Navigating Information | Health & Well-being
As citizens living in a globally connected society, we are constantly inundated with massive amounts of information that are transmitted to us via various channels of communication — many of which overlap and function as an interconnected system. They have evolved rapidly in recent years, transforming the ways we attend to, perceive, and process content, and informing the cognitive biases we develop. As a result of changes in our information systems, our society is increasingly disregarding and misconstruing facts, data, and analysis of content, eroding our civil discourse with each other, fostering disengagement, and causing a lack of deep understanding.
This article documents the process of the first project in the Communication Design Studio class at CMU’s MDes/MPS program.
Aug 26 & 28, 2024 | First-week Class Activities & Discussions
We kicked off our first class by observing and discussing a set of interactive toys. Professor Stacie asked questions that probed our presumptions (later introduced in the reading as schemas) about how the toys should work. We were prompted to consider their movement, speed, sound, target audience, origin, and the year they were made. For example, we might associate certain materials and graphics of the toys with a specific era and region. This exercise helped us see how diverse everyone’s schemas can be and how we developed new schemas through interacting with the objects.
Later in the second class of the week, we engaged in a similar exercise with a variety of chocolates, but this time using a system — Familiarize, Develop, and Refine. Through this 3-step system, we analyzed, categorized, and sorted the objects in front of us. First, we examined the color, font, and design of the packaging, looking for clues about the contents inside. Then, we categorized them based on colors, forms, contents, and texture, refining them through more detailed categorization. Through this exercise, we discovered the implications of information and how we should decode and reorganize it.
Through the reading materials from the first week, we learned about four different theories. From Kavanaugh and Rich’s Truth Decay, we explored how new information trends have eroded our judgment, including:
- Increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data
- Blurring the line between opinion and fact
- Increasing the relative volume and influence of opinion and personal experience over fact
- Declining trust in formerly respected sources of factual information.
We also touched on David’s ‘Schema’ theory, which describes a mental structure about the world based on experience that informs our expectations. This theory highlights how psychology is connected to design and how we can dismantle cognitive processes to create better designs.
Another idea from David is the distinction between the illustrative and formative aspects of design. ‘Illustrative’ refers to a design shaped by society, while ‘formative’ describes a design that informs and shapes society and culture. One interesting example that comes to mind is how the cardboard bed was developed during COVID-19 in India due to its affordability, flexibility, and resistance to viruses. It later became the official bed for Olympic athletes in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. This is a perfect example of how a design, initially born out of social needs, can later be used in different social contexts and unexpectedly shape society.
From Crisp’s Style, we learned about the concepts of ‘Connotation’ and ‘Denotation.’ Connotation refers to what is signified — in other words, the design or form of something. Denotation refers to what something is — its content or literal meaning. Designers often have opportunities to use connotation to add subtle depth to their designs.
The last theory we learned is the ‘Cycle of Style’ by Lorraine Wild. She described how a style goes through eight stages and eventually comes full circle. It begins with ‘great design,’ followed by ‘mainstream mass consumption,’ ‘cliché,’ ‘embarrassment,’ ‘it’s over,’ ‘fetish,’ ‘revival,’ ‘interesting,’ and finally returns to ‘good design.’ The attention given to a style fluctuates throughout this cyclical process.
Aug 28, 2024 | Information System Research
Our first step in this project is to pay attention to the pieces of information around us and analyze them.
Below are my assumptions, observations, and analysis for a set of questions regarding how information is being communicated about health and well-being.
Example: Multivitamin Labels
When I was shopping online for multivitamins, I realized there was a lot of information I wanted to know — some I wasn’t particularly interested in, some that companies were highlighting, and some that were intentionally omitted. I found it interesting to delve into that information and how it is being communicated.
1. Context of communication
Health has always been a crucial part of human life. It is not only a basic human need to avoid severe diseases and illnesses, but also something people strive for to improve their physical condition and performance and reduce the risk of getting ill.
2. Target Audience
The intended audience for this information includes both regulatory bodies such as the FDA or the CDC, as well as individuals who are concerned about their health and overall well-being.
The authorities will make guidelines and regulations for the information, such as what kind of information should people display, announce, and provide.
The people who care about their health and well-being are receiving standardized and transparent information to help them make better decisions for their own health.
