Thesis Project - Prodega Volume One: Through the Lens of the Individual
- 1. Parsons the New School for Design MFA Transdisciplinary Design Thesis 2015 | Chisun Rees PRODEGA Through The Lens of the Individual A service to help bodega owners increase the sale of healthy and convenient foods. V1
- 2. PRODEGA Through The Lens of the IndividualV1 In the fall of 2014, Ashley Graham, Leah Cabrera, and I came together around the interest of exploring how design can amplify opportunities for behavioral change to reach more desirable futures. Our individual interests are represented in Prodega as three volumes of a series: Volume One: Through the Lens of the Individual, Volume Two: Through the Lens of Stakeholders, and Volume 3: Through the Lens of the System.
- 3. ChisunRees iii P rodega is the result of applying design thinking to a call for new ideas within the convenience store industry of New York City, the bodegas. In an effort to bring healthy choices to a market place traditionally known for its unhealthy offerings, Prodega approaches behavior change by focusing on bodega owners, understanding their needs and reframing risks into marketable opportunities that simultaneously provide realistic choices and streamlined access to bodega customers. In understanding various touch points of individual stakeholders throughout this system, we can adapt insights into actionable criteria for the entire service of Prodega. Prodega: Through the Lens of the Individual looks at design’s influence on behavior change through the individual and harnessing each individual’s capacities. The design process has the power to transform situations within various systems to help people make better decisions that affect their livelihood and support their contribution to society. Everyone should be given equal opportunity to realize their full potential, become better versions of themselves and participate as active citizens in society. I believe one way to do this is to facilitate better choice making in people’s daily lives. If design can reveal opportunities and frame them in such a way that empowers the individual to make choices that betters him or herself, then more productive and desirable futures can be realized. Prodega is a service that embodies this opportunity at the intersection of health, food, and consumption to influence behavioral change by reframing the role that bodega owners play within the convenience store industry. “The truth, however, is more complex, for in design, the awareness of self is the beginning of responsibility. But only the beginning. The next step is to take into account the needs of other people.” ABSTRACT -Ralph Caplan, 1984:163
- 4. ChisunRees 04 05 06 PRODEGA 4.1 How It Works 30 4.2 The Phases of Prodega 35 FUTURE VISION 5.1 Social Mission 43 5.2 Theory of Change 44 5.3 Scales of Impact 46 THE VALUE 6.1 Why Worth Doing 51 6.2 Perspective on Design 54 6.3 Collaboration and Practice 54 Appendix 55 IV 01 02 03 THE NEED 1.1 Food Systems 01 1.2 The Context 06 1.3 Prompt from DCA 07 THE BODEGA 2.1 Role and Identity 09 2.2 The Economic Situation 12 2.3 How They Operate 13 THE QUESTION 3.1 Our Question 15 3.2 Our Hypothesis 16 3.3 Our Process 19 TABLE OF CONTENTS iii
- 5. ChisunRees 01THENEED I nexploringsystemsthatareactiveplayersinourdailylives,thesystemsurrounding food as health and nourishment is predominant and vital. In a more general context, food systems include all processes and infrastructure in feeding people. They also operate within social, political, economic, and environmental contexts that require human resources to provide labor, research and education. People depend on clear paths of access to food, whether physical or economic, to meet their dietary needs and preferences. This dependence is referred to as food security. Food security and accessibility depend on three general factors: farmers and manufacturers, distributors to move food from one place to another, and a network of marketers to sell food to the public for purchase and consumption. In the United States, the food system is overwhelmingly complex with hundreds of entry points for discussion and intervention. In an effort to explore more sustainable solutions of food production in America, Eve Andrews refers to regions of paradox, describing what are known as food deserts. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has defined food deserts as urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets and grocery stores, these communities may have no food access or are served only by fast food restaurants and convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable options. According to the USDA and as many food and health studies have shown, obstructed and limited access to food contributes to poor diet which can lead to higher levels of obesity and other diet-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In order to build awareness and work towards eliminating food deserts, the USDA has generated an interactive map, the Food Desert Locator, to identify these areas within the United States. However, when looking at this map today, which originated in 2011, only a few food desert areas show up in New York City. In his review of the map in 2013, Geoffrey Mullings, critiques the relevance of the USDA’s identifications and definition of food deserts as applied to the big apple. “In their identification, the USDA seems to have relied on the premise that food deserts only exist if you’re low income, and live a certain distance from a supermarket.” 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_systems 2 http://grist.org/food/this-is-what-a-more-sustainable-american-food-system-looks-like/ 3 http://apps.ams.usda.gov/fooddeserts/fooddeserts.aspx 4 http://theblinker.com/mainpage/2013/07/03/the-food-desert-you-know-nothing-about/ 3 1 1 2 2 02 THE NEED Through the of Lens of the Individual Let’s be real: The American food system today has some pretty daunting issues. We’re saddled with a farming system that, on the whole, releases a massive amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, sucks nutrients from the soil, and leaches chemicals into the water table. And in regions with some of the richest farmland, historically speaking, you can’t buy a fresh vegetable for love or money — but you can get a two-liter bottle of potable sugar and an endless variety of nutritionally vacant foodstuff approximations at any corner store.” 1.1 The Food System and Food Deserts 01 “ -Eve Andrews, 2014 01
- 6. ChisunRees “If we want to improve the condition of food desert communities on a systemic level, then we must ask critical questions about how participants in food systems can influence the nutrition and affordability available to individuals and families.” -Ashley Graham, Prodega, Vol.3 Mullings reminds us that additional and influential demographics cannot be ignored. “Race also inevitably compounds the issue. Obesity nationwide is significantly more common in communities of color, and a Department of Health study demonstrates that the trend holds true in our city. In NYC, communities of color also tend to earn the lowest annual incomes. Where you have obesity, and many low-income earners, you probably have poor access to food for one reason or another. The most common issue nationally is poor transportation options to get to healthy food sources such as supermarkets.” Also, as Mullings correctly points out, in addition to the USDA’s premise, New Yorkers generally have direct access to public transportation. The problem that residents in NYC food desserts face are what he refers to as food swamps, areas “with easy access to food, but that access is either overwhelmingly to unhealthy options, or to supermarkets with sub-par quality food.” Mullings is more specifically referring to the neighborhoods of Central Harlem, East Harlem and The Bronx, all of which have a much higher obesity rate than the rest of NYC. He references a 2007 study comparing food disparities between Central and East Harlem with the Upper East Side by NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The study had three key findings: • Bodegas are more abundant and supermarkets less common in Central and East Harlem compared with the Upper East Side. • Bodegas carrying healthy foods are less likely to be located in East and Central Harlem than on the Upper East Side. • Restaurants are common in all 3 neighborhoods, but fast- food establishments are more prevalent in East and Central Harlem than on the Upper East Side. In the USDA’s Food Desert Locator Central and East Harlem are not identified as food deserts. Despite how anyone or the government defines food deserts or food swamps, the issue remains that they still exist in the country. When all that an individual has to choose from are options that perpetuate unhealthy food consumption, it is no surprise that residents of these areas are simply the latest statisic and topics of news and research. 1 http://theblinker.com/mainpage/2013/07/03/the-food-desert-you-know-nothing-about/ 2 http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/dpho/dpho-harlem-report2007.pdf Images on following page: http://nationswell.com/new-study-suggests-low-income-people-know-navigate-food-deserts/ 1 1 2 03
- 7. 01THENEED 1.2 The Context: Central and East Harlem and The Bronx T he NYC borough of Harlem has been subject to many changes in recent years, namely gentrification. Its 125th street business corridor is now a predominant shopping hub with storefront after storefront of new businesses from retail to restaurants, and now even a Whole Foods Market. Along with economy boosting development come rising rents, short-term leases and the decline of older, established small businesses. The area has seen many of these businesses close down or relocate due to rising and evens doubling of rents. Beyond the business corridor, Central and East Harlem are experiencing slower economic development and more demand for food assistance, as rising rents allow for less money spent on food. This is evident in the upsurge of the number of registrants at Harlem’s pantry location on NYC’s Food Bank. As of a year ago, about 10,000 households registered with the pantry and on any given day, as many as 250 used its services. And many of Central and East Harlem’s residents receive aid from the USDA’s supplemental nutrition assistance program, SNAP, the Unites States’ federally funded food-purchasing assistance program for low and no-income people. In East Harlem alone, 28% of residents reported that they received SNAP benefits in 2013. Although racial demographics differ from that of The Bronx, the economic scene is quite similar. One of the country’s largest produce markets, Hunt’s Point Terminal Market, is located in The Bronx, ironically enough. The market supplies many of the restaurants and supermarkets in New York City, yet a fraction of it remains in the area of its origination. Additionally, these boroughs contain some of the highest rates of health problems in the city, from heart disease, diabetes, to obesity. In Harlem Hospital Center’s 2013 Community Needs Assessment report, the leading cause of death seen by its healthcare providers was heart disease. The report found that the rates for adults who are overweight and obese, 65.4% in South Bronx, and 66% in Central and East Harlem, exceed the average for other areas in New York City, 55.3%. If residents of these areas truly have access to healthy, afforadable options, then it actually lies in traveling out of their own neighborhood. Where does an individual even begin to make an incremental shift towards healthier eating habits when faced with not just one, but several systemic obstacles? 1 http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/uptown/central-harlem-food-pantry-steps-upscale-restaurants-article-1.1724948 2 http://nycfoodpolicy.org/nyc-food-numbers-east-harlem/ 3 http://www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/downloads/pdf/community-assessment/hhc-chna-harlem.pdf Image on previous page: http://airwaysnews.com/html/airplanes-and-airports/new-york-laguardia-airport-terminal-photos-planespotting-and-history-queens- new-york-usa/new-york-harlem-aerial-2010/13790 2 1 3 06
- 8. ChisunRees 01THENEED How can the bodega serve as a context to amplify behavioral change towards healthier eating practices to positively affect the lives of individuals in Harlem and The Bronx? 08 1.3 Prompt from the DCA D espite the questionable food system conditions in Central and East Harlem and The Bronx, some initiatives have been introduced in recent years to bring fresh foods to the area. However, many of these plans have proved unsuccessful. In 2009, the City Planning Commission proposed a tax abatement and exemption plan for approved stores in Harlem and The Bronx in an effort to bring distributors of fresh produce. The failed plan led to the insight that systemic plans should tie to existing resources and incentivize existing businesses to imporive their offerings. Smaller stores already comprise 66% of food sources in Central and East Harlem and should be part of the future of food strategy due to their present relationship with the diet and cultural norms of residents. Another abandoned effort made by the city through the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, was the Healthy Bodega Initiative in 2005. The program had some success with their “Moove to 1% Milk” campaign, which encouraged the sale of 1% milk over whole milk. However, the initiative has since been terminated with no other significant improvements in the sale of healthier foods. In this effort, there was a lack of regard for the bodega owner, whom are often overlooked as key participants in healthy food consumption. Last fall, the DCA (Department of Consumer Affairs) of New York City put out a call for a design of a stoop line stand to sell fruits and vegetables in front of bodegas. The DCA, which works to empower consumers and businesses to ensure a fair and vibrant marketplace, sought to respond to these past campaigns. 1 Prodega, Volume 3: Through the Lens of the System. Ashley Graham, 2015. 2 http://www.nyc.gov/html/ceo/downloads/pdf/BH_PRR.pdf 3 http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/about/about.shtml 1 2 3 07 Upon examing the proposal, we questioned the potential of what the stoop line stand could generate. In order to encourage the sale of healthier foods, we asked ourselves what question are we really addressing? Through precedent analysis, it was clear that the bodega was an interesting point of inquiry and begged the question:
- 9. THE BODEGA “the bodega—with its narrow little aisles and grim usefulness, with its overlit fluorescence and dusty boxes of light bulbs right next to dusty boxes of cereal, with its baleful closed-circuit monitor and its forlorn lottery display, with its beer and its aspirin, with its palpable absence of glamour and its unwelcoming cats—was a disaster. No architect would want to design one. At first. And yet. Just like the café, the bodega owns the corner. It eyes the street. It supplies you with coffee and cigarettes and newspapers. It gives you a reason to go out for something. It gives you a detour or a delay. It curates and calibrates the arc of an entire day: it’s a place, rare in a city, equally essential at morning and night. It never sleeps.” 2.1 Their Role and Identity 02 “ -Thomas de Monchaux, 2012 ChisunRees 09 https://nutritionintervention.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/in-a-junk-food-laden-world-the-mediterranean-diet-stands-no-chance/
