Re-imagination essays by winners of Tata Global Beverages’ Re-imagination Scholarships

1. Melika Morrison-Mills

Every time I switch on my brother's laptop I read ‘Toshiba – Leading Innovation’.  Innovation follows the same principal as Re-Imagination – the creation of something new or better. As an Economics student, I am aware of how re-imagination plays a crucial role in any strategy to survive in today’s Economic climate. In a fast digital age where information is now easier to access (i.e. through the internet) it is even more fundamental than ever to have a broad spectrum of thoughts and ideas to keep consumers enticed.

In a capitalist system, competition is always encouraged. Technology firms, makers of beverages, retailers and even banks are kept on their toes. This means that the less efficient companies will be driven out of the market - setting higher expectations from consumers and, better standard from businesses.

So ultimately, we all benefit from Re-imagination.  We all benefit from a mobile phone, camera and computer built all in one, no bigger than our hands. Young children will benefit from an exciting new hot drink aside from their regular breakfast orange juice. And, most importantly, I will benefit from a new bargain website, like Groupon that allows me to book a cheap holiday on the day of my last exam!

2. Hiwot Demisse

Re-imagination is ‘to imagine or conceive something in a new way.’ It is a discipline in alternative thinking, to think beyond the status quo and to come up with new and exciting ways of doing things that haven’t previously been thought of. In my opinion it is extremely important to think outside the box because it allows for creativity to take place, producing unique and authentic ideas which can lead people to achieve things that others had not thought possible.

Re-imagination has been key in creating massive societal change; for example Facebook became a social media phenomenon that brought about so much change in the world. Much of the success of President Barack Obama‘s 2008 campaign relied on social media, and his technology adviser during the election was Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. Without this component, the election might have had a different outcome. Also if had not been for Facebook, many revolutions (including the recent ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions in the Middle East) would not have happened. The Middle East would be in an entirely different political state to the one it is today.

In fact, the world as a whole would not be the place it is today if individuals had not dared to re-imagine it.

3. Aaron Wright

Re-imagination means to me many things such as new creation, new development and new dimension.

New Creation: take the original set imagination or set belief and reform it with your own creation to make the idea better in your opinion. So for example a company would take their old designs and re create by building a new image because they need to change their image to apply to the current media, market and companies.

New Development: your imagination is not only an artistic influence but can inspire you as a person or others to add development to your lifestyle, business or work ethic. Re-imagination could repair a tarnished image and bring deserved success. For example I am a part of the Brunel ACS and as the new committee we wanted to add, change and develop from the previous ACS committee because we imagined so much greater to what we expected from them.

New dimension: Re-imagination can develop your mental state to levels it had not reached before because you had unlocked potential you had not been using. Re-imagination does not mean your previous ideas were not better, however, it allows you to compare and experiment.

4. Tycjan Jaworski

There are very few people on this planet who have not heard the name Madonna. She is an absolutely iconic figure in today’s pop culture but I ask you this; where would she be now without the ability to re-invent herself? We will never know but what is clear is that she would not have been in the public eye for as long as she has.

I myself am part of a band and as a musician; I can appreciate how re-imagination is a vital part of song writing. There have been many cases in the band’s fledgling career so far where we have decided to rearrange (or re-imagine) our songs from top to bottom in order to take them in a different direction or to give them a different feel. This has meant that our collection of songs has grown increasingly diverse and in tune with what our audience is looking for.

So let me ask another question. Will people remember my name as readily as Madonna’s? Although one can never be sure of what the future holds, this question is a bit easier to guess at. Probably not and thank God for that. Anonymity is really underrated.

5. Kateri Dabreo

To me, re-imagination means two things. My first thought was when you use innovation and foresight to develop something that you already have into something creative and different: out of this world is what I feel defines it most. For example imagining what you’d be like if you were a different race, or if you lived an opposite life or even something as small as what it would be like if you bought a different colour of the trousers you’re wearing. Another thought that came to my mind about what re-imagination means is that it could be something that you think about over and over again, so it’s like having a dream for example, about how you’d greet your idol, and you’d spend hours re-imagining what you’d say each time.

I study Information Systems and most times it becomes repetitive in our lab sessions, going in and working on an exercise on the same PC every week. If I could re-imagine my course, it would all be interactive; instead of making an Android Application on the computer and watching a simulation, I think we could actually play it out on a real Android phone. Or even to create a simulation for warehouse workers and actually get to watch them go by you simulation all day, anything to get us moving more often instead of starring at a computer all day, to me is re-imagination.

6. Shanice Khayat

Imagination is making anything be what you want it to be. Re-imagination is forming a new conception of this, so it is like imagining it all over again. Re-imagination can be out of the world. It could be making a fork a spoon, or a spoon a fork - It's the process of letting your creative side takeover be it when you're awake, or when you're sleeping in your dreams. Reality however is taking your imaginations and making them real.

Everything in this world was built in an imagination and all things coming up new around us are the imaginations of the creators probably re-imagined over and over again to perfect, such as the TV by John Logie Baird or the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. All of these everyday products once started off as an imagination that then turned into a re-imagination turning it into reality. We were the imaginations of our parents.

Economic theories are based on re-imaginations built from observations, given rise by everyday life occurrences providing us with data to prove these theories. My re-imagination would be that this world would be full of peace, love and harmony where life is not difficult, people aren't stressed and do not have problems or issues. The environment is serene, there is no pain and suffering and everyone is equal.