourage people to consider what they are throwing away and who it could not only benefit but who they can provide this too, via the app. Social media has a loud and far voice, so by creating a campaign where I will encourage participants to upload their images of the QR stickers in public locations to a controlled # tag, I hope to promote the idea of wasting less by aiding more.

Series of 10 copywriting posters

Posters

QR code cards made from recycled t-shirts

Sticker campaign

Sticker campaign

Close zine - front and back 

Open zine and envelope

Flyers and folder

A5 Flyers

Disembark

Following the States of Europe project, designing a newspaper showcasing some work from the BA Photography students, the Programme Leader and Principle Lecturer at the school of Architecture and Visual Arts asked me to design the BA Photography graduating catalogue which will be distributed during their graduating showcase, Freerange.

During the breifing with the final year students, we established that there would be aprox. 25 students, with around 4 pieces of work to showcase, plus a small amount of text. After looking at exisiting book binding examples, the students voiced that they would like the kettle stitch binding to be exposed on the spine, with no hardback cover; each student would also like to have their own signtaure, so that it feels almost like a 'book within a book'. As for materials, I provided a GF Smith sample book, and we chose Gmund Action paper in Electric Blood.


Following the meeting, I established a draft design, so that we had a PDF that could be supplied to both the paper [GF Smith] and the print company [Hill and Garwood]. As the design would need to be very minimal in order to showcase the photographic images, I decided that the communication and 'design' of the catalogue would be through the final production and the typography. I decided to use Bureau Grotesque for the headers, as I wanted something quite bold and to emulate the effect of organic, letterpressed type. For the body, I needed something readable, as the final catalogue size would be A6 (1. to keep down costs and 2. an A6 catalogue is nice and pocket sized plus it would have more of a thicker feel in relation to the overall size), then it would mean the pt size would have to be fairly small. I chose Avenir Book, as the humanist sans-serif font is contemporary (to contrast the heading type) and is also clear at any pt size. Avenir Bold and Italics have been used for creating a hierachy within the body text.

As each student would like their own siganture, I opted for a 4pp binding with the exposed stitching, so that each student would commence on the verso and end on the recto, with a spread in the centre. There would be a 'title page' for each student, showcasing one of their images and their name, while the spread houses the Project Title, body text and also the photographers website. Opposite that would be some more images, and once again on the 'back'. The design would repeat this way for each student, with the exception of one student. There was one project which did not follow this format, as the photographs are overlayed with text and are horizontal - I was advised that they did not want any images to be rotated. Due to this, it means the images would be printed smaller than A7, rendering the text too small to read. As a solution to this, I am playing with the option of having a fold out page, so that the images can be full bleed on an a6 spread fold out, or across the middle page. The result depends on the budget and quote from the print and paper company, as we are requesting a run of over 700 copies.




For the paper stock, as the main focus of the catalogue is the photography, I opted for coated paper as I wanted a silk finish. Gloss would have reflected too much light and would interfier with the readbility of the text and also the full view of the images, while uncoated paper would have made the images less vibrant and would read differently to the photographer's intentions. As we are hoping to have GF Smith sponsor the catalogue, I was limited for paper options. The closest stock to what I was looking for was PhoeniXmotion, so I have selected this for the internal paper, in the colour Xanur as I didn't want a bright white. I wanted to look of the paper to be more subtle and not so blinding. For the cover, I have requested a quote for Gmund Bier Wiezer and Chevreau Cult. I wanted something with some texture and an uncoated feel to juxtapose the internal design and to complement the industrial feel of the exposed stitching. Keeping the cover sleek, the Disembark logo that I designed will be debossed on the cover, with a clear foil to emphasise texture and rawness with a sleek and elegant finish.

Gmund Bier Wiezen

Chevreau Cult

Disembark: Photography Auction

After being asked to design the Disembark catalogue for the final year BA Photography students, I was also in charge of designing all of the marketing/advertising material for their Disembark auction. The auction took place at Shortwave Cafe near Bermondsey in Central London, in order to raise funds for the production of the 700+ catalogue run.

