Spray Cans

The most interesting aspect of a spray paint cans are the fact that they can paint almost any surface. "Spray paint can be used in a wide range of surfaces including plastic, metal, ceramic, concrete, canvas, particleboard and glass amongst others" (Worthview.com, 2020). As I am trying to encourage uses to leave a mark or trace, being able to do so on most surfaces, if not all would be ideal. Spray paint cans are also very easy to use and easy to carry because no water or brush is needed. The practicality of the product is important as it allows the user to quickly make a mark and move on. Or perhaps in a situation when the user needs to run away from authorise instead of be caught for 'vandalism'. 

(Picture is mine)

Colour Chaser 

During my visit to the Design Museum, I came across a a product called 'Colour chaser' by Yuri Suzuki. The product follows the black line drawn by the user and responds to other colours vertically drawn over this line through sound. The product is very engaging and encourage people to draw and colour. The 'Colour chaser' reacts to the marks on the paper. Not only is the user engaged by having to draw, the way the sound changes according to the marks left on the paper is very entertaining. 

(Bio-oil.com, 2020)

Bio-Oil

Bio-Oil is a beauty product that is helps the user to remove acne scars and stretch marks on the body. In their clinical trials, "92% of participants showed an improvement in the appearance of their scars after eight weeks and 100% of participants showed an improvement in the appearance of their stretch mark" (Bio-oil.com, 2020). The idea of a product getting rid of marks is although not my aim, it is still interesting to explore. 

(Tirebuyer.com, 2020)

Lawn mowers

Lawn mowers are a common garden tool. It is used to trim the lawn and make it even. However the interesting thing about lawn mowers is that they cut the lawn unevenly if used on wet grass. "Wet soil simply can’t support the weight of your mower the way dry soil can" (Tirebuyer.com, 2020). Ruts created in the lawn don't look appealing but it gives a us an idea of what weather conditions, or conditions of the soil, the lawn was mowed. The idea of a product deliberately creating rigid or uneven marks is interesting. Perhaps a product made to be difficult to control by the user, causing marks by accident.

(London, 2020)

Tooth chisel

The tooth chisel is used for "roughing-out and finishing, to clear away the rough marks left by the point chisel and prepare the surface for finer work with the flat chisel" (London, 2020). It was used a lot during the Roman period. The tool is is hit with a metal hammer or mallet to give it force and create marks. Having two tools to be used together to create mark suggest the idea of creating a set of products to be used together. 

Bibliography

- Worthview.com. (2020). [online] Available at: https://www.worthview.com/10-important-facts-know-spray-painting/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2020].

- Bio-oil.com. (2020). Bio-Oil. [online] Available at: https://www.bio-oil.com/uk/uk-en [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- Tirebuyer.com. (2020). How to avoid ruts in your yard when you mow | TireBuyer.com. [online] Available at: https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/tips-to-avoid-ruts [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- London, K. (2020). Tool: Tooth Chisel · Art of Making. [online] Artofmaking.ac.uk. Available at: http://www.artofmaking.ac.uk/explore/tools/9/Tooth-Chisel [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

(Picture is mine)

Design Museum 

A vast amount of research showed that leaving marks that harm the environment (e.g carving names on trees, defacing historical places by writing names, etc,). Taking this into consideration, I looked into sustainable materials to change the negative perspective of leaving marks into a positive one. The Design museum has a good amount of materials to offer that are sustainable alternatives. Materials and their qualities showcased in the Design museum:

• Algae - Fast growing organisms that can generate both hard and soft material qualities as biodegradable plastic. Can replace single-use plastic. 
• Wafer - Alternative as a plastic lid. Edible and if not eaten, still biodegradable.
• Wheat bran - Oven safe, oil and water resistant. Edible and biodegradable too.
• Coconut wood -Can be sold so farmers can benefit. The palm wood is smooth bu hard, good for user.
• Coffee grounds - Compostable. Reusable.
• Rice husk - Biodegradable
• Bamboo - Renewable resource. Compostable. 

(Package form and design, 2007)

Paper

Paper, if resourced from renewable sources, it is a great alternative as a sustainable material. The techniques of paper-folding creates structural packaging designs which I can incorporates into my project depending if I design packaging that will go with my product. Paper folding is a simple technique following the marks of the net and folding them. The complexity of paper structures/forms depends on the complexity of the net.

