CHELSEA LIU
CHELSEA LIU
PLANT ZERO
INTRO
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 0 8 - P. 0 9
INTRO I have lived in the San Francisco neighbourhood of Hayes Valley for two years. The first thing I noticed when I moved here is the Hayes Valley Farm, which was a green space next to the freeway. I walked past the farm almost every day. I saw people working there, and some of them looked familiar to me. They dug up the soil, built bee houses, and grew many kinds of plants and vegetables. I didn’t visit the farm until my visual literacy class project. Throughout the project, I learned a lot from the farm keeper and volunteers. They grew food to share within the community and also donated their crops to the urban unemployed and to low income families. At this farm, I saw a group of people working with passion. The workers loved the small farm that they built in the big city. After that experience, I visited and worked there when I could. One day, a neighbour told me that the space had been reclaimed for luxury condos. The farm was gone. I felt sorry about that, since as a graphic designer, I believe that design can be a powerful tool to communicate and raise the awareness of urban farming. San Francisco still has many small urban farms. There are positive benefits for both the individuals and the whole city. I hope this project will inspire more people in my age to join urban farming activates.
PLANT ZERO
MFA Graphic Design Thesis Design by Chelsea Liu Academy of Art University 79 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, California, USA Find out more about Patch at: www.patchproject.com View more work by Chelsea Liu at: chelsealiucreative.com Printed and bound by Chelsea Liu ALL RIGHT RESERVED Copyright Š 2015 Chelsea Liu
THE INDEX
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 1 0 - P. 1 1
INDEX P. 1 2 - P. 2 7
01
THE ISSUE
THE BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
P. 2 8 - P. 4 7
02
THE P ROCESS
THE RESEARCH OF THE PROJECT
P. 4 8 - P. 1 0 5
03
D ESIGN SOLUTION
THE FINAL EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT
PLANT ONE
THE ISSUE
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 1 2 - P. 1 3
THE ISSU E THE BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
PLANT ONE
THE ISSUE
ACROSS THE GLO SELF-RELIANT FOO AND ECONOMIE BOTH THEPHYSIC ASPECTS OF OUR —Carolyn Steel
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
OBE, EMERGING, OD NETWORKS ES ARE SHAPING CAL AND SOCIAL CITIES.
P. 1 4 - P. 1 5
PLANT ONE
WHAT IS URBAN FARMING? Urban farming can be defined as growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables and raising animals in cities, a process that is accompanied by many other complementary activities such as processing and distributing food, collecting and reusing food waste and rainwater, educating, organizing, and employing local residents. Or, simply put, it is growing or producing food in a high-density city. Urban farming has the potential to encourage sustainability within the city and to promote an awareness of seasonal patterns and a healthy natural lifestyle that many urban dwellers lack.
THE ISSUE
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
P. 1 6 - P. 1 7
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
FA R M I N G N E E D S
U R B A N S U P P LY
Sunlight / daylight
Plenty of sun-exposed surface
Nutrition/ fertilizer / irrigation
Waste-flows(nutrition,irrigation,subsoil)
Soil / substrate micro-climate / environment
Micro-climate
Space
Vacant space/niche space
Loading capacity(integrated in buildings)
Underused constructive capacity
Labour(intensive/extensive)
Labour force(employees)
Market
Customers
URBAN NEEDS
FA R M I N G S U P P LY
Public green design&management
Aesthetics
Ecosystem services
Relative biodiversity
Education(nature, food production)
Experience of seasons/ hands-on learning
Therapeutic work
Therapeutic work
Appropriate jobs
Skilled and unskilled labour
Water storage
Water intake&evaporation
Waste treatment and management
Organic waste treatment
Climate control
Evaporative cooling
Matrices of supply and demand of urban farming and the city.
PLANT ONE
THE ISSUE
Comparing to Agri-industrial, urban farming has a completely different perspectives.