The original paper stock for the catalogue cover, as chosen by the photographers with my support, was to be GF Smith's Gmund Action in Electric Blood. The paper is an intensely vibrant pink-toned red, with light reflecting particles - but I later found out that it's GF Smiths most expensive paper, as it's made of crystals. Due to the possibility that this paper stock could be out of budget (subject to the fundraiser), I had to think of an alternative.

For the auction, I decided to keep a level of consistency across the catalogue design and the advertising for the catalogue auction. As the Electric Blood shade seemed to be the core of the Disembark design, I decided to emulate the shade as close as possible, using CMYK (we did not have a budget for the flyers/posters/invites so I had to improvise on keeping the design as cheap as possible).

The typography used for the designs include Bureau Grotesque [for the headers], Avenir Book [for the main body], and Avenir Bold [for creating a hierarchy within the body text]. These all worked well together for readability, compatibility and also aesthetics. Avenir was perfect for the smaller pt size used for the invites, but also the large pt size for the A2 posters while being contemporary and smooth.

As we were printing the background, rather than using coloured paper stock, I was able to add pops of white to really add a contrast to the design and make fundamental information advance from the prints.

Sprint Finish: Technofen

When I was a child during the summer I would play in the garden, giving my nan a heart attack as I zoomed down the slide and performed cartwheels, and would make my face bright red from balancing on my head for far too long. In the evenings I attended dance class and during the weekends I would be at my horse riding lessons, so I was a physically active child (and actually a pretty busy). Now and then, I would play on my PlayStation 1, often with my mum, and play the old skull games like Pandemonium, Abes Odessey and Croc - just to name a few. 

Moderation in everything is necessary - chocolate needs to be consumed in moderation; even water needs to be consumed in moderation. Technology isn’t any different. However, it’s now 2018 and we currently live in an Age where the evolution rate of technology is rapid, and the digital world is fascinating, convenient and fun. However, it can also be dangerous. 

From first-hand experience with my 3-year-old brother, I know the convenience and simpleness of handing an infant/child an iPhone with YouTube Kids pre-loaded (who knew that watching play-doh could be so addictive?!). It's an easy way to calm any oncoming tantrums, encourage them to eat their dinner, or to distract them while out in public - just to avoid a scene. Kids love it. This world of having what you want at your fingertips and loaded in an instant is everyone’s dream, and children in 2018 are living that dream - however, some psychological issues can evolve if the technology isn’t consumed like everything should be - in moderation. 

This convenience and ease of technology is replacing physical activities including playing over the park, joining a sports team/class and even interacting with physical objects other than a screen. This lack of physical communication, touch and play, changes neurological pathways in children as it creates new ones. This rewiring of the brain affects concentration, self-esteem and the ability to form deep personal relationships. The lack of hands-on activities affects the development of sensorimotor and visual-motor skills while the ‘addiction’ to technology fails to teach children empathy, moderation, impulse control or how to challenge themselves. Necessary communication skills are at risk and social anxiety, diabetes, obesity (resulting in early stroke and heart attack) could potentially form. 

As a response to this idea, I have created a dystopian future, where future generations are allowing their children to be consumed by the evolving world of technology and are artificially supplying their children with the skills in which over-consumption of technology causes them to lack - through medication. By designing a tongue-in-cheek medicinal packaging (called Technofen) that spoofs the idea of medicating children, rather than limiting their exposure to technology and encouraging physical play I am exposing the dangers that technology can have on children. 

