For my second design outcome, I chose to create an app call OWave, which is meant to partner with the brochure and where the viewer is meant to eventually be lead to. This app is meant to allow the viewers to log and track their daily consumption of certain endangered fish species as well as their alternatives, as well as to keep themselves updated on the endangered species that are being the most affected by overfishing. It targets those that want to take action and make a change, as well as those that are interested in making a difference but do not really know how.
Screen 1: splash screen
Screen 2: home page and tracker
Screen 3: log meals
Screen 4: view logs
Screen 5: learn page
Screen 6: learn more (from learn page)
Screen 7: learn more, added to Species Spotlight (list of species to focus on replacing in diet)
For my first design outcome, I decided to create a brochure that would introduce the public to the extent of the issue of overfishing, and drive them to perhaps be willing to make a difference by changing their eating habits.
Note: I have attached the digital file of my brochure, however because it does not have the die-cuts removed, it appears different printed than in this layout (the purple lines refer to where all the cuts were made)
(front)
(back)
I wanted to make the design of this brochure something that would be more unconventional and different than the traditional 3-fold brochure. I achieved this by firstly, making the final shape of the brochure (unfolded) a square. Secondly, I wanted to tell a story through the brochure that would be revealed as the viewer opened each panel, and so to achieve this, I chose to incorporate die-cut shapes both on the front cover panel (that would partially reveal the image on the underlying panel) as well as along the tops of each panel. These panels were cut at different levels, to mimic the idea of different sea levels, and to reveal the different fishing vessels that are relevant at each level of the story. The final reveal of the last panel displays a series of fish illustrations, with endangered species on the left, and alternative species to consume on the right. This is to inform the viewer of the fish that they are consuming that they did not know was endangered, as well as to give them alternate fish choices to consume that may be less harmful to the environment but still satisfy their craving.
The ultimate piece of information that I want viewers to take from this brochure is the importance of overfishing and how everyday people can make a tangible difference by making conscious eating choices. The brochure is also meant to give a teaser of and lead the viewers to the app which allows them to log and track their daily consumption of certain endangered fish species as well as their alternatives, as well as to keep themselves updated on the endangered species that are being the most affected by overfishing.
Overfishing: occurs when fish are caught faster than they can replenish/replace themselves through natural reproduction
EFFECTS:
Damage to ecosystems and balance of ocean life
Removal of essential predators
Poor coral reef health
Growth of algae
More than 1 billion people worldwide rely on fish as their primary source of protein – coastal communities (social well-being)
Threat to local food sources
Fishing is the principal livelihood for millions of people (economic well-being)
Financial losses (for communities that rely on low-level fishing industries)
Bycatch – when unwanted sea life is accidentally captured while fishing for a different species
Unintended catches
STATISTICS
More than 1 billion people worldwide rely on fish as their primary source of protein
According to the United Nations, 17% of fish stocks worldwide are currently overexploited, 52% are fully exploited, and 7% are depleted -> nearly 80% of the world’s fisheries are at or above their capacity (fully-exploited, over-exploited, depleted, or in a state of collapse)
About 90% of large predatory fish stocks are already gone – overfishing has targeted fish at the top of the food chain
Pacfic Herring – catches dropped by 71% since the 1960s
Atlantic Herring – catches dropped by 63%
Atlantic Cod – catches dropped by 69%
Commercial fishing has quadrupled in the last 50 years, totalling 8.7 million tons annually, and continues to grow
If overfishing continues at its current rate, the world will run out of seafood in 2048
Solution – buying seafood from sustainable sources (eg. Marine Stewardship Council – promotes the best environmental choice in seafood through better product certification and eco-labelling)
QUESTIONNAIRE AND OVERVIEW OF RESPONSES
1. How often would you say you consume fish products on a regular basis? (eg. fried/grilled fish, sashimi sushi, etc.)
Most respondents stated that they eat fish occasionally, sometimes around 1-2 times a week, and sometimes less. A couple respondents were vegetarian or vegan, and thus do not eat fish products. One of the respondents was pescetarian, meaning they do not eat meat, with the exception of fish, and they eat fish products up to three or four times a week.
2. Are you aware of the issue of overfishing?
Most respondents were aware of the term ‘overfishing,’ but did not think it was a major issue, or rather, they did not feel that they could make any difference in resolving this issue and so do not make much effort to do so.
3. Based on your own knowledge, what is ‘overfishing’?
All respondents said that the word ‘overfishing’ was relatively self-explanatory, saying that they thought it meant simply “fishing too much” or “catching too many fish which causes imbalances in the ecosystem.” In general, it seemed that the respondents who had diet restrictions (vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian) were more informed regarding the environmental impact of overfishing.
