E M I LY B R O C K a n MFA G ra p hi c D e s i g n T he s i s
E M I LY B R O C K a n MFA G ra p hi c D e s i g n T he s i s
Connectable is a food centric movement for the culturally curious.
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CONTENTS
01 Background 004
04
Design Solutions 050
02 Research 016
05 Impact 088
03
Design Explorations 040
06 Thank you 10 4
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CKGROUND the origins of Connectable
CHAPTER ONE
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the origins of Connectable
CHAPTER ONE
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“ ”
I LEARNED AT AN EARLY AGE THAT EVEN THOUGH L ANGUAGE, CLOTHING, MUSIC AND CULTURE WERE DIFFERENT, I COULD STILL BUILD A FRIENDSHIP WHEN SHARING A GRILLED EAR OF CORN IN MEXICO OR FRESH MAHI-MAHI IN TAHITI.
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In the many travels with my parents around the world, food was the great connector—the universal language that everyone understood. Mo s t s t u d e n t s w i l l t e l l y o u t h a t t h e p r o c e s s o f
moved to t he Un ited St ate s when I w a s t wo. W h i le I
c hoosi n g t hei r MFA t he si s topic c a n b e j u s t a s
w a s mos t ly a Midwe s ter n g i rl, I t r aveled to Me x ico,
t r y i n g a s t he t he si s it sel f. For a t he si s to be s t ron g,
A u s t r a l i a, Ta h it i, E n g l a nd, Fr a nce, Wa le s, Z a m bi a,
it mu s t re son ate on a per son a l le vel. It mu s t be
Ne w Z e a l a nd, Ni ger i a, C a n ad a a nd m a ny loc a le s
a bout a topic one feel s pa s sion ate enou g h a bout to
acros s t he U.S. A .
re se a r c h , de velop, a nd w a l k be side e ver y d ay for a ye a r a nd a h a l f.
I h ave nu merou s pa s sion s a nd sou r ce s of joy. My g re ate s t ener g y a nd el at ion i n l i fe, howe ver, i s
L on g before I moved to C a l i for n i a to beg i n s t ud ie s
fou nd t h rou g h my rel at ion s h ips w it h t he people
at the Academy, un bek nownst to me my thesis topic
a rou nd me. Ever y cou nt r y a nd cit y I’ve been to h a s
w a s ger m i n at i n g. Grow i n g up, I spent a m ajor it y
s how n t h i s world to be a more i nter con nec ted a nd
of s u m mer s a nd sc hool hol id ay s t r avel i n g. My
a m a z i n g pl ace t h a n mos t of u s a re con sciou s of or
pa r ent s bot h work a s m i n i s ter s wh ic h me a nt m a ny
a ble to ac k nowled ge.
te ac h i n g a nd pre ac h i n g t r ips to d i f ferent pl ace s a rou nd t he world. I w a s bor n i n Na i robi, K eny a a nd
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spend s u m mer s toget her by t he pool or rel a x i n g at
CO N N E C TA B L E
W h i le I w a s of ten je a lou s of my f r iend s who got to
t he se t r ips a nd e xc u r sion s. A dvent u r e s be yond t he
t he fa m i ly c a bi n on t he l a ke, I e vent u a l ly bec a me g r atef u l for t he u nu s u a l e x per ience s of fered by com for t a ble led me to v ie w t he world w it h d i f ferent e ye s; to see wh at ot her s were not pr iv i leged to see. W hen I t h i n k bac k to t he pl ace s I’ve been , more of ten t h a n not wh at I remem ber mos t i s rel ated to food— wh at we ate, how it w a s prepa red, who I
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s h a red t he me a l w it h , a nd t he spice s, herbs a nd
of re spon se s to q uer ie s, com ment s or ponder i n g s.
