Linking Climate Change to Daily Life
Climate change not only affects the natural environment but also impacts our dietary health. The 2003 European heatwave serves as an example. It caused a significant reduction in pear crop yields, with France alone experiencing a 25% decrease, affecting 7.5 million pear trees and causing estimated losses of €310 million.
The project aims to raise awareness of the urgent need to recognise the negative impact of climate change on our diets, emphasizing the need for collective action to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for all.
Picture from Wellcome Collection website
Design for
Established in 2007, the Wellcome Collection Museum is a unique institution seamlessly integrating medical artifacts and original artworks to explore the intricate intersections of medicine, life, and art.
Aim and Challenges
The objective is to design and produce a gift with a final retail price of £10 to £20 for sale in the gift shop, keeping production costs below £5 per piece to ensure profitability. Additionally,
the design should create a meaningful connection to the museum’s collection and adhere to sustainability principles.
Persona / Target Audience
Purpose of Visit
Comes on weekends for family-friendly learning and a bit of culture for herself.
Shopping Behavior
1. Frequently purchases DIY kits, educational books, science toys, and parent-child activity games related to current exhibitions.
2. Looks for items that promote whole-family engagement.
3. Cares deeply about the educational value and sustainability of the products she buys.
Visiting Habits
1. Prefers interactive and thought-provoking exhibitions.
2. Spends time in the gift shop looking for meaningful souvenirs and family activity kits.
(This persona was created based on an interview with the Wellcome Collection’s gift shop manager.)
Linking Climate Change to Daily Life
I explored three key aspects: the museum’s collections, sustainability, and top-selling gift shop items, aiming to design a gift that unites these themes. Research revealed the impact of climate change on human health, inspiring a DIY plant-growing activity. This concept offers families an educational experience while highlighting the connection to crops affected by environmental damage.
1
Material Preparation
Blend dried mixed fruits’ peel and wasted paper to create a peel-textured paper pulp.
I experimented with incorporating dried fruit peels into this product as a sustainable material. The goal was to find an ideal balance that would maintain the product’s durability while highlighting the unique texture and characteristics of the fruit peels.
2
Silicone Mold For Manufacturing
I made a quick prototype with 3D modeling, then rebuilt it with clay for making silicone mold. The mold was designed as two parts, so I can easily fill soil and pear seeds before glueing them.
3
Colouring and finishing
I drew the head of the pears to create ‘‘rotted’’ texture, representing the 30% drop of pear production after the heatwave happened in the Europe in 2003.
Growing Awareness
Designed to capture attention and spark curiosity, the pear features a QR code on its tag that links to a 90-second animated video, briefly explaining how heat waves have impacted our diets.
Exhibition at Welcome Collection
The four-day showcase at the museum invites the public to interact with the products and share their perspectives on the pears. I’m grateful for the opportunity to present my idea to the public and hear feedback that could inspire my next design.
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