H E A LT H Y
E N V I R O N M E N TA L
- More fresh food and less processed products
- Rationalized food networks
- More physical exercise
- Nutrient cycles at regional level
- Organic products
- Traditional plant varieties and animal breeds
- Vegetarian diet - Enjoy cooking and eating
adapted to local conditions - Low external input production - Seasonal products
ECONOMY POSITION
CONSUMER’S TRUST & ORGANOLEPTIC
- Economies of scope approach
- Personal trust based relations
- Increase producer’s share in consumer’s
- Quality linked to region/tradition/nature
food spending
- Created by farmers and/or artisanal food processors - Denomination of origin labels
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 1 8 - P. 1 9
THE IMPACT There is an increasing demand for urban farming as people grew conscious of the concept and benefits of eating “local”. By growing what we need near where we live, we can decrease the “food miles” associated with long-distance transportation. Furthermore, we also get the freshest produce available in the market, which in turn encourages eating foods according to the natural season when they are available. In another dimension, urban farming can also contribute to greenery in the city, reduce harmful runoff, increase shading, and counteract the unpleasant heat island effect. Garden plants can simultaneously “reconnect” people with nature, and people thereby gain appreciation of where their food comes from. Rooftop and patio gardens also create peaceful places for relaxation and contemplation; they can also attract tourists—an example is to consider the booming businesses that have sprung up around New York City’s lush High Line Park. Finally, urban farming could bring career opportunities to impoverished and depressed areas.
PLANT ONE
IN SAN FRANCISCO Urban farming has captured the imagination of San Franciscans in recent years. More than 20 new urban farm and garden projects have launched since 2008, demonstrating an upward trend in people’s view toward urban farming. Now, there are nearly 100 urban agriculture projects currently running in the city. However, many of us may have only heard about the concept rather than interacted in a practical way. Many people still feel alienated from farm fields under our feet.
THE ISSUE
= 10 SIT ES
P. 2 0 - P. 2 1
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
= 1 PE RS ON
65 =
19
3.5 SITES PER STAFF MEMBER
$ 430,000 OPERATING BUDGET
65 SITES
=
$ 6,615
PER SITE
FULLTIME STAFF
SITES
PLANT ONE
THE ISSUE
P. 2 2 - P. 2 3
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
Farmer’s market activities total sales $86 billion
in San Francisco
$64 billion
$20 billion
2008
2010
2012
PLANT ONE
THE TARGET AUDIENCE My main target audience is young professionals living in the city. However, the current urban farming project has a clear disconnect with the younger generation, specifically young elites aged 18-35, working and living in urban neighbourhoods. Most educational campaigns related to natural lifestyle are directed toward children or teenagers, while the majority of participants in urban farming and other non-profit projects are over 50 years old, leaving out the middle portion of potentially self-conscious young elites that could gain much benefit from programs like this. The implicit association with people either too old or too young has created distance for young people, when in fact, urban farming is a representation of green and healthy lifestyle that suits them greatly.
THE ISSUE
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
P. 2 4 - P. 2 5
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
SPUR 2012 report
75% OF VOLUNTEERS IN COMMUNITY GARDEN ARE OVER AGE OF
50
PLANT ONE
THE ISSUE
MY GOAL IS TO POPULARIZE URBAN FARMING AMONGST YOUNG GENERATION IN SAN FRANCISCO AND ALSO TO EMPOWER AND SUPPORT LOCAL FARMING ACTIVITIES FOR EASY ENGAGEMENT.
WHY DOES IT MATTER? Urban farming is a great way to give young generation access to fresh, organic vegetables and fruits for a lower cost, contribute towards a healthier environment by reducing chemical inputs and pollution caused by the industrial food system, and grow organic foods that people cannot usually find in their local grocery stores, all while getting exercise, fresh air, and the satisfaction of experiencing original organic farming practice. Also in the city, not everyone can go right out and start digging, many people who would like to grow something but live in apartment buildings found it difficult to find space suitable for growing food.