f l avor s — of ten q u ite d i f ferent f rom wh at I w a s
W h i le t h i s a bu nd a nce of re ad i ly av a i l a ble k now-
acc u s tomed to. I le a r ned at a n e a rly a ge t h at e ven
led ge a nd i m med i ate g r at i f ic at ion i s a m a z i n g, it
t hou g h l a n g u a ge, c lot h i n g, mu sic a nd c u lt u re were
h a s s t r ipped u s of a cer t a i n ‘re a l ne s s’. It i s no lon ger
d i f ferent, I cou ld s t i l l bu i ld a f r iend s h ip when
nece s s a r y for u s to g ive bac k i n conver s at ion s a nd
s h a r i n g a g r i l led e a r of cor n i n Me x ico or f re s h
d i sc u s sion s, or g at her to enjoy t he compa ny of one
m a h i-m a h i i n Ta h it i.
a not her. We foc u s too of ten on t he int a ke, r at her
chapter 01
BACKG ROU N D
t h a n t he g ive a nd t a ke. We l ive i n a world of end le s s i n for m at ion. A t a ny g iven t i me, we c a n i nput a ny t h i n g t h at cros se s ou r m i nd s i nto a se a r c h en g i ne a nd receive m i l l ion s
SA LTILLO, M EXICO Sharing corn with a new friend, Ada Dominguez
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To be a responsible resident of this planet is to step out of our immediate surroundings and acknowledge the amazing energy and connections the world has to offer, not through Facebook updates or our Twitter followers, but through person-to-person connection. A nd wh at bet ter way to lear n, appreciate and con nect th an th rough ou r taste buds? We can ex per ience a people and a cu lt u re in their authenticit y th rough the simple act of eatin g together. Food is an ex tension of self and cu lt u re. It is an integ ra l par t of how we relate and how we lear n a bout ou r hu m an it y and ou r world. With food as the com mon denom in ator, it is much easier to appreciate and im ag ine the ever yday life of others.
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And so it be gan . . . my que s t to de ve lop a foo d-c e nt r ic p roj e c t as a c atalys t for cultural encounter and cohesive community. My thesis is an invitation to companionship (c om-w ith; pa n-b re a d—“to s hare bre ad to ge the r”). It is my lit tle of fe r in g to ma k e the w orld a p lac e that is jus t a lit tle more “C onne c tab le.”
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RESEARCH problem becomes opportunity
CHAPTER T WO
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“ ”
MOST PEOPLE ARE ON THE WORLD, NOT IN IT. THEY HAVE NO CONSCIOUS SYMPATHY OR RELATIONSHIP TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE A ROU N D TH EM . TH E Y A R E PHYSIC ALLY TOGETHER, BUT COMPLETELY SEPAR ATE. JOHN MUIR american author and naturalist
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I knew then that my solution wouldn’t lie within a website or a ‘ how-to’ guide. It needed to be an experience—something participants could actively do together. W h i le I’ve a lways h ad passion su r rou ndin g th is
Wit h t h at i n m i nd, I set of f on t he mos t del iciou s
topic and k now n there was someth in g g reat to be
a nd enjoy a ble re se a r c h I’ve e ver u nder t a ken.
discovered u nder the ‘ food as a con nector’ u m brel la,
B eg i n n i n g w it h my bi r t hpl ace of K eny a, I i nv ited
it took me q u ite some time to decide ex actly who my
se ver a l f r iend s a nd c l a s sm ate s to my apa r t ment
audience wou ld be, how I wou ld define the ch a l len ge,
to e x per ience t he food I ate a s a sm a l l c h i ld—food
then prov ide a creative response.
t h at I u se tod ay a s a con nec t ion to a world muc h d i f ferent t h a n t he one I’m i n now.
In it i a l ly, my goa l w a s to t u r n a more c lose-m i nded aud ience i nto a n accept i n g one — s how i n g people
We put aw ay ou r cel l phone s. We a s ked e ac h ot her
who weren’t i n a cit y a s d iver se a s Sa n Fr a nci sco
q ue s t ion s. We l au g hed a nd le a r ned a bout a ne w
a bet ter ide a of wh at t he w ide a nd wonder f u l world
c u lt u re a nd e ac h ot her w it hout t he d i s t r ac t ion of
h ad to of fer. W h i le t h i s mot ive i s i mpor t a nt, I
soci a l med i a or ot her out side i n f luence s. We were
fou nd it d i f f ic u lt not to sou nd el it i s t or a s t hou g h
pre sent. I k ne w t hen t h at my solut ion wou ld n’t l ie
I were t a l k i n g dow n to a cer t a i n g roup of people
w it h i n a website or a ‘ how-to’ g u ide. It needed to
who ‘ ju s t d id n’t get it.’ I d id n’t w a nt C on nec t a ble to
be a n e x per ience — somet h i n g pa r t icipa nt s cou ld
be a s l ap-on-t he-w r i s t, but i n s te ad, a low-pre s s u re
ac t ively do toget her. It needed to be a ne w w ay for
le a r n i n g e x per ience —a del iciou s w ay to e x per ience
people to s h a re i n t he ac t of e at i n g toget her.