3. Goals and content of the communication
I believe information can be categorized into two types. The first type is information that helps people make better judgments to improve their health and well-being, such as nutrition labels on food packaging. This kind of information should be clear, easy to understand, and simple. A great example of this is the FDA’s daily value of the multivitamins supplement facts label.
The second type is information that influences people’s decision-making process and therefore impacts the profits of certain companies, such as the branding and marketing strategy of the supplement companies.
Interestingly, I still notice gaps between the information they’re providing and the information I’m looking for. For example, multivitamins contain different sets of supplements, and I don’t fully understand how they work. My goal is to improve my overall health, particularly my eye and mental health. To make the best decision, I need to research which supplements will benefit my eyes and mental health. I discovered that lutein is beneficial for eye health and vitamin D is beneficial for mood. After doing the research, I have to go back to the labels to check if the ingredients I’m looking for are included in the product and if the doses are correct. This whole process — ‘Specify Need → Research Correlation → Locate Ingredients and Doses’ — is not only lengthy but also cumbersome for a purchasing experience.
4. Design in Communication
For the example of multivitamins, package design can convey various information. Packages with leaves and warm colors can imply healthy, organic, and natural messages to the customers, while cold colors and sans-serif fonts can create a reliable image for the customers. These are examples of how form can be a great communication tool and influence perceptions and purchase behavior.
When it comes to content design, brands are attempting to use simple and clear language to meet customers’ needs. All of these brands explain the effects and purposes of taking this supplement, which caters to the purchase decision-making process when customers are choosing and comparing these products.
5. Fitting into Larger System
I believe that this system can integrate into a larger framework encompassing law and human rights. I think it should be considered a fundamental human right for individuals to have access to standardized and clear information that directly affects their health and well-being. Therefore, legislative bodies should establish regulations regarding the disclosure and provision of such information.
Given the critical nature of health, they should also address methods to limit the irreversible health impacts caused by misinformation or misleading information.
6. Potential Outcome or Impact
Effective communication should provide people with access to information that they believe will benefit them. It should enable people to make better, more rational decisions to improve their health and well-being, and also raise awareness and consciousness about their health conditions.
Sep 4, 2024 | Napkin Sketching and Group Discussion
To better articulate our ideas visually, we studied the visualization methods from Don Moyer’s Napkin Sketch Workbook and organized the topic we investigated through napkin sketching. Using techniques like Blobs, Vignettes through Time, and Processes, I was able to streamline and convey my ideas to my group.
My group members Yujin, Summer, Audrea, and I were all assigned to the topic of health and well-being. We exchanged ideas in class and identified potential areas of focus, such as credibility, personalization, and the long-term goal of health information. After mapping out the connections between the health information we need and receive, we agreed that ‘personalization’ would be the main theme for our further research.
In our second group discussion, we aimed to narrow down the problem statement and the areas for further research. We first listed the existing problems related to the lack of personalization in health information, including:
- Ineffective treatment
- Unexpected costs
- Side effects (such as allergies)
- Distrust
- Emotional distress
We then concluded our problem statement:
The lack of personalization in health information can cause physical, emotional, and financial harm.
Throughout further research into information sources, I assume that companies providing supplement packages encourage consumers to trust that the ingredients and doses are optimal for them and will deliver the advertised effects, such as boosting the immune system or improving muscle health. If consumers are unaware of the correlation between the ingredients, doses, and actual effects, they often rely solely on factors like price, brand image, packaging design, and promotional language. This reliance can obscure their understanding of the product’s legitimate effects and hinder the decision-making process.
As I reflect on the project so far, my thinking about communication has deepened significantly. For entities that create information, it is important to identify their agendas and the methods they use to achieve their goals, including the connotation and denotation in design elements. For the medium through which the information is presented, it is important to consider its relationship with the audience. For the audience, identifying the information they are seeking is crucial. Design plays a critical role in bridging the gap between the information people are looking for and the truth, while reducing irrelevant noise. One key role of design is to analyze information and present it to the public in a unified, standardized format that is accessible and trustworthy. Reflecting on the chocolate activity from the first week, I believe design should act as a translator — processing information through familiarizing, developing, and refining — and then offering it to the public in a more transparent way.