- 10. T he term bodega is actually the spanish word for warehouse. In New York City, bodegas are what other parts of the country call convenience stores, corner stores, small independent groceries, or delis. Within the city, bodegas have a significant cultural identity and loyal customer bases, usually based on proximity to the home or work place. Other than typical convenience service items such as coffee, beer, sodas, snacks, lottery and miscellaneous on-the-go items, bodegas are identified by other unique offerings like flowers, ATM service, and delis. Some are even co-owned by neighborhood cats and in some cases so popular, that they have reputations on social media. As a result of the products sold by bodegas, they have a variety of customers and therefore see many kinds of shopping behaviors. They are identified by their unique physical characteristics: colorful awnings, chaotic decals and posters, loud street corner presence, signs of flashing light, their random and forgettable names, etc. Their interiors are even more identifiable by their crowded product displays and meticulously organized shleves. Yet every bodega is so different and unique as determined by the tiny spaces they inhabit and the floor layouts they work hard to master. Most importantly, it is the owner and his or her staff that are the most identifiable, as day in and day out, they are the faces customers see and recognize behind the colorful, lottery stained counters. 2.2 The Economic Situation B odegas play a very important economic role in the city. Since they can be found on almost every block in the city, they accumulate a large tract of real estate and cumulatively account for big business if considered as a whole. However, the reality is most bodegas are small business, independently owned, with no connected network, and really no regard for one another unless they are in close proximity and competing for customers. The business of a bodega is centered entirely around convenience. It is essentially the place that will have that one product you need, that one you normally buy in a grocery store, but can get quicker and more conveniently. And as discussed, in areas like Central and East Harlem and The Bronx, is the only source for convenience items and many times staple foods. It is important to preserve the identity of the bodegas who make up so many of the small businesses in the city. 02THEBODEGA 1211 https://www.pinterest.com/commonrootschef/bodega-boogie/
- 11. Creditors & Investors Business Networks DCA Federal Government STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SYSTEM OF BODEGAS Distributors Manufacturers Potential Residents Transient Gentrifiers Long-term Residents Residents Organizations Health Providers Community Groups Advocacy Groups Urban Farms Regulators Customers Employees Suppliers Business Consultants Bodega Owner Competitors The Bodega Back End Front End BODEGA IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY The Customer The Products The Manufacturers City Government The Owner The Distributors The Identity The Store They cannot be left to succumb to or die in the footsteps of the typical modern pharmacy, the Walgreens or the CVS. Pristine, plastic-looking California rolls in fluorescent lit, open-bed coolers can not take over as our only offering of convenient food next to McDonalds and Taco Bell. The bodegas are the neighborhood spaces, with their individual identities and recognizable faces behind the counter who are there to run their business for you, not for a corporate giant. They want you to come back to them day after day and the more they know about what you want, the better the system in which they exist becomes. The vitality of the economy of the city is dependent on the existence of and success of small business like bodegas. 2.3 How They Operate L ike many small businesses, bodegas are less likely to test out marketing ideas and new service offerings because they can not afford to take risks. In fact many times, they operate to reduce risk in order to fulfill tight quotas and pay their ever rising rents. Bodegas sell on demand. In areas such as Central and East Harlem and The Bronx, this demand tends to be on the side of unhealthy offerings. How a bodega owner runs their business is dependent on location, space, and time. If they are in transient areas, they are more likely to sell fast and convenient items like beverages and snacks. If they are located in quieter pockets within neighborhoods and farther from public transportation, they are more likely to sell items that one would find in a grocery store, like laundry detergent or a gallon of milk. Products sold are also dependent on physical space. Bodegas vary in size and square footage. They affects what they sell and the variety of things they sell. Lastly, time factors into products sold. Morning purchases can vary widely from evening or late night purchases. Ultimately, each bodega has a number of factors that weigh in on what the demand is from their surrounding customer base. Likewise, bodega owners will play with marketing tactics to encourage the sale of other items they deem to be in higher demand if marketed by methods such as store placement, and physical advertising. Bodegas are situated in a system that houses players and parts at the front end and the back end, with equal influence on the demand of their neighborhood. They are also dependent on various stakeholders that contribute to their overall business. ChisunRees 02THEBODEGA 1413
- 12. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 15 If we provide alternate sources of food production and consumption in Central and East Harlem and The Bronx, we might lead to a shift in behavioral change towards: • Reducing risk in selling healthy option for bodega owners • Increasing access to healthy food for residents. • Providing incentives for the sale and consumption of healthy choices 3.2 Our Hypothesis How might we design a service for bodega owners in Central Harlem and The Bronx to amplify behavioral change towards healthier choices? QUESTION AND HYPOTHESIS A fter unsuccessful campaigns to incentivize the sale and consumption of healthier foods in bodegas, the DCA put out a call for a design of a stoop line stand to sell fruits and vegetables in front of bodegas. Their premise for this initiative is that a stand designed to be on the sidewalk right outside of bodega stores, and influenced by local artists, may affect the sale of healthier foods. This call prompted us to understand the underlying challenges of addressing food related issues, investigate how the bodega can serve as a context to amplify healthier eating practices, and impact food system conditions across the city. Therefore, we used this call as a prompt to think strategically about behavior change to enable systemic changes towards healthier communities. This led us to ask: 033.1 Our Question 03THEQUESTION 16
- 13. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL REFRAMING REFRAMING RESEARCH & PROBING SYNTHESIZING PROTOTYPING CUSTOMER SERVICE & HEALTHIER CHOICES INFO COLLATERAL TO EDUCATE CUSTOMERS FIXED PRICE, APPROPRIATE RECIPES, & VISIBLE HACKING EXISTING SERVICES TARGET CHANGE MAKERS REFRAME HEALTHY TO WHOLESOME PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS ARE OWNER, SUPPLIER, CUSTOMER INTERVIEW WITH BODEGA OWNERS, ALEX & JOSE PRICE POINT ESSENTIAL, APPROPRIATE RECIPES CONVENIENT, ESTABLISH DEMAND TARGET THE BODEGA OWNER, NOT THE CUSTOMERS STARTI NGCONVERS ATIONS FOODSYST EM+BEHAVIOR ALCHANGE SNAC KSHOPPROTO TYPE IDE ATIONWORK SHOP BODEGAOWN ER’SGUIDE S ERVICE P HASING ME AL PROTOT YPE COSTANALYS IS VALEN TINESDAYPROBE PRODEG A MEALBOX CRITERIA ME ALBOXSTAGI NG JET RO VISIT & INT ERVIEW PROMPT FROM DCA BUSINESS IS A SEASONAL THING PROFIT IS MOST IMPORTANT, NO EXTRA WORK INTERVIEW WITH JOSH FROM FRESH ROUTES INT ERVIEW WITH D AVIS IDENTITY AND MARKETING BOX& PACKAGING D ESIGN 3.3 Our Process Process Timeline 17 03THEQUESTION 18