a ne w c u lt u re a nd people.
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Following the Kenyan dinner, I did a lot of reading, Vimeo watching and scribbling. I also began to pay close at tention to friends, coworkers and classmates who were wonder f ul sources for varied cult ural connections. Luck ily for me, San Francisco is one of the most diverse cities in the nation. In no time at all I was set ting up my nex t dinner and hav ing conversations with people from all over the world about
their
favorite
cult ural
dishes:
Swedish
blueberr y soup, “Mountain Oysters� (testicles of castrated bull calves), Korean Root Beer with an ex tra dash of salt, corned beef and cabbage, gallos pintos (a black bean and rice dish), koshari, (Eg y ptian street food), and so much more.
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In a society drowning in the digital, we often forget the value of person-to-person connection.
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S T. PETER ’ S SQUA RE 20 0 5
S T. PETER ’ S SQUA RE 2013
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It w a s i mpor t a nt t h rou g hout t h i s proce s s to keep
i s somet h i n g mos t a l l of u s are g u i lt y of across the
t he foc u s on con nec t i n g d i f ferent c u lt u re s a nd
board. It was now my task to decide how best to relay
te ac h i n g people a bout pl ace s t he y’ d ne ver been.
the impor tance of th is compan ionsh ip —th is act of
A t t he E g y pt i a n d i n ner, wh ic h my f r iend s Joseph
eatin g and sh ar in g together.
Fa h my a nd C h r i s t i n a C on nol ly were k i nd enou g h to hos t for me, I w a s s t r uc k w it h t he re a l i z at ion t h at
To bet ter def i ne my t a r get aud ience a nd f i g u re
t h i s t he si s w a sn’t a bout one c u lt u re appreci at i n g
out where people’s m a i n i ntere s t s a nd de si re s
a not her c u lt u re’s food. It w a s a bout people of d i f f-
wou ld l ie i n t he C on nec t a ble d i n ner e x per ience,
erent c u lt u re s a nd r ace s appreci at i n g e ac h ot her
I de veloped a nd ad m i n i s tered a s u r ve y. I received
wh i le s h a r i n g food at t a ble. It doe sn’t m at ter t h at
re spon se s f rom i nter v ie wee s f rom n i ne s t ate s a nd
Sa n Fr a nci sco i s le s s t h a n 50% C auc a si a n a nd hold s
f ive d i f fer ent cou nt r ie s. A ge s r a n ged f r om 2 4 to 67.
e ver y t y pe of c u i si ne you cou ld e ver i m a g i ne. It doe sn’t m at ter t h at I’ve t r aveled. Howe ver c u lt u r a l ly i m mer sed, t he l ac k of per son a l con nec t ion
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TH E S U RV E Y Interviewees from nine different states and five different countries, between the ages of 24 and 67 were asked about their digital practices at the dinner table, as well as their familiarity with ethnic food in an online questionnaire.
76% sa id t he y f i nd
100% f i nd it d ist rac t i n g when
t hem selves tex t i n g at t he
someone is on t hei r phone at
d i n ner t a ble.
t he t a ble.
92% enjoy eat i n g et h n ic
16% a re con sciou s of t he
Howe ver, 92% wou ld be
food a nd do it reg u l a rly
c u lt u re whose food t he y a re
i nterested i n lea r n i n g more
(at lea st once per week)
eat i n g. 84% sa id t he y do it
a bout t he c u lt u re a nd stor ies
more for t he t a ste a nd a re
beh i nd sa id d ishes, i f t h at
fa i rly u n awa re of t he c u lt u re
i n for m at ion were ava i l a ble.
beh i nd t he food.
In addition to recipes, what are some other things you would enjoy lear ning about a featured Connectable culture?
CLIMATE, SHELTER, POLITICS, L ANGUAGE, GEOGR APHY, MUSIC, DECOR, ANTHROPOLOGY, TR ADITIONS, HOLIDAYS, DAY TO DAY LIFE
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TH E CO N N EC TA B L E PA R TI C I PA NT
›
Believes interpersonal relationships are vital
›
Is excited by food
›
Seeks to explore global cultures
›
Finds great value in gaining knowledge of global cultures by building new relationships
›
Is open to new tastes, foods and traditions
›
Is either male or female
›
Is an English speaker between the ages of 20-45 page
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W h i le I met, ch at ted and sh ared food w ith people of m any cu lt u res and back g rou nds th roughout th is process, the m a in Con necta ble events I feat u re on the website are five cu lt u ra l cu isines I ex per ienced first h and w ith indiv idua ls w i l lin g to sh are their cu lt u re’s way of eatin g and relatin g arou nd the ta ble:
K E N YA N JEWISH HONDURAN CHINESE EGYPTIAN
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DESIGN EXPLO ideas made visible
CHAPTER THREE
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E X P LO R AT I O N
03
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IDEA S MADE VISIBLE I k ne w f rom t he beg i n n i n g t h at I wa nted somet h i n g on t he br i g ht side, but st i l l cont a i n i n g elements with a more nat ural feel. Not wanting to add new colors for each new cult ure, I also decided that pat terns would the disting uishing factor bet ween each cult ure and k it. For the photography, I wanted a mix of ver y simplistic shots, people chatting, smiling, connecting, as well as delicious pictures of the food being cooked, ser ved, shared and eaten, leading viewers to want to reach through the page (or screen) and take a big bite. For t he Con nec t a ble logo, a g a i n, I wa nted somet h i n g ex t remely si mple a nd st a mp-a ble. I wa nted to rel ay t he sen se of con nec t ion a s wel l a s a l lude to t he projec t bei n g centered a rou nd food.
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connecTABLE
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04
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CHAPTER FOUR
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CO N N E C TA B L E
logo and logotype uses
X
X X X
6X
a l t e r n a t e l o g o s e t-u p
X
X
1” m i n i m u m l e n g t h
T he C on nec t a ble logo w a s bu i lt si mply, a l low i n g t he logo a nd logot y pe to be u sed ef fec t ively toget her or sepa r ately. T he du a l ci r c le s of t he logo a l lude to a d i n ner pl ate s h ape, r epr e sent at ive of C on nec t a ble’s emph a si s on food a nd e at i n g toget her. T he icon a l so emu l ate s t he let ter ‘C ’ for C on nec t a ble, a s wel l a s t he over a l l feel i n g of t h i n g s bei n g con nec ted—i n t h i s c a se, t he l i ne s of t he ‘C ’ cont i nu i n g a rou nd to for m a d i n ner pl ate. T h e l o g o c a n b e u s e d i n a n y o f t h e m a i n C on nec t a ble color s a s wel l a s wh ite. W hen pl aced on a n i m a ge, it i s to rem a i n wh ite. B ot h element s of t he logo c a n be u sed sepa r ately or toget her, a nd c a n be centered bot h hor i zont a l ly a nd ver t ic a l ly.
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CO LO R PA L E T TE A N D T Y PE logo and logotype uses
C
0
R
255
M
88
G
64
Y
100
B
0
K
0
V E R L AG ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV WXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
C
0
R
255
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV WXYZ
M
22
G
200
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Y
100
B
0
1234567890
K
0
C
25
R
186
M
0
G
247
Y
7
B
246
K
0
C
60
R
41
M
80
G
7
Y
60
B
19
K
80
FILOSOPH I A A BCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTU V W X Y Z a bcdefghijk lmnopqrstuv w x y z 1234567890 A BCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQR ST U V W X Y Z abcdefghijk lmnopqrst uv w x yz 1234567890 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV W X Y Z abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890
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E V E NT KIT S W h i le t he website a nd promot ion a l m ater i a l s a re i mpor t a nt piece s to C on nec t a ble’s s ucce s s a s a movement, t he Event K it s accompl i s h wh at a pos ter or screen c a n not—t he y a re t he a l l-encompa s si n g, c u r ated, C on nec t a ble e x per ience del ivered r i g ht to pa r t icipa nt s’ door s.
