COP 3: Research- Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

MBSR is a programme that incorporates mindfulness to help people with pain and a range of conditions and life issues that were initially difficult to treat within hospitals. It was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre in the early 1970's by Professor Jon Kabat-Zinn. The programme uses a combination of mindfulness meditation, body awareness and yoga to help people become more mindful. 

MBSR is a group programme that focuses upon the progressive acquisition of mindful awareness, of mindfulness. The MBSR programme is an eight-week workshop taught by certified trainers that entails weekly group meetings (two-hour classes) and a one-day retreat (six-hour mindfulness practice) between sessions six and seven, homework (45 minutes daily), and instruction in three formal techniques: mindfulness meditation, body scanning and simple yoga postures. 

Body scanning is the first prolonged formal mindfulness technique taught during the first four weeks of the workshop, and entails quietly lying on one's back and focusing one's attention on various regions of the body, starting with the toes and moving up slowly to the top of the head. 

MBSR is based on the following tenets: non-judging, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, beginner’s mind, patience, trust, and non-centering.

It has been shown to reduce anxiety levels by 58% and stress by 40%. In a research study by Oxford University into individuals with 'problematic' levels of stress, a significant improvement in perceived levels of stress over the course of the online mindfulness intervention was found (Krusche et al, 2013). The findings of this research were consistent with other studies, which showed that changes in mindfulness 'precede changes in perceived stress' (Baer et al, 2012).

Mindfulness-based stress reduction classes and programs are offered by various facilities including hospitals, retreat centers, and various yoga facilities. Typically the programs focus on teaching,

• mind and body awareness to reduce the physiological effects of stress, pain or illness 
• non-judgemental awareness in daily life 
• promote serenity and clarity in each moment
• to experience more joyful life and access inner resources for healing and stress management 
• progressive muscle relaxation 
• mindfulness meditation

COP 3: Research- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Jon Kabat-Zinn is the creator of the research-backed stress-reduction program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and he explains how mindfulness lights up parts of our brains that aren’t normally activated when we’re mindlessly running on autopilot.

He teaches mindfulness, which he says can help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain, and illness. The stress reduction program created, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), is offered by medical centers, hospitals, and health maintenance organisations. 

Video notes:

- His definition of mindfulness is that its the awareness that amidst paying attention on purpose in the present moment non-judgementally.

- Service of self-understanding and wisdom, we all take ourselves too seriously because we believe there is someone to take seriously when its only ever ourselves.

- 'Selfing'- mindfulness MBSR has been shown to light up other areas of the brain.

- Way of connecting with your life, something that doesn't involve a lot of energy but involves a kind of cultivating attention in a particular way, so they way I define it is it's paying attention on purpose in the present moment non-judgementally.
- Attention is the faculty that allows us to navigate our lives and to know what is happening.
- Allows us to be in a wiser relationship with things that are going on in our lives
- We spend a huge amount of time planning and worrying about the future and a huge amount of time reminiscing about the past.
- The present moment the only time that were ever alive and the only time we could learn anything, express any kind of love or emotion, the only time we could be in our own body, it all gets pushed away by our preoccupation of the past or future.

COP 3: Presentation Feedback

- The Power Of Now (book)
- Design For The Real World (book)
- Consider social media, although it can be toxic it can also have a huge positive impact and influence on someone and can be a way of sending out a message
- Look at environmental design and does that contribute to mindfulness and wellbeing
- Motivations of design, what motivates people to create a piece of work and why do they create
- Influence and how to influence positive feelings (mostly through design), look at this through communication, reteric and persuasion

COP3: Presentation

Books

Mindfulness & the Art of Drawing: A Creative Path to Awareness

Mindfulness: 25 Ways to Live in the Moment Through Art

The Little Book of Mindfulness

Little Book of Life Hacks

Our Illustrated Guide to Becoming One with the Universe

The Art of Wellbeing: Joyous living inspired by nature

Freud's Model of the Human Mind

Image and Mind, Stephen M Kosslyn

Mind and Art: An Essay on the variaties of expression, Guy Sircello

Design is a State of Mind, Martino Gamper

COP3: Learning Outcomes

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

6A1: Demonstrate an independent critical understanding of the aesthetic, cultural, historical, technological, social, political or other contexts relevant to individual subject disciplines.