4. When you buy fish/fish products, is the issue of endangered fish or overfishing something you consider?
Most respondents said that they don’t consider the issue of overfishing when buying fish products; they simply think about whether they crave it or if they need it for a dish that they are cooking. However the respondents who were vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian stated that they had done research on the topic previously, when making the transition to their diet change.
5. Are you aware of the species of fish that are currently endangered? If so, which ones?
Almost all the respondents were quite unsure of all the specific species of fish that are currently endangered. Some had no idea, while some were aware of a few species such as Atlantic Cod or Atlantic Salmon.
6. What do you think could be done as a consumer to make a difference regarding this issue?
Most respondents were unsure what difference they could make besides reducing their intake of fish in general. Some said to reduce their intake of fish that are endangered as a result of overfishing.
7. Is this an issue that you would be willing to actively take part in reducing if you were properly informed and had the resources to do so? For instance, would you be willing to change your habits on fish consumption (eg. consuming less fish, buying alternative species of fish that aren’t as endangered)
Some said they would be willing to try it, but are not sure how long they would be able to keep it up as it is hard to change habits/mindsets that they’ve had their whole lives.
8. What is the first thing you notice about each of these posters/what stands out? What do you like about it (if any)? What do you not like (if any)?
On the left, the fishing nets and fish were what most people noticed first, and on the right, people first saw the man fishing, then all the trash in the water. In general, people liked the colours on the left poster as well as the cute illustration, and on the right, people liked the bold and clear statement. However on the left poster, people felt it could have included more/clearer information, because though it is easy to get the gist of the poster, it doesn’t contain enough info for people to feel a huge impact from it.
9. Can you tell what each poster is trying to illustrate/say from a first glance?
As was mentioned in the question before, people were able to get the gists of both posters fairly quickly, but both could have contained more information. The left poster could have elaborated on their statement or stated a statistic that would make people feel like the issue was actually real, and the right poster could have included info on what readers could do with that info. In other words, what difference does the poster make to the reader? How can it impact them to do something about it?
10. If you saw these posters on the street, would you stop to read/observe them? Why or why not?
Most respondents said they would stop to read the posters, but then quickly move on as the info does not seem quite relevant to them.
Briefly share your experience going through Dialogue in the Dark. What were some of the feelings, thoughts, challenges and insights gained while role playing a blind person?
Dialogue in the Dark was unlike any experience I’ve had before, and I was completely oblivious as to what I would be faced with going into it. When I first heard that we would be entering a pitch black room and encountering various things completely visually impaired, I was slightly worried, as “being in the dark” and “being alone” is combination that I do not usually enjoy. However while in the exhibit, I found it to be a very eye-opening and fun experience. Although I did rely quite a bit on the people around me to ensure that I was walking in the right direction, there was something exhilarating and fun about being in a group setting and struggling together to find our way around and keep up with the tour guide.
Something that resonated with me during this experience was that I have previously experienced some hearing loss in my left ear, which has caused me to rely more heavily on my other senses such as sight, touch, and smell. However, experiencing the loss of another one of my senses was a completely different experience, and it made me realize just how much I rely on my sight in my everyday life. Even while we were in the “cafe” and I was eating the cookie that was given to me, I found myself doubting whether or not the cookie was a chocolate cookie. This shocked me because as someone who does not like to eat chocolate or chocolate flavored things, I would’ve thought that I would be able to immediately distinguish between the two. However that was not the case, and I realized that I rely so much on sight even when it comes to eating things, to the point where it has affected my ability to taste.
Drawing on your experience, can you think and list some of the benefits inherent in the design research technique of role playing?
Based on my experience at Dialogue in the Dark, I would say that the most prevalent benefit that comes with the design research technique of role playing includes being able to empathize with the role that is being played. By being able to empathize with the role that is being played, you are able to effectively design for them, specifically. You are able to see things from their perspective, and thus think and do the things they do, the way they would do them. This then allows you, as a designer, to design things while considering their needs, habits, wants, as well as specific problems that they may face. By doing so, you can ensure that you meet their needs and potential wants based on their habits, and minimize or eliminate one or more of the problems.
Can you think of some contexts where role-playing can be useful to help discover and define design challenges or contribute to the development of design solutions?