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TH E M E TH O D On t he website a nd i n t he i n for m at ion a l book let w it h i n e ac h k it, pa r t icipa nt s a re s how n t he f ives tep C on nec t a ble model. W h i le t here i s no ‘w ron g’ w ay to u se e ac h k it or le a r n a bout ne w c u lt u re s, t he se f ive s teps i n s u re mem ber s w i l l get t he mos t out of t hei r e x per ience.
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Here’s how it works. CHOOSE A CULTURE C hoose a c u lt u re t h at appea ls to you f rom one of ou r e vent k it s. You w i l l receive recipes, c u lt u ra l ly rele v a nt mu sic, a n i n for m at ive book let on you r chosen c u lt u re, a n i nt r i g u i n g i n g red ient or t wo for t he d i n ner a head, i nv it at ion s, a nd m a ny ot her item s. Or, feel f ree to u se ou r u n iver sa l k it to create a n e vent w it h t he c u lt u re of you r choosi n g.
COOK TOGETHER Once you r c u lt u re k it h a s a r r ived, it’s t i me to i nv ite some f r iends or ot her Con nec t a ble mem ber s to help sh a re t he ex per ience w it h you. You w i l l receive det a i led recipes a nd i n g red ient l ist s. You m ay wa nt to i nclude you r g uest s i n t he cook i n g process, a l low i n g a l l t hose who a re i nterested to sh a re t he ent i re ex per ience w it h you.
EAT TOGETHER Sit dow n a nd eat w it h one a not her. P ut away you r cel l phones. Ta l k a bout a nd f u l ly appreci ate t he food before you a nd t he si mple ac t of eat i n g toget her. L isten. Enjoy. L ea r n a bout t he c u lt u re a nd c u stom s you a re ex per ienci n g. L au g h. Con nec t.
CONNECT T he idea l Con nec t a ble ex per ience prov ides t h ree d i f ferent t y pes of con nec t ion s—a con nec t ion w it h t he or i g i n a l Con nec t a ble i nter v ie wee, a con nec t ion w it h t he chosen c u lt u re t h at pa r t icipa nt s h ad n’t pre v iou sly ex per ienced, a s wel l a s a con nec t ion w it h t he people who joi n toget her a rou nd t he t a ble.
CONTINUE CONNECTABLE Don’t let you r f i r st ex per ience be you r l a st. W het her you a re f rom Mu m ba i, Syd ne y, Sh a n g h a i or Des Moi nes, we a l l h ave a con nec t ion w it h ou r c u lt u re a nd fa m i ly t h rou g h food—a stor y to tel l a nd a recipe to sh a re. Help u s cont i nue t he con nec t ion s a nd sh a re you r stor y w it h u s a nd w it h ot her s.
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I N V ITE . PL A N . S H O P. Once C on nec t a ble i s aw a re of pa r t icipa nt s’ cit y of or i g i n , t hei r k it w i l l be f u r t her c u s tom i zed w it h a m ap of t hei r cit y, m a k i n g t hem aw a re of t he loc a l del i s, re s t au r a nt s, m a rket s a nd ot her c u lt u r a l hot spot s per t a i n i n g to t he c u lt u re t he y h ave selec ted. E ac h k it w i l l a l so cont a i n i nv it at ion s for t he hos t to send out to h i s or her c hosen g ue s t s, a s wel l a s recipe c a r d s for t hei r me a l a he ad.
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BOO K L E T E ac h k it a l so cont a i n s a n i n for m at ion a l book let, prov id i n g e ac h pa r t icipa nt w it h i n for m at ion a bout how t he C on nec t a ble proce s s work s, some c u lt u r a l voc a bu l a r y a nd fac t s a bout t he c hosen c u lt u re, a nd a n i nter v ie w of t he C on nec t a ble mem ber who s h a red t he recipe s a nd i n it i a l e x per ience w it h u s.