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 2 6 - P. 2 7
PLANT TWO
THE
RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 2 8 - P. 2 9
THE RESEA RC H THE PROCESS OF THE PROJECT
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
RESEARCH IS TO EVERYBODY ELSE AND TO THINK W ELSE HAS THOUG —Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
O SEE WHAT E HAS SEEN, WHAT NOBODY GHT.
P. 3 0 - P. 3 1
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 3 2 - P. 3 3
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 3 4 - P. 3 5
RESEARCH AND VISUAL EXPLORATION The next step after I had defined a clear objective for my thesis was to research and explore the visual solution to create effective design. The purpose of the research was to find out more about the topic and its related issues. I worked on research at the same time as ideation development and design explorations. It involved a lot of reading, investigation and sketching. Every piece came together slowly through the process of research. I was hoping to discover the key to an effective solution.
PLANT TWO
2.1 WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK?
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 3 6 - P. 3 7
ONLINE&OFFLINE RESEARCH I visited several farms in the city and did some volunteer work. During the process, I talked to some farm owners and people working there. Exchanging ideas with people more familiar to urban farming than me is really helpful because I could obtain thoughtful inputs and practical concerns. Also, the online research was a very useful to learn more about the topic and to estimate the reaction from my audience
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 3 8 - P. 3 9
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
I go to gym everyday to get exercise but never go to any urban farms or grow anything. I shop fruit and
vegetables at farmer’s market.
I think it will be fun to grow with friends.
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
A lot of farm website do not work well.
I hope there will be an easy way for starters to participate into urban farming activities. I only go to famous farms, but it always needs to wait long.
P. 4 0 - P. 4 1
PLANT TWO
2.2 HOW IS IT GOING TO LOOK?
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 4 2 - P. 4 3
VISUAL RESEARCH The project cannot just be visually appealing, but it has to serve a functional purpose as well. The visual research was helpful in term of guiding me on which direction my project should take. The visual system should not only attract my target audience to my projects, but should also be functional that goes beyond mere visual stimulation. After my exploration, I believe bright color, playful illustration and simple icons could be a good visual solution to my project.
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
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P. 4 4 - P. 4 5
PLANT TWO
THE RESEARCH
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 4 6 - P. 4 7
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 4 8 - P. 4 9
DESIGN SOLU TIO N THE FINAL EXECUTION OF THE PROJECT
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
DESIGN IS NOT J IT LOOKS LIKE A DESIGN IS HOW —Steve Jobs
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
JUST WHAT AND FEELS LIKE. W IT WORKS.
P. 5 0 - P. 5 1
PLANT THREE
Thesis Objective
Strategy
Tactic
POPULARIZE URBAN FARMING AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE
PROVIDING A REWARD SYSTEM AND ESTABLISHING EASILY ENGAGEMENT
PATCH APP
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 5 2 - P. 5 3
WHAT IS PATCH APP? Patch is a reward based mobile application that motivates people for convenient participation in urban farming activities. The app could strengthen relationships between people who might not have otherwise met but have same interest by bringing them together and providea mutual platform; earn real organic fruits and vegetables through engaging urban farming actives and explore local urban farms and share stories with friends.
PLANT THREE
WHY MOBILE APP? Effortless engagement and accessibility is the key to the idea of an app. Smartphones has become the most important gadgets for people categorized by my target audience, in which smartphones has become a part of their life; they use it to connect, read, share, and exchange information of various kind with the rest of the world. Smartphone app offers a readily available tool for people of the same interest to participate in an activity. Especially considering the popularity and reliance on smartphone in San Francisco, the use of an app as a medium will be profoundly crucial and beneficial for the project as a whole.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
Percentage of young adults who own smartphone has been significantly in creasing in past three years. According to Nielsen research.