A context in which role-playing could be useful would be during the ideation process of product development. Because role-playing is helpful for creating empathy for the target user or “role”, it could be used to allow product developers and all those involved realize who they are designing for, and the best way to go about it. Role-playing can also be helpful in determining the problems that must be solved or reduced in the context of the target user, and this information can be used to determine whether the product that was thought up really solves them to an effective degree. In addition, because this is done in such an early stage of product development, it allows room for realization of things that were not realized before, and thus can encourage participants in role-playing to think “outside-the-box” and not be afraid to discover new aspects, whether that be user problems or user habits, that were not considered previously. The product developers and those involved can then take the information gathered from the role-play and incorporate them as things to consider while developing and refining the product.
What are some of the current issues confronting our world today? Amongst them, what is of interest and a cause of concern to you?
Mass Die-Offs of Bees
In recent months, there has been an increase in the use of pesticides in agriculture around the world, many of which contain products such as neonicotinoids and fipronil, which are deadly to bees. Specifically, in Brazil, it was reported that more than 500 million bees were found dead in Brazil, just within the last 3 months. This is an issue because bees play a very important role in our ecosystem, with around one-third of the food we consume relying on the pollination of fruits and vegetables by bees.
China’s Spreading of Disinformation about Hong Kong Protests
As protests in Hong Kong continue to occur, China maintains its spreading of disinformation regarding the situation, using American social media and Chinese news broadcasts as main platforms to do so. Protesters are constantly being described as violent and unreasonable. Because of this, many people outside of Hong Kong are being kept in the dark regarding the real reason and situation behind the protests.
Nearly a century ago, women were forced into sexual slavery and prostitution by the Japanese military, and the few survivors are still suffering the aftermath. Young girls from South Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and many more were taken from their families and countries to be physically, mentally, and emotionally abused by Japanese soldiers. And though there have been many memorials created to commemorate these Comfort Women, Japan has yet to apologize for the monstrosities that occurred all those years ago but still affect us greatly today.
It is evident that the lack of racial diversity and representation in media exists, particularly in American TV. This is an important issue as media is such a major part of society and one’s everyday life, and it’s no wonder that what is showed in the media translates to thoughts, opinions, and even actions of those that are consumers of it. They shape our views on reality.
The topic that is of particular interest to me is Comfort Women.
Why is the issue important? Who does it affect and how?
The issue of Comfort Women is one that has affected not only the young women that were forced into sex slavery back in World War Two, but our present society and those that have had to accept the existence of such a stain on our history. This is an important topic to discuss as it is one that has such incredible historical significance, but has never been fully resolved to this day. The survivors of this tragic incident have had to live with the pain and memories of the horrifying things that were done to them, and with a lack of closure and ability to move on due to Japan’s lack of an apology.
Video: a former Comfort Woman speaks about her experiences.
Who do you need to communicate to and why?
The target audience regarding the issue of Comfort Women is not restricted to any group of people, as it is an issue that all need to be educated about. However, there are certain groups of people that may find this issue something that hits closer to home, such as people from the countries that the Comfort Women were taken from. There may be some that feel that this issue is more important to women than to men, however I feel that this issue should affect both women and men, as well as both young and old, as both have been involved in the horrific situation that occurred less than a century ago. All should be aware of the situation that happened and how largely it has affected society.
How has visual communication contributed to addressing the cause?
One of the many memorials dedicated to Comfort Women, the Statue of Peace was built specifically to remember and honor the women, while also calling for an apology from the Japanese government for the atrocities that occurred. As showed in the image, the statue has many underlying meanings displayed through the details of the statue such as the short hair, facial expression, and clenched fists. The dull bronze material also allows any item of clothing that is placed on the statue such as hats or scarves, which are regularly changed, to stand out more.
For many of the Comfort Women survivors, drawing was an artistic medium in which they were able to not only express themselves and illustrate their experiences, but it was a way for them to cope with and overcome what they had gone through. Marymond is a Korean-based organization that uses these drawings to inspire floral-printed phone cases and stationary items that anyone can buy. Proceeds from each sale go to a fund to care for the surviving victims as well as to establish a sex slavery museum. All the prints sold on the products are very brightly and boldly colored, and this allows the designs created by the Comfort Women to really stand out, as each item is dedicated to them. This company allows anyone and everyone to show their support for the Comfort Women, even if in just a small way, and that already is enough to create some societal change in the attitudes of the people who hear about this issue.
“Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women” Screening Event Poster
This poster was created to promote the screening of a film discussing Comfort Women, called “Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women.” The way the designer deconstructs the Korean words “위안부”, meaning “Comfort Women,” into each letter creates visual interest as well as visual balance due to how the letters are spaced out. The photos of the Comfort Women as well as their drawings are shown filling some of the letters, which further illustrates what the film is about. The sans-serif font makes the poster easy to read and less hectic, and the contrast of the white font from the darker red and black background allows the name of the film to be easily seen after first being attracted by the red imagery.
