Looking towards May 2011: Thesis Presentation
In the margins of a Levenger notebook I have been re-stuffing with pages for years, lies the seeds of an idea that I will develop into a thesis project in my MFA Interaction Design program. Some interests of mine keep coming up, and because our first ideas are often some of the best ideas, it is likely that one of these tiny, tiny seeds will develop into a project that holds my passion and interest enough to carry on through the next year and hopefully beyond.
IDEA #1) Food Revolution
I am very interested in the challenges of obesity facing our society and am interested in ways to help people make more nutritious food choices. With industrialized food and the demand for convenience, there is a trickle down effect facing parents and children who are experiencing the lapsed connection between food production and intake.
Concerns: Who needs to be targeted—children, parents, schools? Why is such a simple concept seemingly so difficult to execute?
Links of Interest:
Jamie Oliver Ted Talk
Michelle Obama Apps for Healthy Kids program
Michael Pollan, Author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, Omnivore’s Dilemma, Food Rules
Better Ways to Help the Public Lose Weight (New York Times)
The Creative Kitchen: Teaching kids to cook
Cornell study: Long work hours, job dissatisfaction affect what family eats at home
IDEA #2) Reading and Sharing
I gain the title of “favorite aunt” with my little nieces and nephews because I buy them books for their birthdays and holidays, and I read to them whenever I can. The books outlive the electronics, the fad toys, the plastic throwaways. Books help people bond. They are great conversation topics, they bring friends together as they are shared and referred, they are recycled. Books are a great source of information but sometimes, more importantly, they are a source of relaxation. How do books act as therapy?
Concerns: How can the social aspect of reading be further shared and explored? How can the library of others influence friends, family, peers? How can we remind ourselves to spend more time reading for balance?
IDEA #3) Lists and the Ways People Use Them
I am intrigued by list makers. Those who make grocery lists, to do lists, brainstorming lists, top 10 lists, extensive spreadsheet lists, and lists to organize their lists. They are on paper, on websites, in books, on our phones, in software applications.
Concerns: There are so many options out there, why don’t people stick with them? Can they be designed better? Can the perfect list diary be created? Does everyone need to make their own custom list plan?
Links of Interest:
IDEA #4) Travel
I am infatuated with travel. I subscribe (or have subscribed) to nearly every travel website and magazine and take great pride in finding great travel spots—hotels, restaurants, things to do—at the best price. Trip Advisor has some great info but is overwhelming, Dopplr is hard to manage, Where Have You Been? is a disaster.
Concerns: Why do travel sites and organizations with community-based content have such a hard time delivering meaningful content to people without confusing them?
Links of Interest:
