Are there any specific questions/headings that was prompted and helped structure your thinking? Set out the concept or question you want to research. You should articulate this as a statement that sets out your intentions. (Examples of the type of possible wording might include: ‘I want to discover what happens when children interact with museum displays, and how the experience can be improved ’; ‘I want to explore the nature of domestic relationships during the covid-19 lockdown, and how domestic abuse rates can be controlled’.
Minimalism is about living a meaningful life with less stuff that leads an individual to develop a meaningful and non-impactful life. The primary key to becoming minimalist is to reduce or remove the excess of things and live with valuable items. It is also a journey of self-discovery, in which for an individual to refocus themselves on what are the things that are valuable in life and to make decisions to remove or reduce unnecessary items. This process would change an individual's lifestyle, emotional health, contribution, experimentation, etc. Besides, the critical aspects of Minimalism include the intentionality and voluntariness of actions. It would help to overcome obstacles in life to achieve freedom, fulfilment, and happiness.
Minimalism could be used in conversation across industries, for example, in Art, fashion, interior design, and beauty. To develop a minimalist brand identity is not only to focus on the appearance of the product but also to communicate value effectively to the audiences, to let the audience understand more about the brand. Furthermore, the brand values and beliefs in minimalist brand identity play an essential role; for instance, the purpose of creating a brand, vision, and mission, and values. The elements that should be extra focused on because the emphasis of a minimalist brand is to convey the message to the audience rather than the appearance clean, simple, and aesthetic. Also, the minimalist design could send honesty, in which a minimal model of a product communicates the product.
Besides, the Minimalism is also a part of an eco-friendly way of living when consumers are purchasing a product. For instance, when choosing to buy the item that is needed, consumers will naturally consume less. Also, Minimalism makes consumers more aware of how much waste they generate. When a consumer buys less stuff, it will reduce waste. Simultaneously, if there are fewer purchases, it won't cause pollution from landfills.
On the other hand, consumerism is mainly concerned with consumption, which refers to the consumer's excessive overconsumption and without any regard for the negative impacts. It is an individual's behaviour to keep purchasing more items to satisfy the individual needs and to fulfil their desires and happiness. Hence, it became an issue in a person's lifestyle, and it affected the world. The causes are mostly from advertisements, sales, discounts, and product giveaways, etc. Also, a product innovation aims to develop a new product, changes in the design of established products, or the latest materials and components added to the products. It would lead to consumerism issues and is why it caught the consumer's attention. Besides, individuals aim to get big houses, cars, clothes, and other luxury items, in which it is a way to achieve their happiness in life.
Nevertheless, it is not long-term happiness in life. For instance, a person will work harder to achieve the goals and get things they desire; once obtained, they obsess over it until they want the next stuff. Therefore, it's like a never-ending cycle, which will lead to consumerism, where they purchase more to fulfil the unlimited wants.
Consumerism has positive and negative sides. The positive part is towards a company; for instance, when an advertisement, sales, other promotions are to attract customer interest, and they will spend more on products in a never-ending cycle, and it affects the economy grows. However, the negative sides are towards consumers, causing higher debt in life and simultaneously resulting in mental health problems such as depression and stress over the debt. Therefore, to reduce and avoid negative issues, consumers should change their consumption habits, live more meaningful lives, and have a significant impact on sustainability.
There are two different ways of lifestyle, which are Minimalism and Consumerism. These two play an essential role in each person's lifestyle, choosing to live in a better life with minimal stuff or live in excessive consumption and with more material. Throughout this research, has prompted a specific question, which is "Why does consumerism exist in the world?" This question would lead to a better understanding of how it changes a person's lifestyle and how it affects the consumer's behaviour. In addition to that, the specific question has narrowed down into another few questions: What are the consumer's first thoughts before they are buying? How does it affect them after purchasing? And Are those items valued in their life? Based on these questions, the intention is to find out what are the consumers first thought before they are buying and how they decide on the objects they want?
Is there a specific proposition/ judgment/ opinion that you have regarding this question/concept?
Throughout the research, It has mentioned about Minimalism and Consumerism living lifestyle also the benefits and cons of the elements. Besides, from the study, the main focus is on Consumerism. Which the intention is to find out what are the consumers first thought before they are buying and how they decide on the objects they want? Based on this question, it could further understand consumer spending in life, and also explore what the things they spend on? What do consumers think of valuable objects? Moreover, nowadays, consumers seldom consider the impact of overconsumption, where the consumer's first thought is to fulfil themselves. It is the consumer's behaviour where the consumers would think of satisfaction in life, or the other causes are the dissatisfaction of consumers which will lead to Consumerism.