- 14. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer Starting Conversations: Our first instinct was to start a conversation about food preferences using tools such as pairing die that represented various ingredients for food matching. This probe was an inquiry into what customers and bodega owners consider “healthy” and what they imagine are alternative ways to sell these items. As a result, we discovered that business relies heavily on seasons and the time of year because of biological needs and economic cycles. The probe also confirmed that convenience is still a very important factor in bodegas. Snackshop Prototype: Based on our findings, we prototyped a convenience Snackshop to understand how branding, packaging and food pairing affect consumer behavior towards healthy purchases. We found that food pairing is an effective way of incentivizing people to purchase healthy foods, but needs to be supported by other incentives and/or services. In order for our service to be effective, it needs to have a fixed price, adjust to the cultural needs of the community and be visible both in terms of packaging and positioning within the store. Ideation Workshop: In an ideation workshop, we applied our research insights from the probes and prototypes to develop ideas for how to incentivize healthy food choices. The results of the workshop revealed ideas for loyalty programs and new services that consider alternate sources of food consumption. 3.3 Process and Learnings 19
- 15. Valentines Day Probe St. Nicholas and 146th St., Central Harlem. Valentines Probe For Valentines Day we conducted a three step probe with the goal of understanding things such as customer loyalty, needs and wants, and challenges for community, but also to test our assumptions. In our probe, we asked residents of the community of Central Harlem: 1. What bodega do you have a crush on? 2. Why do love this bodega? 3. What would make you put a ring on it? We got over 50 responses and found that 30% of customers would like to see healthier items sold at their local bodega, and 17% would be interested in seeing new services. By learning what customers want to see and what they already like, we found that there is a discrepancy between the perceptions of bodega owners and customers on what is wanted, needed, and accessible. With this in mind, we identified an opportunity to design alternate sources of food production and consumption in Central and East Harlem and The Bronx. From marketing and display to new services, we can hack the existing systems to help customers make healthier choices, reduce the risk of loss by bodegueros when selling healthy items, and encourage distributors to become active players in the food security network. Why do you love this bodega? What would make you put a ring on it? Healthier Choices | 30% New Services | 14% More variety | 9% Relationship | 7% N/A | 16% Layout | 5% Prices | 7% How it already is | 12% Customer Service | 29% Selection | 17% 24 hours | 7% Convenience | 17% Deli + Services | 17% Prices | 4.8% Grocery Items | 10% Other | 1.6% 03THEQUESTION 22
- 16. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer Criteria and Direction B ased on our insights, we took a step back and analyzed the existing system surrounding bodegas. We identified gaps and opportunities to interject essential components that could support a network of small business owners and amplify behavioral change toward healthier convenient choices for customers. We determined that designing a service would be a good opportunity to positively influence the front end and back end of the bodega business model. Through our research we identified that the service should be: Seasonal • Mindfulness of ingredients that are available all year round. • Adjust recipes to seasonal changes. • Understand spending cycles of customers to guide offerings. Culturally Appropriate • Engage with hyper-local stakeholders. • Appropriate recipes that respect taste, tradition, ritual. • Incentivize positive associations towards healthy lifestyles. • Overall approach to food-culture around eating. Convenient • Avoid compromise - the customer should not have to choose between convenience or healthy. • Operationalize the sale of healthy foods so consumers can incorporate them in their everyday life. • Easy to add healthy food into the customer’s diet. • Convenient for bodega owner to bring healthy products to market. Communicative • Embedded messages to incentivize healthy choices. • Embrace the identity of the community. • Services that communicate the incentives for the multiple stakeholders. Economically Sustainable • Incentives for bodega owners. • Scalable and transferable to other neighborhoods. • Reduce economic risk for bodega owners. • Spark demand for sale and consumption for healthy food to activate market. 23
- 17. Pitching PRODEGA to Distributors and Bodega Owners To Jetro, a major wholesale distributor, we pitched that Prodega works in 3 steps: 1. Each week customers pre-order their preferred recipes. 2. Easy to make meals made by Prodega 3. Customers pick up their packaged recipes at their local bodega. Through pitching our service to Jetro and bodegas, we validated our three main points: having the $5 meal is essential and that unless our service addresses the local food culture, it will be difficult to get people to purchase it. We also validated that the bodega is a convenient pick-up point for local customers. By talking to Jetro, we learned that current and past initiatives have had a lack of accountability thus reducing the impact of their projects. So in order to create a sense of ownership and accountability we decided to model our service as a social enterprise. 3. PICK UP AT BODEGA Customers pick up their conveniently prepped meals refrigerated at your store. Packaged Recipes Help us design this product for YOUR customers! Tell us what us what are the most important things for you and your customers How PRODEGA works in 3 steps: 2. PREPARED BY PRODEGA Easy meals with pre-measured recipes that your customers cook at home. Easy to make meals 1. PRE-ORDERING BOARD Each week, your customers order their preferred recipes at your store and pre-pay. $4 per person per meal Pitching Prodega to Jetro, Wholesale Distributor 03THEQUESTION 26
- 18. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 27 PRO DEGA Meal Prototype: To address our cultural appropriate recipe prototyped a meal. We used ingredients that are already consumed in bodegas and paired them with fresh produce that have longer life cycles to reduce the risk for bodega owners. We learned that life-cycle of products, time of preparation and meal portions were essential to sell the meal-boxes. Testing packaging: We further developed the design of the meal box to accommodate more flexible recipes and address the criteria of convenience. It is essential that the box be designed so that the bodega owner does not incur any burden of more work and be easily displayed in small stores. Staging and testing: We constructed and staged 18 meal boxes for a week at Mango Grocery, a bodega in The Bronx. The boxes sparked curiosity but only 4 boxes were sold at a $5. We quickly learnedthatcollateralandsupportinginformationisneeded to help educate the customers about a new product. We also found that older customers were more skeptical about the meal boxes. The boxes that were purchased were by much younger customers who the bodega owner described as “more progressive” which proved our initial hunch that Prodega would initially appeal to changemakers. Staging Meal boxes at Mango Grocery (The Bronx)
- 19. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 29 04PRODEGA 30 PRODEGA P rodega is a service for bodegas in New York City to amplify the sale and consumption of healthy and convenient foods while reducing the risk of providing new offerings. Prodega targets bodega owners to promote best practice strategies by providing a platform that amplifies behavioral change towards healthier and convenient choices for their customers. Past initiatives aimed at encouraging the purchase of healthy foods in bodegas have been rather unsuccessful, targeting only the customer and making assumptions that do not address the various touch points in the purchase of food. Prodegas’s business model is a hybrid of a for-profit side and non-profit side designed to provide active participation by aligning the needs of key stakeholders, providing support mechanisms with feedback loops for bodega owners, and addressing both supply and demand in order to create systemic change towards the well being of customers. In an effort to promote the prosperity of service providers, who have greater influence over what is available in a community, Prodega aims to leverage existing resources within the local economy embedded around it. 044.1 How It Works
