Degree Project : Dream Madiwala A generative research-driven project with a system - service deliverable to reduce the uncooked food surplus at a local Mandi.
Keywords : Generative research, Participatory design, Human-centered design, Food waste, System design, Service design, Toolkit, Sustainable, Social innovation
( Synopsis ) Objective To reduce the uncooked food surplus going to waste each day in the Madiwala market. About This is a research-intensive project with a system - service deliverable. Research through design rather than for design and investigating opportunities that surfaced in this context. The intent was not necessarily to create perfect outcomes but rather identify opportunities that may not have been identified (tangible or intangible) had it not been through the HCD process and approach. Development ‘Cities for Children’ is a systems project on developing child-friendly cities, wherein participatory approaches were used with the intent to tackle systemic level wicked problems. ’MoS’ is a project on edible packaging from food waste. Interest, learnings and inspiration from these previous projects gave rise to ‘Dream Madiwala’.
The problem On a macro level, “1/3rd of all the food produced is lost or wasted” - United Against Food Waste; Selina Juul, Founder of Stop Wasting Food “40% of the food produced is wasted.”- Cam Pascual - Co-founder & Principal - Eatable | Linked In “Food demand is expected to increase anywhere between 59% to 98% by 2050” - Harvard Business Review 2016 On a micro level, At Madiwala market, 7 - 8 tons of organic waste per day - Venkatesh, BBMP truck driver 6450 kg per truckload x 3 trucks - Ramakrishna, Government supervisor 12/30 sacks of fruit and vegetable discarded each day - Putt Raj, Vegetable agent 100 kg of Tomato discarded every morning - Shridhar, Tomato agent 40 kg of Cauliflower discarded per day - Gopal Nayak, Cauliflower seller The Design Process The Human Centered Design ProcessTools and Methods : Intent of using participatory approaches was to ensure that the project was driven by the users, for the users and with the users from start to end, based on their opinions, needs, fears and desires by involving them at every stage of the project. Position Iterative participatory approach - generative research. It lies in the transitioning and broadening from the current state of product design to the emerging future disciples of design, redefining the role of a designer, from design student to translator and facilitator. It represents the shift from expert-led to participatory, following research through design rather than for design. Thisproject is an attempt to reduce uncooked food surplus at the local mandi stage of the farm to fork supply chain.
The stages This document is divided into 5 large stages, with each stage designed to provide 4 kinds of information on 2 levels. One that is specific to the local Madiwala context, and the other that is a higher, broader level insight. Some of the key questions that each of the stages address ; Foundation: How do I get started? How do I keep people at the core of my research? What are the tools and methods I can use to understand people? Discovery: How do I synthesize and make sense of the research? How do I shift gears between converging and diverging? How do I identify opportunities and expand the pool of approaches? How do I turn my observations into insights? Iteration: How do I decide on a design direction? How do I test the success of my design? How do I facilitate co-design? How do I prepare a prototype for testing? Prototyping: How do I take the idea from paper to the field? How do I refine and improve it? How doI assess the success of the prototype? Solution set and Way forward How do I handover this project? How do I design for changing contexts? How do I design a sustainable model? How do I make the system foolproof? Process A combination of both linear and non - linear processes, diverging and converging activities, macro and micro level interventions, direct and indirect studies and heavily iterative approaches of HCD were used to better understand, identify and sense – make of data, opportunities and insights to facilitate co-design activities, explore and visualize potential solutions and concepts, synthesize data, test and refine prototypes to arrive at best suited solutions. While some factors remained constant, it was an iterative process with a moving target shifting focus as research progressed.
Nature This project is entirely participatory; presented as a heavy research-driven project using the HCD process, with a broader system service level design outcome which provides design directions to further create subsystems, service, product and artefact deliverables. The pain points and an Idea pool are deliverables by itself; providing a direction for other product - system - service innovations to be born. This is supported by a specific case study, design principles and a solution set for the Madiwala market as well as a toolkit to establish such system - services in other similar markets. The same project without a HCD approach may have had restrictions in terms of time, start - end objectives unlike this self - initiated project that provided freedom to explore and for directions to naturally emerge. It created a setting that provided flexibility to pursue what made sense. An appendix contains the detailed research information collected during the course of this project. There are some broad design principles that were followed and improvised on through the course of the project. However, at each stage, there were other versions of context and use case specific principles that surfaced and redirected design decisions. Challenges This document also brings to light the several expected and unexpected challenges that surfaced from both a personal designer/facilitator as well as from a project point of view. Largely, the bigger challenges revolved around going that extra mile of ground level, real scenario testing of a system service, the single person handling of the project, working with academic time restrictions and meeting the expectations of NID, the studio and the users, learning the process and implementing it on the go while living up to the expectations of the people, legalities and discrimination, converting it from an academic deliverable to a reality, dealing with failure and the complexity and scale of the problem at hand, managing systemlevel quantities of data, dynamics of creating behaviour change in such ecosystems, to be as general, neutral and experimental yet provide context and direction, understanding the difference between an observation and an insight etc.