The typeface that I have utilised for the Technofen packaging is Frutiger, a humanist sans-serif typeface. The reason for this font selection is that I wanted to emulate the aesthetics of NHS branding - to some extent, while also having a contemporary feel. Using existing medicine packaging as an inspiration, I included all of the essential information, such as age/dosage, expiry date, batch number and other fine details. By paying attention to crucial but over-looked details I was able to create a clear design that communicates pharmaceuticals. The colour scheme was kept minimal, with black text against white, for a contrasting and contemporary/minimalist feel (as I am designing for the future) with each product having one assigned colour. These colours are pastel shades as I am branding these products for children, but marketing them at adults; thus I wanted to use colours that are associated with babies (such as baby pink, blue, yellow) but giving them a mature twist. The packaging has been displayed in clinical, light up display boxes in order to echo the detached and cold medicinal/technological world. Using human figures 1:25 scale gives the packaging some context of being large objects in an exhibition space (I did try to physically build life-size versions, but ability, budget and deadlines rendered this to be close to impossible). 

To accompany the packaging, I have produced large prints of the packaging to be displayed as a series, so that spectators can get a feel of the scale (if they had been produced as full-size versions) and so they read the information easily and not in a smaller pt size, as the copy an important aspect of the design. Additional information documents have been printed that follow the Technofen branding but from the opposite spectrum, where it is more clear that technology is inputting some skills and also subtracting some. I have communicated this through the use of HTML code as the body copy of the design, using <del> </del> and <ins> </ins> to communicate the alteration of basic skills (in addition, 404 error not found). By using computer vernacular, it aims this product at the correct audience - those who are entirely consumed by the computer/technological world and should be aware of the dangers of overuse in children. 

The overall message of the project is to make spectators aware of the neurological effects of technology and that children should just go out and physically play, as regularly as they engage with computers in order to ensure that basic skills are developed.

Images to follow. 

Products of Our Influences

Following the uproar of the Brexit amendment of bringing EU legislation into UK law, I wanted to respond to the issue that the vote did not pass, that the UK recognises that animals are sentient beings. On the 2nd December, a demonstration in support of all animals who do feel pain took place at Trafalgar Square, walking down to the Houses of Parliament. 

Utilising this opportunity, I took direct inspiration from campaign designs and also textiles - in particular, The Pussy Hat Project, which I discovered during my visit to the Design Museum’s ‘Beazley Designs of the Year 2017’ exhibition. 

I had never attended a protest before, nor created designs/art to be used in a live protest/crowd. I wanted to participate to gain experience and inspiration, while also advocating for a cause that I believe in (animal rights). In addition to this, as I was heavily inspired by The Pussy Hat Project, I decided that I wanted to incorporate textiles and fabric within my outcome, as this is something that I hadn’t dabbled into, and wanted to experience. 

I decided to produce a collection of bandanas, which could be worn by humans and also animals, as I consider humans to be part of the animal kingdom. I wanted to unite us, and our emotions, to communicate that animals can feel emotions and pain just as we do, as we are not that different. This is symbolised not only in the act of wearing the same bandana as your pet but also in the artwork, as I have used a paw print and a human print to signify our unity. The on black on yellow is quite striking, and so I think this works well for being used during a protest, as it’s bold and eye-catching.

The last time I used a sewing machine was back in 2011, so it was challenging to remember how to operate a sewing machine, and also to create my pattern pieces from scratch - something which I had never done before. I decided to dye my fabric as opposed to purchasing yellow rolls as this is something that I had no prior knowledge or experience with, and so I wanted to challenge myself with these pieces thoroughly. 

Ideally, I would have liked to have screen printed the artwork that I created so that it had a more permanent and durable finish. However I was conscious of the mistakes that arise with screen printing (due to my limited experience); thus I didn’t want to risk ruining my limited batch of bandanas (as hand dying, cutting and stitching

 these myself, was very time consuming and resulted in a limited number of pieces of different sizes for different pets). Instead, I opted for transfer paper which was finicky and quite awkward. 

