Design Activism

From design thinking to design activism.

Final Model

To design a product that highlights or tackles the social and environmental impacts associated with the cocoa production.

This project allowed me to develop my global outlook and critical appreciation of social and related environmental justice issues associated with the design of products. I was able to develop my own approach to responsible design.

Primary research gathered shows that West African Countries such as Ghana and Cote showed a higher rate of deforestation than countries such as Brazil and Ecuador.

higher rate of deforestation lower rate of deforestation

In order to portray the deforestation in West Africa, I created an array of leafless trees on Adobe Illustrator, which were then laser cut onto a thin sheet of MDF. This feature serves as a visual cue to raise awareness about the issue and inspire action toward conservation efforts

Social Element

Primary and secondary research showed that the consumption of chocolate produced negative mental and physical effects, the pedometer is used to track the number of steps taken daily encouraging fitness thus benefiting the users health

I produced these graphic pedometer icons on Illustrator, it displays the number of steps taken throughout the day, a fact about deforestation, and an encouraging message to increase motivation.