ACTION RESEARCH 2 ASSESSMENT ITEM 1
How can positive design strategies influence people to consume more plant-based foods in their lifestyle?
JODY WASLEY s5007247
CONTEXTUAL RELEVANCE
1-2 years ago I went vegan after learning the negative effects eating meat had on my health, the environment and animal welfare. Eating plant-based has made such a positive difference in my mood, energy and outlook in life. I want everybody to feel this way.
CONTEXTUAL RELEVANCE
Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life.
Pimentel, David, and Marcia Pimentel. 2003. “Sustainability Of Meat-Based And PlantBased Diets And The Environment”. The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 78 (3): 1-3. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/3/660S.full.pdf+html.
THEORETICAL DISCOURSE
How not to die from heart disease
Observing a Vegan Passover
By age 10, the arteries of nearly all kids raised on the S.A.D already have fatty streaks - the first stage of the disease.
In a slave mentality, one merely eats whatever they can. In a post-slave mentality, one merely eats whatever they want. In a liberated mentality, one makes active, responsible moral choices about what to consume.
As soon as patients stopped eating artery-clogging diets, their bodies were able to start dissolving plaque away, opening arteries without drugs or surgery. Plant-based diets aren’t just safer and cheaper. They can work better as they treat the actual cause of the disease.
THEORETICAL DISCOURSE
Healthy Plant-Based Diet: What Does It Really Mean?
Designing for Behavior Change: Applying Psychology and Behavioral Economics
Substantial evidence indicates that a predominantly plant-based diet is associated with improved cardiovascular risk factors, reduced incidence, and progression of CHD.
As a behaviour designer, you are not manipulating people or transforming them into someone else. You are helping people become a better version of themselves.
Such diets, which have many other health benefits including the prevention of several chronic diseases, deserve more emphasis in dietary recommendations.
1. Select the right target behaviour 2. Make the target behaviour easy to do. 3. Ensure a trigger will prompt the behaviour.
CONTEMPORARY PRACTITIONERS
Piglet by Tracey Keller Tracey highlights the preciousness of a pig through bold and vibrant colours. Influences viewer to feel subconsciously aware of their relationship between animals and food.
CONTEMPORARY PRACTITIONERS
Those Who Benefit From You by Maggie Allen Suggests that eating less meat does not bring lack to your life but health and opportunity for the planet to grow.
CONTEMPORARY PRACTITIONERS
Small Book Designs by Jiani Lu Inspires behaviour change through beautiful, engaging and simple graphic design. Print is a medium I wish to work with, so it is valuable to me to see how others have used visual communication to help people.
CONTEMPORARY PRACTITIONERS
Illustrated Infographics by Jing Zhang Because I am accentuating positive ways to inspire people, colourful infographics seem like the best method for this. Jing is a great example of how a designer can inform people through illustrations.
METHODOLOGIES - SURVEY
Guilt-trip advertising survey
Would you go back to eating animal products?
70% of people surveyed believed guilt-trip advertising (seen with PETA) does not inspire them to change.
4/5 of people surveyed would not go back to eating animal products.
“Guilt-trip advertising doesn’t necessarily inspire me to change, the issue itself inspires me.”
“It’s so easy to avoid meat these days, there are vegan options popping up everywhere.” “I have but it has made me more conscious with the products I buy.”
METHODOLOGIES - SELF-GENERATED FOOD
To show there is no ‘lack’ with eating more plant-based food.
IDEA GENERATION
MOODBOARD
CONCEPT MOCKUP
CONCEPT MOCKUP
FUTURE DIRECTION
Experiment with inside design
Choose a format for print
Look for further ways to inspire behaviour change
Ideas: standard chronological book format, brochure-style, or large fold-out page with infographics.
A book might be way too expensive to mass-produce.
What can I add to help people take action?
Perhaps narrow down into a brochure or perhaps a large fold-out poster.
Printable shopping lists, a checklist, a leave behind to remind people, perhaps a nutrient chart showing people which foods give them adequate iron etc.
Either express with lots of illustrations or use simple typography.
TIMELINE
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Concept development
Presentation & feedback
Product development
Week 9
Week 8
Week 7
Make refinements
Get feedback
Product development
Week 10
Week 11
Send to print
Blog & presentation updates
Week 12 Presentation & submission