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Each kit also includes: TOTE BAG a h a ndy c a nv a s ba g, for c a r t i n g a l l of you r i n g red ient s home.
SECRET ING REDIENT We w i l l prov ide one or t wo i n g red ient s or food item s for you r d i n ner a he ad t h at tend to be more speci a l i zed or le s s com mon , s uc h a s E g y pt i a n c hocol ate s or c h a i spice s.
TU NAG E W h at’s a d i n ner pa r t y w it hout good mu sic? E ac h k it i nc lude s a USB d r ive f i l led w it h mu sic popu l a r i n e ac h c hosen c u lt u re.
M EN US Si nce m a ny of t he se d i s he s m ay be u n fa m i l i a r to you r g ue s t s, we prov ide a menu to be pl aced at e ac h pl ace set t i n g. T h i s a l low s e ver yone to k now wh at t he y’re d iv i n g i nto when it’s not recog n i z a ble by t he n a me.
FAC T C A RDS A l so pl aced at e ac h pl ate, t he se ci r c u l a r fac t c a r d s g ive e ac h d i n ner g ue s t a sm a l l conver s at ion s t a r ter to s h a re w it h t he t a ble.
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Once t he k it w a s f u l ly de si g ned, I h ad se ver a l t r i a l d i n ner s, m a k i n g m i nor t we a k s a nd c h a n ge s to en s u r e e ac h item per for med t he t a s k it w a s cre ated for. A l so, to see i f a ny ne w item s s hou ld be added, or a ny s uper f luou s piece s t a ken aw ay. By t he end of t he pi lot ser ie s, t he k it seemed to h ave l a nded i n a pl ace bot h my sel f, a nd pa r t icipa nt s who s h a red i n t he e x per ience w it h me were q u ite h appy w it h.
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W E B S ITE The Connectable website is the holding place for Con necta ble in for m ation, contact, hostin g instr uctions and event orders, the latest Connectable events, recipes, and much more.
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IMPACT & THE time for the real world
CHAPTER FIVE
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E FUTURE 05
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WITH EACH HAND OF UGALI, EACH SIP OF WINE, THESE 8 PEOPLE BEGAN NOT ONLY TO SPEAK THEIR MINDS BUT TO LISTEN WITH THEIR HEARTS.
“ ” J AY H O U G A A R D a r t d i r e c t o r, L A
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“ �
It was time to send Connectable out into the world without my supervision. Now that my idea had been formulated, the research
e xcitement, t he re spon se w a s e x t remely posit ive.
h ad been done, bot h cog n it ive a nd v i s u a l, t he k it,
G ue s t s a s ked when t he ne x t d i n ner wou ld t a ke
website a nd promot ion a l piece s h ad been cre ated
pl ace a nd wh at t y pe of c u i si ne w a s ne x t on t he l i s t
a nd t he pi lot h ad been conduc ted, it w a s t i me to
to le a r n a bout a nd enjoy toget her.
send C on nec t a ble out i nto t he world w it hout my s uper v i sion. T he f i r s t C on nec t a ble pac k a ge w a s
T he feed bac k w a s over whel m i n g ly u sef u l a nd g ave
sent to K el se y Mez zen g a i n L os A n gele s, C A .
me a n itc h to s t a r t t he se a r c h for t he ne x t c u lt u re to e x per ience, e x plore, t hen s h a re w it h ot her l i ke-
Wit h solely t he m ater i a l s a nd i n s t r uc t ion s i n t he
m i nded i nd iv idu a l s w it h a si m i l a r pa s sion to see
brow n c a r d boa r d box to g u ide her, s he conduc ted
a nd e at t hei r w ay a rou nd t he world.
a C on nec t a ble d i n ner w it h ei g ht ot her s i n her t wo bed room apa r t ment i n Ec ho Pa rk . To my
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“ � J AY H O U G A A R D a r t d i r e c t o r, L A
It is through the creation of community that we progress as a society. While we live in a hyper connected world, we also live in a world with very little communal conversation. T he food w a s sen s at ion a l but second a r y. T he
ow n bel iefs. You a r e t hen obl i g ated to con sider t he
t r ue be aut y of t he me a l c a me i n t he col lec t i n g of
per spec t ive of ot her s who a re pa r t icipat i n g i n t he
8 i nd iv idu a l s a rou nd a t a ble to bre a k bre ad, or
conver s at ion on ly to be compel led to q ue s t ion , yet
c h apat i a s it were. A f ter a rou nd of compl i ment s
a g a i n , wh at t he i n for m at ion m ay me a n to you.
to t he c hefs se ated a mon g s t u s t he conver s at ion beg a n to f i nd dept h.