Bibliography

- Package form and design. (2007). Tokyo: P.I.E., pp.82-83.

Graffiti in the UK Law

Graffiti is a common way of leaving a mark that is found easily around urban areas and cities. Although it is considered art, the law sees it as an act of crime. The general public often see it as anti-social behaviour and as a nuisance. The definition of graffiti in the context of the law is "drawings, scribbles, messages and tags... painted, written, sprayed or etched onto walls or other surfaces" (InBrief.co.uk, 2020). The UK laws that state and classify graffiti as an act of crime include: 

• Criminal Damage Act 1971 - "Sentences for graffiti range from a conditional discharge from the magistrates’ court for minor damage, to up to 10 years imprisonment by the Crown Court where the damage caused is more than £10,000. Alternatively, you may be given a fine or a community service order – often the case in relation to young offender" (InBrief.co.uk, 2020).

• The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 - "...gives local authorities the power to issue a fixed penalty service for anyone caught doing graffiti" (InBrief.co.uk, 2020).

• Public Order Act 1986 - "If the graffiti includes words or images which could, for example, incite racial hatred, an offence will have been committed under the Public Order Act 1986, s 18. This carries a maximum jail term of seven years" (InBrief.co.uk, 2020).

• Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 - "gives local authorities the power to hand out clean-up notices to owners of graffiti covered surfaces. The notice will state that if the property is not cleaned within 28 days, the local authority will be able to remove the graffiti itself and charge the owner for doing this" (InBrief.co.uk, 2020).

However 'Free walls' are provided by local authorities and can be used to graffiti on legally. The aspect of leaving a trace being considered an act of crime and in doing so graffiti artist become rebels. This idea of leaving a physical and very visual trace behind has power in the way of standing up to authorities. 

Leave No Trace Organisation

LNT is an origination dedicated to educating people and teaching skills with focus to care for the outdoors. They especial target travellers and their impact onto the environment when exploring the world. The provide 7 principals to remember:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors                         (Leave No Trace, 2020)  

These principles can be applied to all outdoors from national parks to back gardens.

Principal no.4 includes:

- Minimise site alterations - Leaving ares as you found them.

- Avoid damaging live trees and plants - "Carving initials into trees is unacceptable" (Leave No Trace, 2020) which is something a lot of travellers do.

- Leave natural objects and cultural artefacts 

The ethics behind travelling are very important as the negative impact by travellers cause harm to natural environments. Though travelling and connecting with nature is as important so educating travellers on leaving no trace is a great initiative. 

GDPR

Data and information issued by companies and organisations. This a form of mark and trace - our data self. "Under Article 17 of the GDPR individuals have the right to have personal data erased. This is also known as the ‘right to be forgotten’" (Ico.org.uk, 2020). This right allows our trace to be deleted, making ourselves untraceable. Requesting for a data trace to be removed gives a sense of power over our marks. I would argue that physical traces would not be as easy to remove. 

"Travelling as a political act" 

Traveling is the main inspiration for my theme therefore exploring the politics of exploring is vital for my research. According to Rick Steves (a somewhat known traveler), the top ten rules are the following: 

1. Get out of your comfort zone
2. Connect with people, and try to understand them 
3. Be a cultural chameleon - "Embrace cultural differences with joy rather than with judgment."
4. Understand contemporary context - "While traveling, read the local news"
5. Empathise with the other 96 percent of humanity 
6. Identify — and undermine — your own ethnocentricity - "other nations have their own, sometimes heavier baggage"
7. Accept the legitimacy of other moralities - "Be open to the possibility that controversial activities are not objectively "right" or "wrong.""
8. Sightsee with an edge - e.g "Seek out political street art, and find out what it means."
9. Make your trip an investment in a better world - "Travel with a goal of good stewardship and a responsibility to be an ambassador to, and for, the entire planet."
10. Make a broader perspective your favourite souvenir. - "Weave favourite strands of other cultures into the tapestry of your own life."                                     (Steves, 2020)

The last rule is the most relevant to my theme. The idea of making the experience the trace you leave behind and making it apart of your lifestyle. The trace you leave behind is the connection you made with other pope and cultures and natural environments. It carries more sentimental value that way and encourages people to really make a deeper connection rather than just scaring their name onto a tree. 

