Transactional Living

the gig economy...cheap services for the rich and lazy and no-benefit jobs for the eager and poor...

BUT I'M A SUCKER
FOR CONVENIENCE

Why cling to your convictions as though they actually mean something when they have zero value in the marketplace?

The old idea of integrity means being true to yourself, but this supposes you have a fixed and stable “self” in the first place.

Much better to go with the flow of fashion and let the exigencies of the moment decide who you are and what you’ll think and do next.

WHO AM I?

PICK YOUR COLOR .

ANY COLOR

The consumerist fever for immediate satisfactions...have of course by no means disappeared - they are being unleashed more than ever...enveloped in a halo of fears and anxieties...

These days, it seems selling out is perfectly acceptable

I'm busy

Living
Looking
Viewing
Browsing
Shopping

How does spending affect the quality of life for those who are materially comfortable?

Designer//

Empath//

Worker//

Consumer//

Transactional Living ALGORITHMIC LIVING
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THESE DAYS IT SEEMS SELLING OUT IS PERFECT- LY AC- CEPTABLE

The cycle of work and spend makes the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round

WHAT IS LATE CAPITALISM EVEN?

EARNER//

MANIPULATOR//

MANIPULATED//

Earner // Manipulator // Manipulated // Apath

Minimalism is now a secular kind of religion

A whole hedonistic and psychological culture has come into being: it incites everyone to satisfy their needs immediately, it stimulates their clamour for pleasure, idolizes self-fulfillment, and sets the earthly paradise of well-being, comfort and leisure on a pedestal...

UNIQLO x ANDY WARHOL
SHOP NOW

WHO EVEN HAS FIXED AND STABLE "SELF" IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Prisoners’ phone calls costing $14 a minute // runaway top incomes// Austerity // Conspicuous minimalism // $1,200 margarita // curated and artificial moments of zen // the gaslighting of the lifehacking and wellness movements // populations permanently out of the job market // exponentially increasing competition // exponentially increasing competition // exponentially increasing competition // exponentially increasing competition // wifi-connected $400 juicer // Pepsi’s Ad with Kendall Jenner // the Fyre

global, inter- generational and class equity

vs

middle-class consumer patterns

...BUT MAYBE YOU JUST NEED A CAPSULE WARDROBE lol

How can I turn my lackluster products into

transcendent meaning machines...?

Continual, dynamic self-reinvention... Continual, dynamic self-reinvention...

Transactional Living
ALGORITHMIC LIVING

watch the video -->

s e l e c t e d

SURVEY RESPONSES:

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"I'm disturbed by how targeted ads are and how they might be shaping my perception of self."

"Sometimes the shopping is more valuable than the article"

"I would rather exist with beautiful products that are well designed and ethical and slightly more expensive than being surrounded by absolute trash I don’t care about"

"Ads in articles are distracting and create a feeling of need where it didn't exist before. I don't want to want"

"I feel attempted manipulation, but I feel I can usually spot it"

"As a designer, certain products stand out to me because I can see the level of design (and campaign power) that goes into them...I feel myself wanting these 'designer things'"

"I feel listened to, facebook always has ads about things I whisper about"

"I definitely find myself buying brands with better packaging, even if I have no evidence that the product is better. That used to bother me, but I've since realized that it makes a difference what we surround ourselves with, and something beautiful pollutes the visual space less than something ugly."

"I'm a sucker for deals"

"Persuading isn't the same as manipulating."

"I think design inherently involves manipulating people (look here first, then read this, this is an optional note to read) but it might be harmless, or might even have a net positive result for the world"