W h at s t a r ted a s f r iend ly
It i s t h rou g h t he cre at ion of com mu n it y t h at we
ba nter a mon g s t acq u a i nt a nce s q u ic k ly bec a me
pr og r e s s a s a societ y.
somet h i n g more. Wit h e ac h h a nd of u g a l i, w it h
con nec ted world we a l so l ive i n a world w it h ver y
W h i le we l ive i n a hy per
e ac h sip of w i ne, t he se 8 people beg a n not on ly to
l it t le com mu n a l conver s at ion. We l ive i n a world
spe a k t hei r m i nd s but to l i s ten w it h t hei r he a r t s.
where we a re r a rely compel led to con sider t he v ie w poi nt s of ot her s a s we s t r u g g le to f i nd t he t i me to do
T he world we l ive i n i s a world of i m med i ate a nd
so. We no lon ger h ave societ a l nor m s t h at for ce u s
end le s s i n for m at ion. It i s no lon ger nece s s a r y to
to sit toget her for g roup me a l s; Sa bbat h or Su nd ay
g at her toget her to col lec t i n for m at ion. Howe ver,
d i n ner. T he d i n ner t a ble a s a g at her i n g pl ace i s
it i s s t i l l t r ue t h at when we s t ay lon g enou g h , a s
perh aps a ve s t i ge of a n old w ay of l iv i n g a nd it m ay
one mu s t over a me a l s uc h a s t h i s, we beg i n to not
be t h at c u lt u r a l con s t r uc t s s uc h a s C on nec t a ble
on ly d i s sem i n ate fac t s but d i sc u s s d i f ferent w ay s
P rojec t a re ou r societ ie s be s t hope for cont i nu i n g
of i nter pr e t i n g t hose fac t s. W hen se ated at a t a ble
t he conver s at ion s t h at a l low u s to prog re s s. W h at’s
you c a n not si mply i nt a ke i n for m at ion but i n s te ad
for d i n ner ne x t Tue sd ay?
a re for ced to reconci le t he i n for m at ion w it h you r
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“ ” TIMOTHY C A MPB ELL
Everyone went back for second and third helpings, and learned a thing or two along the way. W h at a f u n n i g ht! I love t r y i n g ne w food—but e ven
My on ly cr it ici sm wou ld be, it m ade me a t ad sel f-
at g re at re s t au r a nt s I don’t get t he le vel of det a i l
ref lec t ive a bout how luc k y ou r l ive s a re a nd how
a bout wh at I’m e at i n g, t h at t he “C on nec t a ble”
d i f fer ent mos t of t he world e at s, l ive s a nd s t r u g g le s
K eny a me a l g ave u s. B ei n g a ble to re ad t he menu
to e x i s t. Wou ld be i ntere s t i n g (to me, at le a s t) i f
(a r t f u l ly d i spl ayed on e ac h of ou r pl ate s) before
C on nec t a ble h ad some w ay for fol k s e at i n g t he
t r y i n g t he food w a s q u ite a t re at (a nd a lw ay s helpf u l
d i n ner to g ive bac k . E it her some for m of c h a r it y
for fol k s i n L A - whose d iet a r y preference s c a n be a
(x% of t he k it cos t goe s to a c h a r it y), or some d i rec t
m i ne f ield). A nd t he be aut i f u l accompa ny i n g book
con nec t ion w it h K eny a (wh at e x ac t ly t h at wou ld
h ad e ven more i n for m at ion —a bout K eny a, wh at
be, I don’t re a l ly k now) so fol k s feel l i ke t he y a re
t he n a me s of t he d i s he s me a nt a nd how t he recipe s
not on ly e at i n g a nd le a r n i n g, but a l so helpi n g ou r
c a me to be. A nd to top it a l l of f—t he food w a s SO
world ( be yond con nec t i n g w it h g re at f r iend s over
G OOD. Ever yone went bac k for second a nd t h i r d
a y u m my me a l).
helpi n g s, a nd le a r ned a t h i n g or t wo on t he w ay.
