Nonprofit & Social Impact
The Brief
At New York Common Pantry, for this project I worked with the team of nutritionists and community members to identify gaps of in effective communication with the community by the pantry. Using communication design and ABCD (Asset Based Community Development) Approach, I worked with the team to tackle these complex challenges in the peek of pandemic through neighborhood collaborations to build health equity for high need individuals and families in New York City.
The Outcome
The Missing Ingredient is a community space aimed at improving nutrition security for underserved children in the Bronx. It brings together nutritionists, teachers, and parents/caregivers to engage in meaningful conversations and education. By using digital toolkits, an online platform, and partnerships with local organizations, the project helps create a collaborative environment focused on supporting the nutritional well-being of children in the community.
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When I set out to design The Missing Ingredient, I was driven by a desire to deeply understand systematic discriminations and food security and how it affects the children. My goal was to uncover insights that would shape this project that truly supports and resonates with the needs of users of this program during this critical time in pandemic.
This was the first time team could gather to uncover needs and pinpoint key gaps, which guided the direction for ideation and helped shape the development of more effective solutions.
To understand how the program's effectiveness, I designed a cultural probe— A table mat designed for kids to use and zoom workshop for parents to use the produce given to them.
Designing The Missing Ingredient has been an incredible journey that has significantly shaped both the project and my approach as a designer. Here are some of the pivotal lessons I learned and future plans for this project:
Engaging with the Bronx community was essential to understanding the unique challenges they face regarding food access and nutrition security. Listening to the voices of local families, parents, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders provides valuable insights that informed design decisions, ensuring solutions are relevant, culturally appropriate, and impactful.
Design can play a role in facilitating these partnerships through tools like shared platforms, communication strategies, or awareness campaigns, amplifying the collective impact.
Collect feedback after each workshop to understand what worked and what needs improvement. Use this input to simplify and adjust educational materials, making them more practical and user-friendly. This ensures resources are continuously improved to meet the community’s needs effectively.
My portfolio has more to offer—check out my next project.