6A4: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the synthesis between the theoretical and practical contexts of their own creative concerns.

• Tutorials: To reinforce individual understanding and ensure that the knowledge learnt is contextualised for the student’s individual subject area. 
• Critiques: To enable students to relate their work to current practice and engage with peer group debate as to the relevance of their research. 
• Private Study: To develop students’ learning autonomy and ownership of the knowledge and information gained during the module. 
• Lectures: To introduce the concepts and research methodologies involved.

COGNITIVE SKILLS

6B1: Evidence the ability to use logic, reasoning and critical judgement to analyse ideas from a range of primary and secondary sources, and employ critical and theoretical methodologies to evaluate examples from the relevant subject discipline.

• Tutorials: To reinforce individual understanding and ensure that the knowledge learnt is contextualised for the student’s individual subject area. 
• Mentoring: To support studio and relevant placement based practical research. 
• Private Study: To develop students’ learning autonomy and ownership of the knowledge and information gained during the module.

PRACTICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

6C1: Evidence the capacity for undertaking a wide range of independent practical and theoretical research that demonstrates an informed application of critical, effective and testable processes.

• Tutorials: To reinforce individual understanding and ensure that the knowledge learnt is contextualised for the student’s individual subject area. 
• Mentoring: To support studio and relevant placement based practical research. 
• Private Study: To develop students’ learning autonomy and ownership of the knowledge and information gained during the module.

KEY TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

6D1: Organise, plan and effectively manage self-directed projects and communicate outcomes through written and other appropriate forms.

• Tutorials: To reinforce individual understanding and ensure that the knowledge learnt is contextualised for the student’s individual subject area. 
• Private Study: To develop students’ learning autonomy and ownership of the knowledge and information gained during the module.

COP3: Module Specification

Key things to consider:

• A synthesised academic understanding of both the context of practice and the nature of practice itself
• A theoretical platform from which student’s Extended Practice module may develop
• To define an individual analytical and evaluative research interest within the study of art and design contexts. 
• To develop skills in appropriate written and practical research and evaluative formats that reflect an understanding commensurate with BA (Hons) Level 6 academic practices. 
• To employ a synthesised understanding of theoretical and practical contexts of individual creative practices and concerns.
• Tutorials
• Critiques
• Lectures
• Private Study
• Mentoring

Module Outcomes:

• Written outcome: A 5000 word essay using Harvard referencing and containing a bibliography 
• Practical outcome: A complete Graphic Design brief documented through 6-8 design sheets that evidence research, idea generation, developments, and outcomes. 
• Blog: Should contain no more than 2000 words in total and should document project developments, reflections, feedback, study tasks, and any other related work.

CoP3: Thinking about ethics

• Disrupt and challenge global narratives
• Ethically aware research and design work enriches the equality of work
• Practice ethical research
• Make careful considerations about what is communicated and potential effects it may have on people
• Areas to think about: sensitive imagery; language; persuasion; research involving participants and questioning 

CoP3: Presentation Planning

Things to include on presentation:

• Research question/title
• Practical brief
• What resources have you looked at already?
• What have you learned?
• How will you approach the topic theoretically? (whats the essay about)
• What do you develop/learn from doing this research?

Wellbeing Definition:

'Wellbeing is about people and creating the conditions for us all to thrive. It's quality of life and prosperity, positive physical and mental health, sustainable thriving communities. It's also the measure of social progress and arguably, the goal of good government and charitable activity.'

Mindfulness Definition:

'The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. A mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.'

Question/title:

• To what extent can design help with achieving mindfulness and wellbeing?
• To what extent can design be used for mindfulness and wellbeing?
• To what extent can design be used for a person's wellbeing?
• To what extent can design influence a person's mindfulness and wellbeing?
• Can design be used to help fulfil a person's wellbeing?