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“ ” DA R R I N N O B L E
Delicious regional cuisine I’ve never tasted before and delicious company to laugh with...I only looked at my Instagram feed once. Only because I wasn’t indulging in wine and needed a quick social crutch...better than Facebook! T h a n k s so muc h for t he oppor t u n it y to e x per ience you r proce s s, a nd t a lent. A s a sel f-proc l a i med ‘veg g ie food ie’, who doe s not cook , I c a n e a si ly t h at I w a s be yond s at i ated, s at i sf ied a nd f u l f i l led i n so m a ny w ay s! T he ide a, t he g r aph ic prowe s s a nd con sider at ion , t he c u i si ne w a s a l l to d ie for. I w a s sit t i n g t here w i s h i n g t h at e ver y one of my f r iend s cou ld h ave w it ne s sed a nd pa r t a ked. Pa r tooken? Pa r t a ken? Del iciou s reg ion a l c u i si ne I’ve ne ver t a s ted before...a nd del iciou s compa ny to l au g h w it h.
I on ly looked at my In s t a g r a m feed once.
On ly bec au se I w a sn’t i ndu l g i n g i n w i ne a nd needed a q u ic k soci a l cr utc h before bei n g hu m i l i ated at a cr a f t y g a me of d ice. Die? Die, i ndeed I d id. He aven t here I went! B et ter t h a n Facebook!
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SOC I A L M E D I A W hile Connectable hopes for a less dig itally submerged societ y, there’s no need to ig nore the g reat sources for promotion, sharing and connection that are directly at our finger tips—especially when they help promote the cause and spread the word as far and as q uick ly as possible.
fa c e b o o k .c o m/c o n n e c t a b l e p r o j e c t #c o n n e c t a b l e #c o n n e c t a b l e p r o j e c t o n In s t a g r a m
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PA R TN E R S H I P Following the Connectable dinner hosted in L A, one of the most constr uctive comments I received was from Timothy Campbell. He spoke to the fact that, perhaps Connectable could prov ide a way for Connectable mem bers to g ive something back to the cult ure they were ex periencing. The first organization I thought to par tner with was Outreach International, a non-profit based around the idea of sustainable good. Their mission: we believe in long-term investments that bring about sustainable solutions and long-lasting change for the bet ter. A former college professor of mine is now the president of this organization and I feel a fr uitf ul par tnership could g row with a few conversations and brainstorming sessions.
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THANK YOU to all of the cooks in this kitchen
CHAPTER SIX
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Thank you first, most and always to my parents, David and Carolyn Brock: for your hours of editing help, ongoing encouragement and positive energ y sent from afar. You are my favorite people in the world and I feel luck y to call you mine. Dara Weinberg, Joel Hawkins and Emily Shields: thank you for your amazing encouragement, the hours spent talking me off of (small) ledges, and your overall love and awesomeness. I can’t imagine the last four, or the next forty years without you. To my amazing classmates and wonderful fellow Connectable hosts, Cammie Jenkins, Dara Weinberg, Eric Lo, Kelsey Mezzenga, Christina Connolly and Joseph Fahmy: thank you for bringing this project to life and for giving me reason to believe it could be great. To my other unforgettable favorites, Kelsey Mezzenga, Brie Hattey and Matt Belmont— thank you for allowing me to share hundreds of hugs, beers, tears, sunsets, laughs, and loves with you—I love you like crazy. The world is more enjoyable with you by my side. Last, and far from least, thank you to my amazing thesis instructors for helping me through the hardest times of this journey and for always pushing me to keep climbing up the hill; Phil Hamlett, Michele Ronsen, Michael Kilgore. This wouldn’t have happened without you.
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Š 2013 A ll rights reser ved. No par t of this pu blication can be reproduced w ithout the ex press permission of Emily Brock.
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