- 20. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 04PRODEGA 3231 Recipe Challenge PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Creating the Market Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 2 1 5 3 4 Data & Information Incentives & Support T he service is made up of a series of successive touch points, all of which are meant to reach smaller goals at each stage. Every touch point represents an overlap of different stakeholders within Prodega’s network and is designed to benefit and create value for everyone involved, ultimately in an effort to amplify food justice in Harlem and The Bronx. On the for-profit side, Prodega begins with the very simple Prodega meal box and snack shop. They are pre-planned pairings of intended ingredients to incentivize purchase. After the launch of the sale of these products, a pre-ordering board accompanies them within participating bodega stores. This board, located within bodegas, serves as a platform for customers to request more specific pairings in the meal box and snack shop. In order to encourage community engagement, residents can become members in Pro-Op, a community platform for residents to participate in the making up meal boxes and snack shops and the upkeep of the pre-ordering board. These actions would take place within the Prodega truck, a mobile vehicle that serves as both a work space and distribution platform. After these touch points are in place, Prodega can implement a recipe challenge to ensure that the meal boxes and snack shops address the cultural needs by activating the voices of the community. On the non-profit side, Prodega includes a bodega owner network to promote best practices and serve as a certification standard for bodegas, similar to what fair-trade is for coffee. Best practices are informed by constant feedback, data, and knowledge of the market from information generated by the pre-ordering board. Additionally, a neighborhood rewards program incentivizes customer loyalty towards bodegas that belong to the network. The intention of Prodega is not to make a business out of selling boxes and boxes of Prodega meals. The service is meant to be a first step towards helping people make their own meals, eat healthier nutritious food, and take ownership in amplifying their own quality of life. In order for this system of touch points to operate successfully, they must be implemented and executed in a long-term plan, through a series of phases, and where the for-profit and non-profit models work in tandem.
- 21. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 04PRODEGA 3433 Putting the customer at the centre of a service design process involves facing the reality that potentially there is more than just one customer group, and each group possesses different needs and expectations. Furthermore, providing services also demands consideration of the various stakeholders, such as the front-line staff, back office employees and manager as well as non human interfaces such as vending machines or websites. Thus, a single services proposition can involve a number of actors and different customer groups as well as different employees and interfaces.” -Marc Stickdron and Jacob Schneider, 2011 “ 3. PICK UP AT BODEGA Customers pick up their conveniently prepped meals at your store. Easy and Convenient How PRODEGA works in 3 steps: 2. PREPARED BY PRODEGA Easy, pre-measured recipes made by members of your community. Affordable Meals 1. PRE-ORDERING BOARD Each week, customers order their preferred recipes at their bodega. Cultural Recipes Essentially, Prodega works in three steps: 1. Customers pre-order mealboxes at their local bodega, 2. The meals are packaged and distributed by the service, and 3. Customers pick up the meals at the bodega.
- 22. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 04PRODEGA 3635 Precedent Analysis: Good and Cheap To address affordability, the Prodega mealbox has a $4 price point, per person, per meal. This came from Leanne Brown’s book, Good and Cheap, a cookbook with wholesome recipes based on government subsidized food stamp budgets. Phase Two: Proof of Concept a. Prodega Box: This product represents the larger system, and actualizes access to affordable, healthy meals. This box is a convenient alternative to processed foodstuffs and provides food security through affordable meals that can be made easily made at home. It’s easy to use – simply pick it up at the bodega, and cook the pre-measured ingredients. Each season Prodega will offer different recipes, which adjust to seasonal and cultural needs. This touchpoint was inspired by the case studies Blue Apron and Plated. We asked, how might we hack these services to make our product economically accessible to underserved communities and broaden access to healthy foods? Prodega box is a $4 healthy choice, which addresses the economic realities of the neighborhoods we’re attempting to serve. The $4 price point came from Leanne Brown’s book, Good & Cheap, a cookbook with recipes based on government subsidized food stamps. How Prodega brings incentives and value to our different stakeholders: • Customer: the box represents an easy, accessible, and healthy meal. In order to address the cultural and nutritional needs of PRO DEGA Good and Cheap: The $4 Price Point Hacking existing services to amplify access Good and Cheap: The $4 Price Point Hacking existing services to amplify access 4.2 The Phases of Prodega Phase One: Creating the Market P hase One of Prodega is about creating the market. It is crucial for any service to test assumptions and gauge interest through outreach and conversation. This, in the most matter of fact sense, includes speaking directly to bodega owners, suppliers, and customers about their thoughts about Prodega. This creates backing from suppliers to further incentivize owners and informs us of potential bodegas to prototype the service in, namely the Prodega meal box. As part of finding entry points to engage community residents, it is just as important to create relationships with local community organizations. In following phases of the service, securing these connections helps to promote platforms for social contagion. Creating a market positions Prodega as a beneficial service for different stakeholders. Recipe Challenge PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 2 Creating the Market 1 5 3 4 Data & Information Incentives & Support Bodega Owner Suppliers Custumer