Regarding our group’s progress, after further research, we identified potential root causes of our problem and design opportunities inspired by current design interventions during our third discussion. We narrowed our topic to OTC medication and supplements, identifying the root causes as:
- One-size-fits-all approach
- Cycles of trial and error
- Unlabeled drug interactions
- Lack of transparency
- No immediate feedback
- Unrealistic expectations
- Failure to consider daily diet and conditions
- Unclear limitations
The design opportunities we identified include improving convenience, credibility, and the perceived value of personalized health information, inspired by online blood testing kits and supplement subscription services.
We also worked on our presentation for the information system and problem space.
Sep 15, 2024 | Design Jam, Ideating Interventions
After identifying our problem statement, we began ideating our design interventions through a series of activities. We shared our concepts and decided to focus on the on-site experience at CVS when people purchase supplements. Starting with a design jam session, we communicated and developed new ideas while streamlining the customer journey.
Not only was the activity fun, but it also stimulated our creativity. Our initial intervention aimed to help people find personalized supplements based on their body conditions and needs, improving their overall health. However, through feedback, we realized that the intervention should not be seen as the final solution but rather as a way to raise awareness.
We then brainstormed new ideas and pivoted to a dating app-like kiosk outside pharmacies. The goal is to engage users and highlight the importance of personalization. The app would anthropomorphize supplements, providing information about their effects, specifications, and suggestions. By drawing a connection between dating and choosing supplements, we hope to make people more aware of personalization in health choices.
From the third week’s reading, we learned that expectancies combined with values motivate learning and performance. Expectancies can be positive, negative, or based on efficacy, while values can be intrinsic, attainment-oriented, or instrumental. This framework can drive user engagement and inform our design rationale. For instance, the dating app-like kiosk leverages intrinsic values and positive expectancies to pique interest and drive behavior change.
We also discussed our target persona, considering factors like personality, tech literacy, behaviors, and goals. For a busy, tech-savvy audience seeking trustworthy information, our intervention should be easy to navigate, not limited to physical artifacts, and personalized.
Our final problem statement are revised to:
Without enough personalized health information, young working professionals today are suffering physical, emotional, and financial harm due to inaccurate self-assessment. By increasing awareness of generalized health information, we can prevent harms from happening.
Sep 23 | Crafting Design Intervention & Evaluate
Based on the feedback we received in the class, we pivoted our design intervention to its final form — a physical card set.
Our intervention idea is to create a dating game, but with supplements. Users are asked to swipe through profiles that are secretly created for personified supplements, which are revealed as supplements at the end. This aims to raise awareness by showing users that finding a suitable supplement is as challenging as finding a compatible partner in real life. The game demonstrates how easy it is to overlook important health information when making surface-level choices.
While exploring intervention points for our problem statement, we aimed to create an engaging solution that would both satisfy and involve the audience, all while raising awareness about the issue. We brainstormed around the idea of personalization, drawing parallels with the dating process. In dating apps, people often rely on basic information and only discover compatibility after further exploration. Similarly, choosing supplements based on general information is not ideal — people need to understand the value of seeking personalized details to make better-informed decisions.
This is the team post that includes our explorations of the problem space, studies, design inquiry, and design intervention:
I can imagine this project leading to increased awareness for people choosing supplements and accessing health information, ultimately driving behavioral change. Beyond design interventions, I can also envision design solutions that translate vague and generalized health information into personalized insights. For example, a camera that captures the packaging of a supplement label and provides personalized information such as effects, ingredients, dosage, and drug interactions.
In this project, our group took an unconventional approach by choosing a physical information format while most other groups focused on digital information. We explored existing problems, such as the one-size-fits-all approach, to investigate how health information without sufficient personalization could potentially harm individuals. During our design intervention ideation process, we had a lot of fun connecting different ideas to our problem space, such as dating apps and fortune-telling. These concepts share some qualities that could help our audience resonate with the problem space. Lastly, my biggest takeaway is understanding how a design intervention should function and how it differs from a design solution. It is supposed to raise awareness, drive behavioral change using expectancies and values, and encourage people to engage with the problem.
Bibliography
- Crisp, D. G., Temple, W. F. (2012). Typography. United Kingdom: Thames and Hudson.
- Davis, M. (2012). Graphic Design Theory. United Kingdom: Thames & Hudson.
- Rich, M. D., Kavanagh. (2018). Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life. United States: RAND Corporation.
- Moyer, Don. Napkin Sketch Workbook (2010).