Facial Recognition 

Facial recognition is broad and somewhat controversial topic due to privacy and rights. As an example of the use of facial recognition, "New Dehli’s police has been testing a new application that uses facial recognition since April 2018 which allowed them to find 2930 children in only four days" (There, 2020). This program traces people using their face which is documented in CCTV cameras. Using a constant recording of a persons whereabouts can be easily used to locate them. We leave a mark on security systems by simply being exposed to surveillance with uncovered faces. The idea of using our trace for the sake of locating a missing person and for other security reasons show the positive impact it can have. Creating a product that encourages you to leave a mark so that you may be found if lost, e.g while hiking, would potentially save lives.

Bibliography:

- InBrief.co.uk. (2020). Graffiti: Is there any law I need to be aware of as a Graffit Artist?  - InBrief.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://www.inbrief.co.uk/offences/graffiti/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2020].

- Leave No Trace. (2020). The 7 Principles - Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. [online] Available at: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Ico.org.uk. (2020). Right to erasure. [online] Available at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/right-to-erasure/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Steves, R. (2020). 10 Tips for Traveling as a Political Act by Rick Steves. [online] Ricksteves.com. Available at: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/10-tips-for-traveling-as-a-political-act [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- There, O. (2020). How facial recognition can help us find missing persons. [online] Outthere. Available at: https://www.outthere.fr/briefs/how-facial-recognition-can-help-us-find-missing-persons/?lang=en [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

Memorials 

Memorials are very important for all cultures as it is based on the remembrance of a person or group of people who have passed away - something which all cultures have in common. Having said this, the methods and traditions of memorials or memorial ceremonies differ. They are an act of sympathy, love and respect. Psychologists state that "memorials help survivors to come out of the emotional shock" (Heckenbach and Rarr;, 2020), which means that the memorials not only serve as a resting place for the deceased but also as a way of accepting ones death.

After death, the last physical mark that people leave on the world are their memorials. Arguably their last mark could also be the pain and suffering they leave on their loved ones. 

(Strawberrytours.com, 2020)

Street art

Growing up in the East End of London, street art plays a significant part of the culture. "Street art has become such a part of London’s character" (Strawberrytours.com, 2020) that it attracts visitors from all over the world. Shoreditch is arguable the heart of the street art culture in London as it has "everything from massive murals to old-school graffiti pieces and tags" (Strawberrytours.com, 2020). Some of the well known street artists who have left their mark in East End include Banksy, Stik and Jimmy C. Street art although seen as anti-social behaviour from some it is the most expressive and visually impressive to view in urban areas. 

Cleaning

As fingerprints are a common way of leaving traces of ourself on objects, places and clothes. What if the concept was about removing traces of ourself from places and objects. I found a list of how to clean fingerprints from different surfaces:

• Painted walls - "gently wiping fingerprints with a damp microfibre cloth and a small amount of mild detergent or a general-purpose cleaner" or " a solution of white vinegar, baking soda, and water."
• Sliding glass walls - "Use a soft washcloth or feather duster to carefully wipe away... then, use a microfibre cloth soaked in warm soapy water"
• Switch plates - "Use a general-purpose cleaner and a microfibre cloth"
• Upholstery - "sprinkle a generous amount of baby powder directly on the stain. After a few minutes, brush off the stain"                                                                     (Molly Maid, 2020)

Cleaning is an everyday and normal routine of making a space more presentable and hygienic. The relation of making a space cleaner by removing all traces shows that weirdly we do not want something to look used but rather appear as brand new. 

Forensics

Authorities use forensic teams to uncover marks and traces that can be used solve cases or identify individuals. They try to extract as much information as they can from marks using different methods. 'Eurofins' is a forensic service in the Uk that explain their "wide range of [method of using] different chemical, lighting and imaging enhancement techniques" (Eurofins Scientific, 2020). The depth of analysis of marks are insightful as the marks are ones we leave behind without realising because they are incredibly subtle. "Our scientists examine all kinds of marks including shoe marks, tool and weapon marks, marks left behind by manufacturing processes, hand, finger and foot marks including inside shoes" (Eurofins Scientific, 2020). This shows the many traces that I didn't intially consider we leave behind. 