In addition to the bandanas, I printed stickers, ordered a vinyl banner to accommodate our protesting, and also a series of limited risograph prints. This includes the original artwork, as well as using the paw/handprints as a recurring tile pattern. I wanted to use the risograph during this project as I wanted to put myself as far out of my comfort zone and usual practices as possible. Following from this, I collaborated with a classmate, to illustrate UK animals that would be in danger, if the animal sentient law did not pass; this includes foxes and badgers due to hunting. These illustrations were then designed so that they would animate, and imitate your facial expressions and movement when you look at the screen (with the use of a webcam). This further emphasises our similarities, as the animal reflects your own human emotion. 

My process has been documented photographically in a collection of polaroids, screenshots and Instagram posts that have been collated within an A5 photo album. This gives it quite a human, and personal touch, as I consider this project to be a reflection of my own beliefs and issues, I believe to be of importance. 

Container Principle

I live in a walking proximity to the Thames as I am based just outside of London, and the university campus is situated along the edge of the Gallions Point Marina. Usually, when thinking of the River Thames, the words disgusting, diseased and polluted come to mind (along with an image of very foul, dirty sewage water). However, to my surprise, after a little research, I discovered that the estuary is no longer biologically dead and actually contains species that are only present in non-polluted waters. The Thames is also the cleanest river that runs through a major city. 

This information fascinated me, and I furthered my research by exploring sea life that is present in the water. I was even more shocked to discover that aquatic mammals such as seals, dolphins and porpoises have been spotted throughout London. After acquiring this information, I asked a large number of people (who are local to the city) if they knew of any life present, and also their thoughts on the Thames. All of those who I asked assumed that no life other than eels and ‘undesirable’ fish roamed the stream, thus when they were then told about the surprisingly diverse discoveries in the Thames, they were shocked, and some in utter disbelief. 

I found it surprising that as locals, we know so little about our own city and surroundings, and as a result of this lack of knowledge, the area can often be abused with littering and fly tipping.

In response to this, I have proposed the design that a shipping container (which has negative impacts on the environment) can be reused and repurposed to actually give back to the situation. I have proposed that the container is shocked with an electrical current, so that limestone crystalises on the surface, making it suitable to be eventually submerged within the river and used as an artificial algae reef, to increase the biodiversity within the estuary. However before it reaches that point, the container will be utilised as an informative gallery space, to exhibit infographics, film, art etc. that educates visitors on the life within our river. 

I have designed the container in two stages. Stage one being above water, alongside the Docklands, to be used as the education gallery and stage two being submerged in water as the artificial algae reef. This increase in primary producers will increase the primary consumers such as bottom feeders and crustaceans, which will, in turn, increase the population of small fish and then aquatic mammals. To visualise this space, I have designed the container within Unity and hope for people to be able to experience this proposal through the use of an oculus rift. This was my first time using a 3D programme, and I enjoyed the challenge of experiencing something new and learning more skills along the way.

States of Europe

I aimed for the publication to have emotion and context, even without the final images or text to communicate the language, and so I used abstract expressionist artists such as Franz Kline as a seed for inspiration. I created hand rendered, as opposed to digitally rendered (for an organic and more personal effect), aggressive brush strokes, scribbles and splatters to communicate the anger that I feel towards the current politics. I originally designed the publication with a minimalist aesthetic in mind, so that the design could be visually appealing, uncluttered and ultimately, contemporary and current, as these issues surrounding Europe are very much in the present day. However I felt that this clean and sleek design was far too pristine for such a dark and negative subject matter, which is ultimately destroying and affecting lives. To juxtapose this perfectly organised document that had been created entirely on InDesign (making the publication entirely digital and quite separate from humanity), I ripped characters from newspaper headers and created a variety of hand made collages to make up the title ‘States of Europe’. After scanning these, I made the informed decision to whack up the contrast and transform the language of the type by applying the threshold effect. This gave the type some grittiness and a rawness that resembled that of stamped type or letterpress. These bold and organic characters helped the design to feel more anarchist, especially when I overlaid red characters on top of the black. 

The use of red and black helps the design to communicate the political narrative throughout the publication without being too colourful and overpowering. I settled on a limited colour palette as I knew the photographs and text would be the main focus, and so I didn’t want to clash with any colours that may also be present within the photographs. 