- 23. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 04PRODEGA 3837 of consumers that are already interested in healthy foods, and they can then sign up for a pre-order service. That way, Prodega can ensure a certain number of weekly sales to bodega owners. According to behavioral economics, behaviors run in groups. If we see others adopting new services we are more prone to adopt them ourselves. Therefore, we could start reducing the risk of selling healthy food and incentivizing bodega owners to become change-makers in their communities. b. Prodega Truck: In order to improve distribution and strengthen the food security network, we are envisioning the food truck as a space to package and deliver the boxes. The benefit of having a Prodega truck is that the service can become dynamic, flexible, and move from neighborhood to neighborhood. Instead of a static distribution center, the truck can materialize the agile characteristics of the service. To address(reduce?) costs, we could partner with wholesale distributors such as Jetro and Restaurant Depot, as well as community supported agriculture groups such as Harlem Grown or Project Eats. 3 Recipe Challenge PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 2 Creating the Market 5 4 Data & Information Incentives & Support 1 Prodega Members Suppliers Community Members the neighborhood, the box will consist of recipes that are designed by community members. Each season the recipes will change to assure that what comes inside the box is what customers need/ want that time of the year. Lastly, we have found that “healthy” is not necessarily the best way of selling the box. Through interviews and probing we found that “satisfying”, “delicious”, and “filling” are better ways to frame the context of the boxes so that they are appealing to the customer. • Bodega owner: the box is a new way to generate revenue, attract new customers, and boost their sales. By talking to bodega owners, we found that limited space is an issue. Therefore, the box has been designed to take up the least amount of space possible. Phase Three: Building the Network a. Preordering System: We recognize that selling a new healthy product is a risk for the bodega. In response, we are designing a pre-ordering board to reduce risk by increasing knowledge of the market. As a first step we reached out to residents of the community and found that there is a real interest in purchasing healthy foods. By working with members of the community that already want this type of service, we could assure constant sales for bodega owners. In basic steps: we are reaching out to a community board consisting $7.50 - $17.50/serving9.00 - $13.00/portion Blue Apron and Friends Precedent Analysis: Hacking Existing Services By reframing existing services, we are amplifying opportunities and incentives towards a healthier food system. 2 Recipe Challenge PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 5 3 4 Data & Information Incentives & Support Bodega Owner Suppliers Custumer Creating the Market 1
- 24. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 04PRODEGA 4039 profit model is an entry point to a network of support for bodegueros. Our belief is that by enabling a bodega association, Prodega could be what B-Corp is to businesses. Prodega is a service that formalizes the informal and highlights how bodegueros are active players who care for their communities. We seek to strengthen the things that community members already love about their local bodega. We don’t want to change or modify the model of the bodega, we want to amplify and highlight the already positive aspects of bodegas and how they represent a micro entry point to communities across New York. Recipe Challenge PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 2 Creating the Market 5 3 Data & Information Incentives & Support 1 Bodega Owner Suppliers Community Members Government 4 Phase Four: Engaging Community a. PRO-OP Membership: The winning recipes will be then packaged into the Prodega box. The packaging and measuring of the meals will be done by community members. We were inspired by initiatives such as the Park Slope Coop. By hacking a loyalty model like this one and adjusting it to the context of Central Harlem, there is great potential to incentivize sales, assure loyalty, and build trust, between consumers and service providers. The goal of the Pro-Op is to reduce cost for community members while building trust and loyalty. b. The Non Profit Model This for-profit model will be supported by a non profit model that provides incentives and support.To do so, we are designing a network for bodega owners. The aim is to promote best practices, increase buying power for bodegas, and serve as a certification standard for bodegas. Essentially, this for Case Study: Park Slope Food Coop The Park Slope Food Coop defines themselves as a member-owned and operated food store. It provides an alternative model for food supply that is not profit-oriented. This model has shown me the potential of a labor-based membership because it helps build trust through cooperation and this keeps prices as low as possible. (http://thebrooklynink.com/2010/10/06/15117- popular-park-slope-food-coop-cuts-back-its- membership/)
- 25. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer Staging Meal boxes at Mango Grocery (The Bronx) 41 Phase Five: Community Agency a. Recipe Challenge: In order to define the recipes that will be sold in the boxes, we are proposing a recipe challenge. We seek to make the community an active voice of the service. We envision this as a fun and engaging event. Through the challenge, we imagine PRODEGA could find great local recipes that the community wants to buy. Based on the interviews and probes that we have conducted, we have found that local recipes for meals are essential in enabling a behavioral change towards healthy eating. Many of our eating habits are informed by our cultural inheritance – how we grew up and what we eat at home. Therefore, if the community is an active participant of the service we can ensure that the recipes are delicious, and that, in one way or another, speak to the cultural inheritance of the neighborhood. Each month PRODEGA will host a challenge, in which participants will be given seasonal ingredients. The goal is to select the best recipes for healthy meals. The ingredients will be curated to make sure that the cost to the consumer is below the $4.00 price point per meal, per person, and that the ingredients are available. PRODEGA Truck PRO-OP Membership Pre Ordering Board SnackShop PRODEGA Network Loyalty Program PRODEGA Box InformationFeedback Loops 2 Creating the Market Recipe Challenge 3 4 Data & Information Incentives & Support 1 Community Members 5
- 26. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 05FUTUREVISION 4443 Our future vision is for communities to actually depend less on Prodega for fresh and healthy meals as a result of amplified choices from bodega owner. Bodegas might begin to package their own fresh meals at an affordable price to compete for sales within the new market. Through experience with Prodega mealbox recipes, bodega owners and community members develop a critical eye and demand for wholesome foods at an affordable price. 5.2 Setting Goals Our initial goals are to: 1. Increase access to healthy food through the entry point of the bodega and alternative supply. 2. Increase demand for healthy food in Central Harlem and The Bronx 3. Increase evidence of healthy food distribution in Central Harlem and The Bronx to shift the perceptions of large suppliers such as grocery stores. Setting Qualitative Goals: Goals for the for-profit side of Prodega include: 1. Contribute to the profit of business owners in the community by growing a new market that aligns with the economic realities of residents. 2. To maintain a service that appeals to a wide range of socioeconomic customers as neighborhoods change. 3. To sustain bodega owners through changes in building ownership, season, and neighboring clients. Goals for the non-profit side of Prodega include: 1. Amplifying the agency of bodega owners to develop mutually beneficial relationships with other business owners. 2. Spread best practices for bodegas in both economic and healthy food terms. 3. Explicitly understand seasonal and socioeconomic convenience markets for wholesome foods as an organization. FUTURE VISION05 T he social mission of Prodega is to become one of many fresh and healthy foods available in the community. On the supply side, distributors and store owners gain incentive to grow their businesses via new offerings that cater to the Prodega market. On the demand side, customers and community groups become agents of health and well- being by collectively expecting wholesome foods and purchasing them. By creating a market for healthy foods on both sides of the economic system, Prodega is an agent in creating food security. 5.1 Social Mission
