Visualizing the Issues behind Food Dependence: How to Feed the World?

Visualizing the Issues behind Food Dependence: How to Feed the World? - information aesthetics

If you appreciated the depth and level of detail of the now classic infographically animated The Credit of Crisis - Visualized, you will probably also like the following! "How to Feed the World?" [dvanw.com] explains in more than 8 minutes the intrinsic issues involved with international food dependence and the existing regional differences of food intake, in both quantity as quality.

For instance, in Europe, people have access to a varied, large diet, while the available (affordable?) food in Africa does not cover the normal human needs, causing African people to die about 20 years younger on average. What are the reasons for this injustice? You can watch the answer in the movie below.

The movie even discusses the feasibility of some potential solutions, such as increasing the cultivated land area, increasing the yield of a given agricultural area, increasing the use of organic products, introducing innovative watering techniques, and so on, and finishes with a concrete recommendation of where you have the ability to make a difference.

http://vimeo.com/dvanw/videos

mindblog.com

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cultural probe created by Robert James Djaelani

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A cultural probe is a carefully measured, planned inquiry into the preferences, experiences, and desires of an audience.

kit of interactive objects that were designed easily facilitate conversation and participation.

Community Chest

ILD - community chest

Do Not Disturb Project - Cultural Probe

I have designed a pack that will allow one to find out the who, what, when and where of a particular anti social behaviour. The pack contains a box in which 4 cards are stored. On each card there is a different task for the participant to carry out. They are first asked to write down an anti social behaviour that affects them the most. Then they are asked to either draw or stick thing to the silhouette provided, in order to see who the perpetrator of there anti social act is. The next card allows the participant to show on a map exactly where the behaviour takes place. The final card allows the participants to show what time of day the anti social act takes place, by setting the time on the clock provided.
http://imd.dundee.ac.uk/degshows/2007/jennyk/final%20cultural%20probe.html

Flickr Clock

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There’s something really wonderful about using the flickr clock interface to browse through people’s moments from around the world. The clock displays only video content and lets you lean back and just click to view another short clip which someone uploaded somewhere around the world.

cultural probe - Robert James Djaelani example

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A cultural probe is a qualitative research tool that allows a researching to carry out a rapid form of ethnography on a user without the researcher being present . The results are very subjective which combined with quantitative research creates a very strong method of understanding a users existing personality.

cultural probe kit

A completed Cultural Probe.

I am interested in the distinction between product and research tool and many of the items in a cultural probe's context were, i believe, both products and tools for research.

"Selected volunteers are given probe packs. The participants use the items in the pack over a period of a few weeks and then return the pack. The items in the pack depend on the circimstances, but are all designed to stimulate thought as well as capture experiences.

Once we consider systems beyond the traditional office PC, especially those involving personal experience, design needs to establish new methods of study. Other researchers have used diary studies asking participants to note particular kinds of incidents. Another group asked parents to give them lists they kept (shopping lists, to do lists). Role play has also been used to get people to act out aspects of their life that they might not wish to be observed." www.equator.org

Cultural probes - explained

Cultural probes (also known as diary studies) provide a way of gathering information about people and their activities. Unlike direct observation (like usability testing or traditional field studies), the technique allows users to self-report. Information gathered from cultural probes is particularly useful early in the design process.
When are Cultural Probes appropriate?

Cultural probes are appropriate when you need to gather information from users with minimal influence on their actions, or when the process or event you’re exploring takes place intermittently or over a long period. For example, you could use cultural probes to explore how patients feel over the weeks or months following a surgical procedure, or how travelling salespeople manage their work.
How are Cultural Probes conducted?

Selected participants are briefed, given a kit of materials, and briefed about the requirement to record or note specific events, feelings or interactions over a specified period. Typically, a follow-up interview is conducted at some point after the briefing session. This helps ensure that participants are actively engaged, and are collecting the required information. At the end of the specified period, the materials are collected and analysed. A de-briefing session is also typically conducted, in order to supplement, validate and otherwise explore the information gathered by the participants. Information gathered is then analysed, and documented in some fashion.
What’s in a Cultural Probe Kit?

The contents of the kit depend on what type of information you want to gather, and on the materials with which participants are familiar. Most kits contain a diary for recording comments or impressions. The kit may also contain a scrapbook, or this may be combined with the diary. Other contents may include a camera with printing capability (an instant camera or digital camera with printer). It may also contain items such as a voice recorder, pens, post-it notes, staplers and the like – anything that can help the user gather and record information. People respond positively to attractive kits, so using good quality materials is worthwhile.
Recruitment

Recruiting is particularly important with cultural probes, since they rely on a large investment of participants’ time. Participants in cultural probes are expected to spend at least several hours during the course of the activity, so they are likely to require remuneration that is more significant than that for, say, usability testing. In addition, they usually cannot be monitored closely, so problems may not be picked up during the course of the activity. Therefore, it’s particularly important to ensure that you recruit the right participants, and that you monitor and support them as well as possible throughout the process.
The Right Data

You can help participants gather the right information by briefing them carefully, and by providing kits that prompt them for the types of information you want. However, you also need to take care not to unduly restrict the information they gather, in case you miss out on important insights. Providing a contact phone number that they can feel free to call for assistance or advice throughout the data-gathering period is a good idea.
Analysis and Documentation

Use affinity diagramming to analyse the data gathered. The data is also likely to be useful in creating personas, and this provides a good communication medium. Making participants’ notes and photos available to project team members also provides a good way to communicate findings.

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Cultural probes / diary studies

Also observations can tell you about what people do, but less about what they feel. What is really important to them and what just mundane? Cultural probes are one way to access environments that are difficult to observe directly and also to capture more of this 'felt life'.

Cultural probes (also known as diary studies) provide a way of gathering information about people and their activities.
Unlike direct observation (like usability testing or traditional field studies), the technique allows users to self-report.

Google Image Result for http://www.iamas.ac.jp/isp/probe_pack.jpg