2012
2013
2014
P. 5 4 - P. 5 5
PLANT THREE
VISUAL DESIGN
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
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P. 5 6 - P. 5 7
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 5 8 - P. 5 9
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 6 0 - P. 6 1
LOGO MARK
Word mark
Symbol only
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
TYPEFACE & COLOR
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 123456789!@#$%^&* Calibri Regular
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 123456789!@#$%^&* Calibri Bold
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 123456789!@#$%^&* Calibri Italic
P. 6 2 - P. 6 3
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
R
185
C
G
205
M
B
60
36 2
Y
87
K
0
Primary color
58
R
0
C
80
0
G
155
M
15
Y
26
B
125
Y
60
K
0
K
0
R
105
C
G
200
M
B
200
R
255
C
0
R
95
C
45
G
145
M
54
G
80
M
50
B
95
Y
62
B
70
Y
55
K
0
K
50
Secondary Colors
15
R
225
C
G
225
M
B
210
Y
20
K
0
5
Background colors
PLANT THREE
ILLUSTRATIONS
The colorful illustration of the city brings a fresh and playful personality for Patch App.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 6 4 - P. 6 5
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
AVATARS The character models could be used as a virtual avatar. Patchers could also choose to use the photography as profile photo.
Scott
Lynn
Shawn
Art student
College students
New employee
Timo hyper dog
P. 6 6 - P. 6 7
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
Michelle
Cory
Steven
Eric
Social butterfly
hipster
Farm owner
Young farmer
PLANT THREE
ICONS I created outlined icons for the navigation of the app, which inspired by farming elements.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 6 8 - P. 6 9
PLANT THREE
PATCH IS A REWARD BASED MOBILE APPLICATION THAT MOTIVATES PEOPLE FOR CONVENIENTPARTICIPATION IN URBAN FARMING ACTIVITIES.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 7 0 - P. 7 1
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 7 4 - P. 7 5
PLANT THREE
DIG IT Users could search for local urban farming activities or events through GPS locator, and the system will also feed some popular events periodically. Users could also look at the details of each event, browse through pictures and comments, and discover who participated. In addition, this app allows the user to add the event to their calendar and grow, so the system could give them an alarm when the event approaches.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 7 6 - P. 7 7
PLANT THREE
The “feed” will show the most popular activities near you. Users could use filter to help choosing the activity.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
Adding the activity to “Grow” if the user want to join. Also adding it to the calendar will notice the user when the event comes.
P. 7 8 - P. 7 9
PLANT THREE
GROW Users could earn patch points by check in through the activity list and participate in the event. They could also leave comments, rating, and pictures after the event is over.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 8 0 - P. 8 1
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
Users could rate and leave comments about the activity to give others and the host some advice or share their thoughts.
P. 8 2 - P. 8 3
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
P. 8 4 - P. 8 5
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
PATCH POINT By participating in an event, users could earn patch points. Depending on how much patch point they earn, they can trade the patch points for real produce at local urban farms. The app will provide an accurate list of participating urban farms and detailed info such as what kinds of fresh produce are available as a reward. Users could also search and filter different keywords to find out and make adjustments. In the meanwhile, our users could also share their progress to different social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
According to the different points that the user earn, the screen will show different slogan.
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 8 6 - P. 8 7
Users could choose the rewards available from farms close by, and share with friends through social network.
PLANT THREE
EXPLORE Users can explore local urban farms through a map or a list to obtain the dtailed info of that particular farm. They can browse through the pictures and other user’s post. Users can also mark participated urban farm as “visited” on the virtual map, and share their story or experiences, and give a rating.
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 8 8 - P. 8 9
PLANT THREE
PROFILE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
CALENDAR
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 9 0 - P. 9 1
PLANT THREE
SUPPORT DESIGN
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
M FA T H E S I S B O O K
P. 9 2 - P. 9 3
PLANT THREE
DESIGN SOLUTION
ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
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P. 9 6 - P. 9 7