Results A new knowledge creation from market and slum research. This document captures the 17 consolidated insights that arose from the several pain points identified from research that focus on the key issues and the importance to act on them to reduce uncooked food surplus going to waste at the Madiwala market. These larger design directions can be used to further create subsystems and services, products and policies supporting the cause. How Might We Statement to create an Idea pool covering a spectrum of ideas from speculative to most feasible. A case study with a specific solution set for the Madiwala market, as well as a toolkit for similar intervention to happen with other markets, keeping it relevant irrespective of the changing times, people and contexts. A roadmap for the future and the key takeaways from the overall experience of working in this area. A follow-up and evaluation through co-creation and feedback on the design tools, methods and process themselves that enable generative research could be carried out. Reflections The importance and power of HCD in attempting to solve wicked problems at a systemic level. The challenges and complexities involved in behaviour change. Way forward To establish this system service of market - slum by empowering the 2 parties, making them independent of any external support by continuing the pilot. Replicating the system - service in other similar setups. Enable any individual or organization with the intent to reduce food waste by applying the project’s deliverables.
List of deliverables : Document, System service maps ( Ejipura - Madiwala, HSR slum - Madiwala Way - forward Prototype 4, Existing system to Pilot ), Idea bank, Appendix, Tool Kit
“We can’t impose our will on a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone.” ― Donella H. Meadows, Dancing With Systems
My project ‘Dream Madiwala’ does question the established and expected output of a young product designer. A new generation of social services. How - It does this as it questions, challenges and critiques the role and relevance of a designer and supports the changing landscapes ( eg. Industrial design to Design for service, Visual communication design to Design for Experience, Interaction design to Design for Sustainability ) within the design discipline. It stresses on the importance of research ( research through design rather than research for design ) and human centred design processes and the value in intangibles or non – product outcomes. This proejct uses an unconventional methodology to arrive at the output, an experimental process. It recognizes and acknowledges the users as the expert rather than the designer, and is driven by their voices at every step. It stresses on the need for ‘diffused design’ rather than ‘expert design’. It is generative, learning by doing and completely non – monetized to cover the true costs while solving a wicked problem of food wastage. It separates, brings to light the difference between doing charity and empowering. It shows the transition and benefits of using co – design participatory approaches vs classical ones and structured vs. emergent practices. Foundation : The need to solve the right problem before solving the problem right. Metaphor - 1 ink blot Discovery : Listening to the people with the intent to understand them rather than to reply. Metaphor – 2 ink blots Ideation : The power of design to bring out the ‘inner designer’ in anyone. Prototyping: To determine the level to which the concept is addressing the real need, and the ease for users to achieve that goal. To build for real-world usability. Metaphor – Bubbles Open source Train the trainer Designer in residence Designer as a fool
HOW IS THIS PROJECT UNCONVENTIONAL?
This project deals with a difficult or controversial area, and hence experiments with subject matter in some sense.Dream Madiwala attempts to solve wicked problems of today’s world, that are of utmost importance and urgency, and applicable at a world scale. It is supported and fits in with several other movements attempting to solve the same problem. “If every single human being on this planet had enough food, it would change our societies. It would stop wars, put an end to suffering and even change the course of human history.” - Selina Juul Saving 1/4th of the food currently lost or wasted globally - feed 870 million hungry people in the world, of which the highest number (about 194.6 million) are in India.
This project questions or speculates the future of product design practice and the design discipline itself. When we hear ‘innovation’, what do we think? As a product designer, this project is heavily driven by research with a system - service deliverable. An additional tool kit and Idea pool, for further development through a snowball effect. It questions the titling of disciplines and their relevance, addressing the need to evolve our practices with the changing needs, to be able to use the power of design to solve some of the most complex problems pressing on the world. Developing nations like our own, have the maximum potential for application of such design processes. The strength in design to empower is brought out by the humility of facilitation, considering yourself to be the fool in the picture, honest and true to the user’s voices to achieve the best results. It critiques and reflects on Designer as researcher, Designed research, Researched design and Design research. It stresses on the need for a design student to be a Keystone - Like a honey bee, that connects from ecosystems both close and far, making the whole greater than the sum of it’s parts. It questions ; Measure impact? How do you scale? How does a service grow? It acknowledges and accepts the uncertainties that come with non – linearity, convergence and divergence, macro and micro level perspectives, direct and indirect iterative approaches. This project has shaped my design practice today under the following sub-headings : Empathy is not Inclusion / Inclusivity Rapid design research is a reality that needs to be addressed Ready – made to bespoke Generating shared value Every gathering starts a journey No one perfect solution rather an expression which is most relevant Creativity = re - combining what exists Multiple tactics to a strategy Testing Mutliple, Early Design Concepts Learning is an Action Experimentation : Innovation is ahead of the evidence curve Ethical reasons to collaborate Conflict can be a good thing Shifting form a charity mindset No singular truth but multiple opportunities Worst denominator to best practices Connecting the tangible with the intangible System resilience versus system change
“Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionised the fishing industry.” - Bill Drayton, Founder of Ashoka