IDEATE
Initially when designing a solution for the EATS garden marketplace, our group was given specifications from EATS listing internal and external areas that needed to be addressed. One of those areas was the request for a washing station for the vegetables before selling in the market. It was difficult for us to think of a way to make the process of washing the produce engaging, and fun for the children who would be involved in the process. After some brainstorming, we thought of designing an apparatus that resembled a gumball machine, where the vegetables could be stored in the top “bubble� piece soaking in water, and through the turning of a knob at the bottom, the vegetables would move down a tube, and shoot out of the bottom. After some careful thought, and reasoning, we quickly realized this method was not technically possible, or efficient. However, the gumball concept was something that had stuck from that point out, because the larger picture was about turning something considered monotonous, such as washing vegetables, into a fun activity. Through this though process of trial and error of the gumball prototype, sprouted the idea of creating a marketplace space for the community to not only shop for vegetables, but to recreationally spend their time. The space designed includes seating, a gallery space for artwork, games, and handouts of recipe cards for produce in season with a colorful, playful design aesthetic that would appeal to all members of all ages in the community. The centralized design focus of the marketplace is the vegetable cart which has retractable seating, a washing station, and clever display setups to accommodate the vegetables to shoppers. The integration of this cart was inspired by the Illy coffee pop up shops that are made from shipping containers. This option we found through much research is the most practical, and cost effective solution in creating a farmers market space.