(Eurofins Scientific, 2020). 

Digital footprints

Nicola Osbourne presents a TedTalk about the digital footprints we leave bushing as social media users and the way it is traceable back to us even with some real life consequences. She mentioned that in surgery among students of University of Edinburgh, "61% of them very, very rarely check their privacy settings" (YouTube, 2020), meaning that their posts can be shared among users and be further embed into the digital world.  About "5% of them found something online that they did not want to see", emphasising the importance of using the control we have of what we share and who may see it. The digital footprint is a way of tracing our past and Osbourne talks about to think twice before deliberately leaving a trace behind.

Bibliography

- Heckenbach, R. and Rarr;, V. (2020). Why Memorials Are Important?. [online] Memorials.com. Available at: https://www.memorials.com/blog/why-memorials-are-important/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Strawberrytours.com. (2020). [online] Available at: https://strawberrytours.com/london/blog/culture/everything-you-need-to-know-about-london-s-street-art-scene [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Molly Maid. (2020). Fingerprints? How to Clean them from Different Surfaces | Molly Maid. [online] Available at: https://mollymaid.ca/cleaning-tips/fingerprints-how-to-clean-them-from-different-surfaces/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Eurofins Scientific. (2020). Marks & Traces. [online] Available at: https://www.eurofins.co.uk/forensic-services/our-services/physical-forensics/marks-and-traces/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- YouTube. (2020). What Do Your Digital Footprints Say About You? | Nicola Osborne | TEDxYouth@Manchester. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVX8ZSAR4OY [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

(Smyth, 2020)

"History of Street art in Shoreditch"

Shoreditch's street art culture began in during the 80s and 90s when tagging emerged. Young creative people and artists begin experimenting with the the area and began developing a style. Their art was more rebellious as it took an area as the canvas. "It was during the late 90s that Shoreditch began to experience cultural, architectural and commercial changes that turned it into the alternative urban oasis it is today" (Smyth, 2020).

During the 2000s, street art began to change and evolve. It started to include political and social messages. The perception of street art turned from vandalism and anti-social behaviour into a new and exciting art style. Using the urban landscape as the canvas was seen as very experimental. "Shoreditch has championed the rise of street art by making efforts to preserve the work created and by providing space for new artists to showcase their work and develop their skills" (Smyth, 2020). 

(BBC News, 2020)

Traces of mankind

The very first human was discovered in Ethiopia. The fossil showed that the  "2.8 million-year-old specimen is 400,000 years older than researchers thought that our kind first emerged" (BBC News, 2020), making it a very significant discovery. 

Fossils are very important for humanity to understand the past and trace our existence to the very beginning or at least attempt too. The idea that a small fossil piece carries so much information is very interesting. This biological type of trace is buried deep into the ground and is waiting to be discovered. This trace is also incredibly valuable. I imagine most traces to be worthless but the importance if the mark is based on the information that it carries. 

Leaving behind a legacy

To deal with the common feeling towards mortality and accepting that one day we will die. We look for ways to deal with this issue by "seek[ing] to build a legacy by "changing the world"" (Psychology Today, 2020). The idea of leaving our mark on the world by trying to fix it - making it a better place- is very common and comes from our "animal urge" (Psychology Today, 2020).

The conceptual idea of leaving a mark on the world through our ideologies is far more desired than physical objects. Being remembered for impacting the world seems to appeal to most people but is a way of comforting ourselves to the idea that we will eventually die.

(The Druid's Garden, 2020)

Arborglyph

Tree carvings, known as arborglyphs, are artefacts "that record messages sometimes centuries after they are carved" (The Druid's Garden, 2020). It originated among Native Americans and other tribes, who used mainly used beech, birch, and aspen trees. The term for a tree with arborglyphs is "culturally-modified tree" (The Druid's Garden, 2020) as it carries apart of the culture on the bark. Contrastingly, travellers nowadays carve initials onto trees and is seen as disrespect to nature. Time changed the markings meaning and perception of the act. 