- 27. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 05FUTUREVISION 46 5.3 Future Vision P rodega is a first step towards healthier communities and starts with the mealbox to initiate a group of behaviors that amplify food security. Through the service touchpoints, the choices of both the bodega owners and community members affect what is available in the neighborhood. Our theory is that if we create designed incentives for the primary stakeholders to affect the supply and demand within the bodega, it will lead to healthier individuals, value for business owners and community, and better food systems with affordable and nutritious options. Prodega amplifies access to healthy options by providing a service for bodega owners to bring wholesome meals to their customers. Because the service caters to the motivations and challenges of multiple stakeholders, it presents a viable opportunity to tie into the existing bodega system. Phase1: Prodega creates a new market for healthy foods. By gauging interest and testing the new offerings and processes with community boards, owners and distributors, Prodega positions itself as a beneficial service for multiple stakeholders. By creating the market for Prodega before delivering the offerings, we mitigate risk for all investors, including our key stakeholder, the bodega owner. Through testing, Prodega communicates this potential opportunity to bring wholesome and nutritious foods into their store, amplifying healthy options for customers. Phase 2: In the proof of concept, the mealbox brings healthier versions of cultural recipe staples to customers. The meals are not just about healthy, but also taste and affordability. If families can conveniently access the affordable Prodega meals, then the demand for these and other wholesome meals will increase in the bodega context. This is our initial action towards sparking change towards healthier communities. We recognize that the initial meals might mostly include staples with some shelf life, like a can of GOYA beans, but over time the theory of change creates a plan for increasingly fresh ingredients. By demonstrating that wholesome meals can be affordable, convenient, and appeal to the taste buds of bodega customers in Central Harlem and The Bronx, business owners will recognize more value in trying nutritious offerings to build a new market and sustain their enterprise over time.
- 28. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 05FUTUREVISION 4847 Phase 5: Bodegas that belong to Prodega also benefit from collective buying power perks through their membership, carving out opportunities to save costs with distributors such as Jetro and Restaurant Depot. Prodega creates opportunities for bodega owners to start selling new options through knowledge of the market, mitigating loss of their key resources: financial capital and space. The non-profit arm provides greater buying power for business owners and the metrics of testing the offerings in real time. By being part of Prodega, individual stores adopt the association of Prodega and build trust with community members and other stakeholders such as landlords and government regulators. Phase 3: Phase 3 builds a Prodega network. Customers gain knowledge through the experience of the service and give feedback about their preferences to inform the network of what is working. Through social contagion, the pre-ordering board creates a knowledge of the desired recipes for customers. Through the Prodega truck, distribution of the ingredients and production of the mealboxes is streamlined in terms of labor and cost. Both customers and business owners, our key stakeholders gain knowledge through the experience of the service and the feedback loops that provide data about supplying and demanding fresh and wholesome meals. Customers and business owners gain knowledge about building healthy and delicious meals within their existing food source to sell and consume. Phase 4: To engage community, the PRO-Op membership and neighborhood loyalty programs create further incentive for members to participate in the service. These engagement models within the service amplify access to fresh and healthy foods by making them more affordable for low-income families through discounts for production work and loyalty. These touchpoints of the service also create opportunities for customers to be a voice of the service, contributing data towards knowledge of the market and enabling the service to be a sustainable source of food security in their communities. When community members see value in the convenience, and price of Prodega meals, they are more likely to support and look for other opportunities within the bodega to feed their families. As a result, Prodega represents a new market for healthy foods and reframes the bodega as a place to purchase them. When bodega owners see value and gain agency in introducing new offerings to grow their business, the Prodega network association adds the incentive of collective buying power and knowledge of the market. When both bodega owners and customers see the bodega as a place to supply and demand wholesome foods, the economy of the bodega business will impact its offerings.
- 29. AshleyGraham,ChisunReesandLeahCabreraFischer 05FUTUREVISION 5049 The theory of change incorporates the building blocks required to the long-term goal of bringing systemic change to Central Harlem and the Bronx. The scales of impact diagram graphically connects the touchpoint interventions of the service to the primary and secondary stakeholders to create impact within and beyond the bodega. By outlining how each service phase and its touchpoints serve secondary stakeholders, we can improve the reach of Prodega and refine how it speaks to economic and social impact opportunities. Expressing capacities for healthy living through the convenient Prodega Box at an affordable price. Expressing opportunities for new markets and sources of wholesome supply through the Prodega Box. Incentives for the community to support local food offering improvents through Loyalty Program loyality. Improved incentives to participate and improve consumption habits through legislation, policy, and tax incentives for customers. - Incremental Massive + Customer Customer Network Community Organizations & Customers Recipe Challenge City Government Dept. of Health Mental Hygiene SCALES OF IMPACT Bodega Owner Bodega Owners Producers and Distributors Bodega Owners Network City Government (Dept. of Consumer Affairs) Building trust and reducing cost for members through economic incentives via a Pro-Membership participation. (social contagion) PRODEGA Box PRO-OP Membership PRODEGA Truck Loyalty Program Reducing risk for the owner and creating demand to shift offerings through the voice of the customer & via a Pre-Order Board. Pre Ordering System Connect with and impact existing distribution and supply infrastructure via Prodega Truck Incentives & Support Improved food system and transferability to other NYC boroughs through legislation, policy, and tax incentives for bodega owners, producers, and distributors. Residents dictate recipe options through the Recipe Challenge and influence market Data and Information. Non-profit network and platform of support increases buying power and informs best practices. PRODEGA Network Data & Information Recipe Challenge Expressing capacities for healthy living through the convenient Prodega Box at an affordable price. Expressing opportunities for new markets and sources of wholesome supply through the Prodega Box. Incentives for the community to support local food offering improvents through Loyalty Program loyality. Improved incentives to participate and improve consumption habits through legislation, policy, and tax incentives for customers. - Incremental Massive + Customer Customer Network Community Organizations & Customers Recipe Challenge City Government Dept. of Health Mental Hygiene SCALES OF IMPACT Bodega Owner Bodega Owners Producers and Distributors Bodega Owners Network City Government (Dept. of Consumer Affairs) Building trust and reducing cost for members through economic incentives via a Pro-Membership participation. (social contagion) PRODEGA Box PRO-OP Membership PRODEGA Truck Loyalty Program Reducing risk for the owner and creating demand to shift offerings through the voice of the customer & via a Pre-Order Board. Pre Ordering System Connect with and impact existing distribution and supply infrastructure via Prodega Truck Incentives & Support Improved food system and transferability to other NYC boroughs through legislation, policy, and tax incentives for bodega owners, producers, and distributors. Residents dictate recipe options through the Recipe Challenge and influence market Data and Information. Non-profit network and platform of support increases buying power and informs best practices. PRODEGA Network Data & Information Recipe Challenge