Each person can live a harmonious life, but one should understand more on the core of change in human behaviour, lifestyle, and culture. Therefore, a person should also consider what are the ecological costs of purchasing, consuming products and services. Especially when consuming, in which people should find whether the product is needed and useful for life. In addition to that, it is to help the consumers to change their habit on consumption and simultaneously to be fully aware of what is truly important and valuable in their lives.
Address the different contexts that may relate to specific question; Elaborate on the different content and concepts that you have researched regarding your specific question.
The different contexts that relate to specific questions are economic, social, and behavioral. However, the content and concepts that I have researched are What are the consumer's first thoughts before they are buying? How does it affect them after purchasing? And Are those items valued in their life?
Based on the research, it clearly shows that Minimalism and Consumerism both are different ways of living, whereby in Minimalism, when a person purchases an item, they will take extreme caution on the stuff they buy. It is to focused on consumers' needs. However, Consumerism is where consumers spend more and desire more in life, which leads to overconsumption. From here we could explore more on what the first thoughts consumers will consider before purchasing. This is because it's the consumer's choice to buy things, some will consider the needs and valuable things, and some consumers spend to fulfill their desires. It's regarding the context of behavioral, where to study a consumer's behavior.
Furthermore, social problems in Consumerism are where a person lives under social pressure, which instills the definition of overconsumption in luxury brands, cars, clothing, etc. Also, consumerism societies push people to modify to a consumerist way of life, in which promoting a product through media, advertising, and persuasive and invasive communication is a style of life as the only path to happiness. The context of society is to give importance to the interactions and the influences between individuals. It is also changing social values and culture, and this is an issue that will affect everyone, whether one suffers from a consuming addiction or not.
Besides, economics is also a part of the context that relates to a specific question: the benefits of a company are increased sales, revenue, and profit. Especially when consumers spend on their goods, it benefits the economy and the business as well. This is the reason why, when a business has achieved the target in maintaining a strong economy, regardless of the benefit to the consumer or society as a whole. Also, marketing and advertising are only focusing on creating consumer demand for new products and without any information for the consumers. In this case, it has the impact of increasing consumption, which is negative towards a company.
Why this idea is important to consider now in this time and age? (so you will have to show you are culturally/ socially aware of its relation to current issues)
The reason it’s essential to consider in this time and age is that consumers don’t have an unlimited budget when consuming in life. As they demand goods and services to achieve fulfilment and happiness, it will lead to unhappiness or emptiness, lack of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. It is because not long term happiness, where consumers will seek new or different things to fulfil themselves again, which leads to consumerism.
Each person should be aware of the impact of consumerism, the problem, and causes, in which it will reduce its impact on our life. For instance, the problem will affect the social and economic environment in which consumers demand more goods, and it will produce more products, which will lead to more pollutant emissions. From here, each consumer should change their consumption habits and living lifestyle so that It would reduce the impact in life.
Moreover, it’s vital to encourage teenagers to find out the things that are valuable to them and understand more about consuming the things that are needed. The problems of consumerism are created by teenagers nowadays, where they still do not have the concept of financial management. Also, it is to avoid consuming stuff that is unnecessary and lead them in the right direction on consumption in the future.
What are the research methodology you have applied or are going to apply while doing your research? Why it is an appropriate method?
Based on the topic and project outcome, the research methodologies that are going to apply is through google survey and journals research. There are two projects where I'm going to use these two research methods. A project which develops brand identity through google survey research, could analyze the audience's thoughts and opinions on the phenomenon of consumerism and minimalism, also how they could decide an object they want. However, for publication projects is mainly from journal research, because publication projects intend to provide some information to approach audiences to be a minimalist person, and encourage the audience to be minimalist in lifestyle. Through this research, the viewers could be aware of what are the needs in their life, and what they should focus on when they are consuming.
(1680 words)
References:
Chappelow, J. (2020, January 29). Consumerism Definition. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/consumerism.asp
Greentumble. (2019, September 5). The Negative Effects of Consumerism. Retrieved from https://greentumble.com/the-negative-effects-of-consumerism/#:~:text=As well as obvious social,accelerated climate change [4].
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