Invention of GPS

In 1957, scientists made the discovery of GPS "by measuring the frequency of the radio signals they emitted, and conversely, the locations of receivers on the ground could be tracked by their distance from the satellites" (Sullivan, 2020). The invention of GPS was used for many systems and continued to grow. In 1959, the Navy used the a system called "TRANSIT" and was used to locate submarines (Sullivan, 2020). 

In the modern day, GPS is used to locate people and also used in social media. The satellite traces the frequency mark we leave with devices. This technological tracing system is very complex but interesting as it uses frequencies - a form of invisible marks we leave when using devices.

Bibliography

- Smyth, J. (2020). The history of street art in Shoreditch - M by Montcalm Blog. [online] M by Montcalm Blog. Available at: https://www.mbymontcalm.co.uk/blog/history-street-art-shoreditch/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- BBC News. (2020). 'First human' discovered in Ethiopia. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31718336 [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- Psychology Today. (2020). The Animal Urge to Leave a Legacy. [online] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-neurochemical-self/201108/the-animal-urge-leave-legacy [Accessed 19 Feb. 2020].

- The Druid's Garden. (2020). arborglyph – The Druid's Garden. [online] Available at: https://druidgarden.wordpress.com/tag/arborglyph/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2020].

- Sullivan, M. (2020). A brief history of GPS. [online] PCWorld. Available at: https://www.pcworld.com/article/2000276/a-brief-history-of-gps.html [Accessed 20 Feb. 2020].

 (O’Reilly Online Learning, 2020)

Dead skin

We leave traces of ourselves through the amount of dead skin our bodies drop around. Around "30,000 or so scales of skin flake ... every minute" (O’Reilly Online Learning, 2020). This fact, although a bit gruesome, shows that our largest organ needs to constantly renews its skin. This biological and unintentional trace that we leave behind is invisible to the eye unless seen in forms of dust - not to say that we can distinguish what we see in dust clearly.

Social Media users in UK

In 2019, the UK "was home to 45 million active social media users in 2019; 39 million of those were active mobile social media users" (Statista, 2020). This shows that the mobile social media users add to their traces as they go. Taking into account the digital footprints of people, what if there was a way to use the digital footprints to provide a system/service to encourage them to share their explorations around a city. 

(www.dictionary.com, 2020)

Definition

Understanding the definition of the title and key word is a significant part of process. As above the definition is very broad and can overlap with its meanings.

(gov.uk, 2020)

Walking 

I looked into the amount people walk in the UK as I became interested in footprints. Footprints are traces we leave behind but is dependent not he environment and the condition of the shoes. In favour of my interest, "nearly all (97%) local authorities had at least 60% of their adult population walking at least once a week" (gov.uk, 2020). The increase suggest that more traces of footprints will occur in most areas in the UK.

(Jordan, 2020)

Is Graffiti an art form?

YouGov conducted a public poll to view to view the publics perspective on graffiti. The general public view it as an art form but its only 66%. Graffiti art is known to be a common way of leaving expressive marks in urban areas. Historically, cave men began drawing upon cave walls and over time drawing upon walls has been seen at vandalism. Some of this 'vandalism' is seen as art. The perspective change is interesting as it changes upon generation. 

Tourist Destinations

Bibliography 

- O’Reilly Online Learning. (2020). Your Body: The Missing Manual. [online] Available at: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/your-body-the/9780596805456/ch01.html [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- Statista. (2020). UK: social media usage 2019 | Statista. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/507405/uk-active-social-media-and-mobile-social-media-users/#statisticContainer [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- www.dictionary.com. (2020). Definition of traces | Dictionary.com. [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/traces?s=t [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- gov.uk. (2020). [online] Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/821842/walking-and-cycling-statistics-2018-accessible.pdf [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- Jordan, W. (2020). Graffiti is an art form, say public | YouGov. [online] Yougov.co.uk. Available at: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2014/05/01/graffiti-is-an-artform-say-public [Accessed 25 Feb. 2020].

- Dorling, D., Newman, M. and Barford, A. (2010). The atlas of the real world. London: Thames & Hudson, p.37.