- 30. ChisunRees 06THEVALUE In the context of New York City, bodegas are crucial to the livlihood of the metropolis anditsinhabitants.Becauseofthecity’sdensityandexistinginfrastructure,convenience plays a vital role in contributing to its active and fast-paced economy. As such, food must remain not only convenient to access but healthy. In addition, the identity of bodegas, the key actors in this system, must also be preserved. If consumption is going to be fast and convenient, there is even more reason for those foods to be nutritious and wholesome. Prodega is original in that its target stakeholder are bodega owners rather than the customer. By reframing the role that bodega owners play within the convenience store industry, more opportunities are realized to influence positive behavior change for the customer as well as the bodega owners and other key stakeholders. Bodega owners should care about this service because it supports their business through immediate and long-term touchpoints and encourages customers to return to their stores. The service also helps build loyal customer bases as they become more favorable when seen as contributors to positive change within their neighborhoods. THE VALUE Through the of Lens of the Individual W hen presented with a opportunity to express concerns and values about their local food system, residents of Harlem and The Bronx voiced their demands. Through our work, we found that they do care about the services and offerings at their local bodegas. Customer service proved to be a top priority and equally, healtheir choices and new offerings. It is important for systems to respond to the needs of people that participate in them and work towards facilitating better choice making. Prodega is a service that recognizes individuals in food systems and empowers them to make choices that better themselves in order to realize more productive and desirable futures. The Prodega mealbox embodies the opportunity for an individual to begin to realize their full potential, become a better version of him or herself and participate as an active citizen in society. 066.1 Why Worth Doing 5251
- 31. ChisunRees 06THEVALUE 6.2 Perspective on Design P rodega is a service, a product of a design process, and a collaborative exploration that embodies my vision for a future practice. Through the design process, I explore problems and situations to identify entry points for positive change. My interests lie in the act and process of exploring and strategizing for new opportunities. The reward is in designing for productivity, efficiency, and positive change, and more desirable futures. In designing the service of Prodega, we had the opportunity to fully understand what things mean to the different stakeholders in the system. The processes invloved in these investigations has cinfluenced the way I work as a design strategist. 6.3 Collaboration I n coming together around the interest of exploring how design can amplify opportunities for behavioral change to reach more desirable futures, Ashley Graham, Leah Cabrera and I explored our specific interests at the intersection of health, food, and consumption. Without any indiciation of where we would end up with our project, we recognized that working together was not only advised but necessary for the value of the exploration and hacking of the service we designed. “The notion of the designer as the “master mind” is no longer valid if our aim is to produce positive social impact. We can no longer think we have the answers to societal problems. There is a need to rethink how we can shape everyday lives, and the need of involving the target audiences and users in to the practice of design.The question we are now faced is how can we reinforce social and physical contexts in a collaborative action and on new forms of locality. We need to analyze the social fabric of our designs; and comprehend that understanding why things change and reflecting on how they should change can are not separate issues in the conflicts we are challenged as designers. Humility is a virtue needed as designers to go back to the human centered approach rather than a produced centered one.” -Leah Cabrera Fischer, Prodega: Volume 2 5453 To understand what people are and what they might become, one must understand what goes on between people and things. What things are cherished, and why, should become part of our knowledge of human beings. Yet is is surprising how little we know about what things mean to people.” -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, 1981 “
- 32. ChisunRees APPENDIX The following research contributed to the design of Prodega. 5655 Precedent Matrix: What are the gaps in existing food security and health initiatives and theory? GOOD AND CHEAP ACCESS FILTERS AVAILABILITY FOOD USEDISTRIBUTION/SUPPLY BEHAVIOR CHANGE AFFORDABILITY FOOD PRODUCTION HEALTHY BODEGAS INITIATIVE HOW YOUR NEIGHBOR CAN MAKE YOU FAT... PARK SLOPE CO-OP PRECEDENTS SOCIAL CONTAGION THEORY PROJECT EATS SHOP HEALTHY BRONX LITERATURE LOCAL PRODUCTION NYC FOOD INITIATIVES HARLEM GROWN CSA FARMER’S MARKET MODERN BODEGA FRESH BODEGAS CORBIN HILL FARMS FRESH FOOD SUMMIT DESIGNING FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE BLUE APRON SERVICE MODELS FRESH ROUTES Precedent Matrix: What are the gaps in existing food security and health initiatives and theory? Jetro Project Eats Reframing Complex Problems Low fidelity prototypes Residents of Harlem and The Brox Programing Consulting Prototyping Overhead and transporta- tion Services and website Space to start venture Research gov. led innitiatives Etnographic Research Wholesale Distributers Wayfinding and com- municative materials Community Events Small Businesses Municipal Entities (DCA) Foundations (Knight) Harlem Grown Engaging Community Members One on one conversa- tions Bodega owners Prodega boxes Concept Development Testing materials Local business shops Trust from key stakeholdersCommunity Org Selling of Boxes Probing Municipal Entities Networked Associations Community Engagement Community Org. Visualizing & Materializing Reduce risk for business owners to shift practices for social benefit and maximize funds for government resources We align the challenges, motivations, and needs of multiple stakeholders to materialize and express the value of hybrid strategies through touchpoints such as products and services. Time Resourcess Packaging & Distributing ed Mealbox Cost Analysis Precedent Matrix
- 33. ChisunRees Special Thanks to: * Patty Beirne, my advisor and the inspriation for Prodega * Larry Cohen and Jack Segel at Jetro/Restaurant Depot * Davis Ortiz and Family at Mango Grocery * Josh Wessler at Fresh Routes * Our peers in the Transdisciplinary Design program * Ashley Graham and Leah Cabrera Fischer ABOUT CHISUN Chisun is a Transdisciplinary Designer. She practices design thinking in diverse spaces in order to reframe how things are understood, foster productivity, maximize efficiency and influence positive change. 57