Driving a mental model shift from food charity to food justice through Toolkit
Driving a mental model shift from food charity to food justice through Toolkit
Driving a mental model shift from food charity to food justice through Toolkit
Alameda County Community Food Bank, located in Oakland, CA is a non-profit organization that supplies food to 400+ Alameda County agencies. The food bank distributes enough food for 300,000 meals weekly.
ACCFB is undergoing a strategic shift from a food charity model to a food justice approach. The project focused on exploring how to better educate and engage internal stakeholders (staff and volunteers) about the principles of food justice.
Alameda County Community Food Bank, located in Oakland, CA is a non-profit organization that supplies food to 400+ Alameda County agencies. The food bank distributes enough food for 300,000 meals weekly.
ACCFB is undergoing a strategic shift from a food charity model to a food justice approach. The project focused on exploring how to better educate and engage internal stakeholders (staff and volunteers) about the principles of food justice.
Duration
7 Months
Duration
7 Months
Duration
7 Months
Team
4 Members · Rajat, Amy, Paul, Calbert
Team
4 Members · Rajat, Amy, Paul, Calbert
Team
4 Members · Rajat, Amy, Paul, Calbert
My Role
Product Design, System Design, Research
My Role
Product Design, System Design, Research
My Role
Product Design, System Design, Research
Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Tools
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Problem
Problem
Problem
1 out of 4 residents in Alameda County face food insecurity.
Traditional food charity models often address immediate needs but fail to tackle systemic issues that perpetuate food insecurity and inequality.
1 out of 4 residents in Alameda County face food insecurity.
Traditional food charity models often address immediate needs but fail to tackle systemic issues that perpetuate food insecurity and inequality.
Undertanding the unknown
Undertanding the unknown
Undertanding the unknown
To understand what food justice means we spoke to 10+ subject matter experts and employees at the food bank.
To understand what food justice means we spoke to 10+ subject matter experts and employees at the food bank.
“The inflation of food prices and access to healthy food are a big problem in Alameda.”
-Clarissa (Long Term Food Bank Employee)
“The food bank has always been very visionary. They don’t just want to be a distribution center.”
-Illham (Nutrition Specialist)
“So much resources are spend on building out food charity but they don't tackle the underlying cause.”
-Xochi (Food Recovery Manager)
We also volunteered at the food bank to gain a deeper understanding of its
operations and to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a volunteer.
We also volunteered at the food bank to gain a deeper understanding of its
operations and to experience firsthand what it’s like to be a volunteer.
Key Learning
Key Learning
Key Learning
We realized that to effectively address the issue both short-term and long-term, it was essential to shift the mental models of internal stakeholders and initiate a meaningful conversation about food justice within the Food Bank.
We realized that to effectively address the issue both short-term and long-term, it was essential to shift the mental models of internal stakeholders and initiate a meaningful conversation about food justice within the Food Bank.
This led us to ask:
This led us to ask:
How might we Effectively educate the internal stakeholders (staff and volunteers) at the food bank about the principles and importance of Food Justice?
Prototyping
Prototyping
Prototyping
We conducted a workshop with the employees to understand what resonates most with them.
Based on a poll of 100 employees, the Toolkit emerged as the best idea. we began prototyping the components of the toolkit
We conducted a workshop with the employees to understand what resonates most with them.
Based on a poll of 100 employees, the Toolkit emerged as the best idea. we began prototyping the components of the toolkit
Toolkit Item: Card Game
Toolkit Item: Card Game
Toolkit Item: Card Game
Objective:
Facilitate conversation about Food Justice among internal stakeholders.
Mechanics:
The card game involves teamwork, where players work together to reach shared Food Justice goals they select at the beginning of the game.
Objective:
Facilitate conversation about Food Justice among internal stakeholders.
Mechanics:
The card game involves teamwork, where players work together to reach shared Food Justice goals they select at the beginning of the game.
Decide Goals: Players begin by placing all goal cards along the food charity to food justice spectrum, then choose one goal they believe best contributes to food justice.
Distribute Resource Cards: Players receive resource cards to help achieve their goals.
Flip Event Cards: In each round, players pick an event card with a prompt for discussion, then flip it to reveal challenges or opportunities that impact their progress.
Achieve Goals: Players strategize to reach their selected goals using their resources.
Testing the game
Testing the game
Testing the game
I iterated and conducted multiple rounds of testing the card game with Food Bank employees.
I also tested the game at a Food Bank fundraiser, gaining valuable insights from real-world interactions with a diverse audience, unfamiliar with food justice.
Ultimately, I gathered insights from over 25 participants across diverse demographics.
I iterated and conducted multiple rounds of testing the card game with Food Bank employees.
I also tested the game at a Food Bank fundraiser, gaining valuable insights from real-world interactions with a diverse audience, unfamiliar with food justice.
Ultimately, I gathered insights from over 25 participants across diverse demographics.
We learned
We learned
We learned
We created an engaging card game, but it didn't deliver the educational impact that we anticipated.
We needed to step back and reassess our objectives and impact for the card game.
It was crucial to clearly define what food justice meant for the food bank define what food justice meant for the food bank.
We created an engaging card game, but it didn't deliver the educational impact that we anticipated.
We needed to step back and reassess our objectives and impact for the card game.
It was crucial to clearly define what food justice meant for the food bank define what food justice meant for the food bank.
To tackle these issues, I conducted a co-design workshop with the employees at the foodbank with the following goals in mind.
To tackle these issues, I conducted a co-design workshop with the employees at the foodbank with the following goals in mind.
Workshop
Workshop
Workshop
Steps
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
My findings from the workshop informed our decision to add more toolkit items that will also help solidify the game's anticipated impact.
My findings from the workshop informed our decision to add more toolkit items that will also help solidify the game's anticipated impact.
Final designs
Final designs
Final designs
Posters of Food Justice:
Created posters with this definition to be displayed in the ACCFB office.
"Food Justice is the right of all people and communities to access and consume good, nutritious food."
Posters of Food Justice:
Created posters with this definition to be displayed in the ACCFB office.
"Food Justice is the right of all people and communities to access and consume good, nutritious food."
Pillars of Food Justice:
Designed a graphic representation of the key pillars, intended for use in ACCFB meetings to guide discussions and decision-making.
Pillars of Food Justice:
Designed a graphic representation of the key pillars, intended for use in ACCFB meetings to guide discussions and decision-making.
Final Design of the Card Game:
"Recipe for Justice"
Final Design of the Card Game:
"Recipe for Justice"
Other projects
