Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Design in Communication or Design (MDES)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Art

Advisor/Mentor

Hernandez, Gaby

Committee Member

Place, Alison

Second Committee Member

Lane, Marty M.

Keywords

App Development; Community Care; Feminist Research; Food Insecurity; Graphic Design; Social Design

Abstract

Quantification frames the world in terms of hierarchies, reputation, and status, thereby making important indicators comparable, and subsequently stripping them of their context, history, and meaning. Numerical knowledge is essential, yet if it is not closely connected to more qualitative forms of knowledge, it leads to oversimplification, homogenization, and the neglect of the surrounding social structure. Feminist-based research is completely antithetical to this form of research, focusing on qualitative experiences, the effects of relationships of power, and adding the necessary context to the quantifiable information. As of yet, most research in the Northwest Arkansas region as it pertains to the food insecurity crisis has been framed within a quantifiable, homogenous, and often vapid perspective. Through communication frameworks and feminist methods of community building, this investigation explores the potential for a digital platform that might facilitate collaboration amongst self-identified women seeking to improve their state of food security. Through fostering healing relationships, exchanging information, responding to emotions, managing uncertainty, making decisions, and enabling self-management, designers may create tools that will fuel the problem-solving of women facing food insecurity.

Comments

Complete thesis uploaded as supplementary file.

Additional Files
Dedman B_Supplementary 1_18 July 2024.pdf (26455 kB)
Complete Thesis
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