There are place holder images and text at the present, but the design can accommodate for more or less images, if and when the selected and final elements are provided. Images can be repeated by enlarging certain points of focus within the image, as well as displaying the full, credited photograph. Alternatively, there is also the option to remove images so that there is more negative space, which is also suitable as there is a minimalist hint within the design. 

The use of courier gives the publication a sense of immediacy which could suggest guerrilla marketing and positive social anarchism while also being modern and current. The use of columns enables the audience to digest the information in more bitesized portions as opposed to large blocks of text that could turn people off, while the exaggerated margins help to bring some space and breathing room to the design, to help it feel less dense and overwhelming. For the headers, I opted for Bureau Grotesque as I wanted something quite heavy to compliment the minimalist style juxtaposed with the bold, emotive strokes. The collaged characters hold similarities to that of the use of letterpress and so I wanted to use a font that was intended for print, to further enforce this. 

From an audience perspective I think the information has been divided into considerable sections without being overwhelming or off-putting. The design has enough flexibility to adapt to the clients suggestions and opinions and so I am happy with the current outcome. I think the design is successful in communicate the subject matter, even without the narrative photographs or written language, and so I consider it to be successful from a design prospected.

As a response to designing a newspaper publication that will incorporate photographic essays, I decided to use the subject matter as my inspiration: States of Europe, and as such, the current geopolitical, cultural, economic and socio-political state of Europe. 

A Statement to LIVE and WORK by | Final

Who am I as a designer? During my presentation I acknowledged and expressed how my own personal works tend to have lots of depth and meaning, as I like to use my skills as a visual communication designer to provoke thought and expose social issues. I have identified my own personal reasons to why I have a passionate approach towards social equality (as identified in my previous post, click here to read) so that I can better understand where this drive comes from and why am I this way as a designer as well as a human. I also feel that as a millennial, we are the future generation and we have the power and voices to be heard if we want ideologies to be altered. Expanding on this, I feel as though my generation are more exposed to issues than previous, due to the internet playing a dominating role within our age. We are able to speak anonymously (or not) and freely, to reach an intercontinental audience with information and opinions, which is a unique aspect compared to previous generations.


For this project I began with basic, standard manifestos - a set of rules that I will aim and aspire to follow throughout the remainder of my time at university as well as my life. However I felt that these manifestos/rules were too standard and didn't say anything about me personally, as a unique and individual designer or what I stand for. Thus recapping on my presentation where I identified that social issues tend to drive most of my more passionate works, I realised that this project and any project from here on shouldn't be any different.

Letting my social activist side take over, I began to write a list of rules that have been set in place due to my gender, class and race, that I feel I am forever trying to break. I always feel the pressure of intersectionality, as every aspect of my identity overlaps with a minority class, such as my gender and ethnicity. These invisible rules that no one talks about but we feel subconsciously pressured to follow have been clearly listed within my piece.

I wanted to spotlight these invisible rules so that they could be reviewed and made visible, so that we can consciously be aware of the perimeters set by those who do not feel the constraints of a minority identity and a society that wants to keep 'us' within our lower position.

I was inspired by the Guerrilla Girls and their use of witty copy to expose issues within the Art community, so as millennial, who's childhood was shaped by the rise of technology, I opted for a list of Terms and Conditions as I am targeting my piece towards a likewise generation who have the power to promote change within our future, and this is a common colloquial that we speak. Utilising this vernacular I then outlined the rules of our oppression that I wanted to expose. Terms and Conditions are a formality that everyone tends to ignore. We scroll straight to the bottom and click "I confirm" just so we can hit next. No one reviews them, and no one questions them; just like our assigned place within society.

A sans-serif typeface is often used when outlining Terms and Conditions, so I adopted this visual language to echo that, as well as to make my work as legible as possible, modern and also aesthetically 'stripped'. I want people to stop and read, not just glance and move on. The concept and subject matter of the information and the copy is stronger and more important than a pretty picture or an interpretation. I want to be as clear as possible and have no visual 'waffle'. By photocopying and printing this poster on standard copier paper in greyscale to redistribute around London, I am emitting a street-art, protest language to prove that power, money and/or status is not required to make a change and to expose issues.

I didn't want this to be a hate piece against those who may enforce these rules upon the lower members of society, so I refer to the force enforcing these rules as 'LIFE' and 'SOCIETY', even though our only rule set by life is to reproduce, evolve and die. Thus by 'LIFE' I do not mean in the biological natural sense, I mean life as in existing as a human within our current conditions.

The thought behind this piece is that when we are born we are instantly categorised and our identities set due to conditions beyond our control such as our sex, where our parents were born, where we are born, how much money our family earns etc. By being assigned a category before we are even born, 'SOCIETY' already assigns these sets of rules despite our wishes; thus my piece exposes not only the rules, but how we play no part in agreeing or disagreeing with our conditions or role within society.

My aim is to break these rules and encourage others to do the same. I want to amend the terms and conditions of 'LIFE' that was agreed to, not by me, but 'SOCIETY' due to conditions that were beyond anyones control. I aspire to be outspoken, bold, loud, fearless. I want to shake the hierarchy and turn it on its side. We are all humans. There is no biological food chain amongst us. Naturally we are all equal in terms of prey and predator, so I want to expose this unnatural hierarchy that humans have self-enforced. My manifesto is that I want to deface the rules (terms and conditions) imposed on me due to my position within this hierarchy and I hope to encourage others to do the same.

A Statement to Live and Work by | WIP

I live by many manifestos; we all do even if you don't notice it or are consciously aware. It's a subconscious ideology that can be found within your depths, thus when you look internally you can begin to understand and analyse why you do some of the things that you do.

I originate from a working class background, I am a female, I am mixed race and I assist with the care of a disabled member within my family. I am the complete opposition of white supremacy, neo-Nazism and obviously 'male privilege' - whatever that is.

Being the underdog voiced in many 'ideal' ideologies, I often felt these pressures, especially whilst at school, as children can be pretty mean and have no filter, voicing their confusion for something that they don't understand, doesn't appear to be the 'norm' or they just want to question. This made me question myself. I questioned my ethnicity, my hair colour, my features, my 'abnormalities'. I disregarded 50% of my ethnicity and replaced it with a more socially acceptable alternative - my Swiss/Italian decent. I became ashamed of being considered a 'paki' due to having a parent from India  and I also became fed up of being a female and all of the things that came with it.

Guys would disrespect me by sexually objectifying me and I went through a period of feeling no self-worth. I've always felt like I had something to prove. I had to prove that I was more than a 'paki', more than a sexual object, more than a 7/10 or whatever they wanted to label me that day and additionally I was fed up of being poor and being subtracted from many activities. This anger, turned into my feisty and fierce ambition to constantly improve myself, learn and grow so that I can validate my worth with my brain and my skills beyond my external features.

Analysing this honesty, I can now pin point why I feel strongly towards social activism and why I am a strong advocate of equal rights. We are not our skin colour, our gender, our class, our physical abilities. We are intelligent humans and there shouldn't be a hierarchy amongst us, we are already at the top of the food chain, so why are we making a food chain within ourselves? Categorising some humans as prey and some as predator. We are all the same, our only differences being environmental variables.

My manifestos are that I will not do what this ridiculous hierarchy expects me to do, as essentially, like many others I am at the bottom of the pecking order. I will acknowledge issues. I will voice my opinions. I will be loud and bold. I will make my own identity. I will be fearless. I will be ambitious. I will take risks. I will cross boundaries and borders.

Driving - Krazee Ft. Maze | (Official Music Video)

Watch Krazee's new video for "Driving".
The new EP #4 is Available Now on Spotify http://spoti.fi/2hQN2Ho.

Music video by © 2017 Sophia Sargeant