1.
SMARTFARM: USING THE TOOLS OF CONTEMPORARY CONSUMER CULTURE TO
INFLUENCE FOOD BEHAVIOR
By
Kyle Barrett
Has been approved
April, 2012
Scott Murff, Director
Renata Hejduk, Second Reader
Phil Horton, Third Reader
2. Barrett
2
Table of Contents
Abstract ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐3
Food in the U.S. ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐3
Psychological Distancing ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐6
Urban Farming ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐7
Awareness and Accessibility ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐8
“Good” Food ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐11
Part I: Packaging ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐13
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation 13
A Contemporary Aesthetic 14
Streamlining and Value 19
Part II: Use ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐21
Gamification 22
Progression 24
Community 25
Interactive Aid 26
Part III: Expansion ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐28
Installation Wall 29
Browsing 29
“Plug in” Retail 31
The Store 33
Concealed Systems 35
Dynamic Façade 36
Clean Interiors 37
Exhibition 39
Basements 39
Local Engagement 40
Conclusion 42
Works Cited ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐43
3. Barrett
3
Abstract
The separation between food production and consumption within the U.S.
has lead to a system that enables unhealthy food choices and behavior. SmartFarm
is a brand for urban agriculture designed to change this through the tools of
contemporary consumer culture. Using Construal Level Theory, the brand strategy
proposes that mitigating the psychological distances between people and their food
will enable them to make better decisions about what they eat. In order to achieve
this, the brand strategy is designed in three parts that specifically relate to the three
cognitive aspects of psychological distancing, which are space, time, and social
discourse. The first SmartFarm component, packaging, puts heirloom seeds in
packets that make them immediately appealing and accessible as farming tools. The
second component, use, dictates a website model designed to keep users engaged in
the agricultural process and unaffected by the temporal gaps between purchasing
and eating food. Lastly, the third component, expansion, focuses on built forms that
allow for increased awareness and an agriculturally driven social environment.
Food in the U.S.
Relative to the developing world, only a small portion of the U.S. population
is food insecure1. And, in the majority of the cases where food insecurity does
happen, the issue is episodic rather than chronic. While undernourishment from
1 Mark,Nord. "Improving Food Security in the United States." Usda.gov. USDA, 2003. Web.
4. Barrett
4
poverty is rare, however, health problems resulting from being overweight and
improperly nourished are widespread. In fact, the U.S. ranks as the 9th “fattest”
country in the world, with 74.1% of its people that are 15 years or older classified as
overweight2. The health problems and conditions associated with this national trend
are staggering. Heart disease will cause the deaths of one out of every three
Americans and, currently, over 60 million Americans suffer from some sort of
cardiovascular disease3. But how can one of the most powerful countries in the
world suffer so greatly from health and food issues? The answer lies in examining
the industrialized, urban environment and the nature of consumer culture itself.
Neville Rigby, director of policy and public affairs for the International
Association for the Study of Obesity, states that “due to urbanization, more people
are living in more dense environments, in cities where they are removed from
traditional food sources and dependent on an industrial food supply, “4
In order to meet increasing demands, western farmers have adopted the practice of
monoculture‐ or the mass production of single crops. The massive amounts of land
required for this practice naturally create distance between cities and food
producers, creating an increase in energy costs post harvest for processing,
distribution, packaging, and preparation. The average distance food will travel from
a farm to an American plate is around 1,500 miles5. The preservatives added to food
to survive traversing this distance, along with the pesticides necessary to support a
2 Lauren Streib. "World's Fattest Countries." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 2007. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.
3 Richard H. Carmona,. "The Obesity Crisis in America." Surgeon General. 2003. Web.
4 Lauren Streib. "World's Fattest Countries." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 2007. Web.
5 "CUESA Home." CUESA. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. <http://www.cuesa.org/page/how‐far‐does‐your‐food‐travel‐get‐
your‐plate>.
5. Barrett
5
biologically non‐diverse crop, have all been linked with a variety of health
problems6. The core issue, however, is that this system has created conditions
where food production is now fundamentally separated from food consumption.
The areas where this can be most visibly seen are those classified as food
deserts, which over 23 million Americans currently live within. In these specific
types of urbanized areas, affordable and healthy food is difficult to obtain and cheap,
fast foods are heavily relied on by the population7. These types of conditions have
been consistently shown to negatively affect the health of their residents in
comparison to those who live outside food deserts8. The distance from food isn’t just
a physical issue, though, and has become a psychological problem woven into the
fabric of American culture. One 17‐year old girl from Birmingham, Alabama, as an
extreme example, made headlines when she collapsed and it was found that she
actually hadn’t had any food other than McDonalds for 15 years, voluntarily9. And
the overrepresentation of cheap, aversive food products doesn’t just lie in the
extreme areas such those in Birmingham. A modern American University campus
such as Arizona State may have an organic‐based restaurant on the upper level of its
food court, but it also has five fast food venues on the level below, including Poppa
John’s, Burger King, Chick File, Taco Bell, and Quiznos. While it varies in severity
from place to place, there is a clear imbalance to how good and healthy food is made
6 "CUESA Home." CUESA.
7 "America's 'food Deserts'" The Week. 8 Aug. 2011. Web.
8 Rebecca Donlanand. "Chicago Food Deserts Hit Hard at Residents’ Health." Chicago Food Deserts Hit Hard at
Residents' Health. 19 Feb. 2010. Web
9 "Hooked on Chicken Nuggets: Girl, 17, Who Has Eaten Nothing Else since Age TWO Rushed to Hospital after
Collapsing." Mail Online. Web.
6. Barrett
6
available to the public throughout American culture, from food deserts to the homes
our nation’s future leaders.
Psychological Distancing
Monoculture, in and of itself, creates the problem of a psychological distance
between people and their food. Research has demonstrated that things which aren’t
experienced in the “here and now” of a person’s physical area become distant on a
conceptual level, changing the way someone thinks about them10. More specifically,
the farther someone is away from something in the physical world, the more
abstractly they will think about that thing11. This tendency for abstraction is known
as Construal Level Theory‐ and is one of the mechanisms that can make a
cheeseburger seem more real than an apple to a seventeen‐year‐old in terms of food.
Construal Level‐ or the extent that we think of things abstractly, dramatically
affects the way people make choices. When we decide on a diet, we do so
because the construal of its outcomes seems attractive to us. … construals
depend not only on the actual attributes of the objects but also on the object’s
psychological distance12
Studies have consistently found that people are more likely to act when presented
with concrete situations13. In other words, the less abstract a concept is, the easier it
is for someone to act on it. The object becomes more real and tangible as an actual
10Oren Shapira. "An Easy Way to Increase Creativity: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and
Information. Scientific American, 21 July 2009. Web.
11 Yaacov Trope, and Nira Liberman. "Construal‐level Theory of Psychological Distance."Psychological
Review 117.2 (2010): 440‐63. Print.
12 Yaacov Trope, and Nira Liberman. "Construal‐level Theory of Psychological Distance."
13 Robert E. Gunther.The Truth about Making Smart Decisions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT, 2008. Print.
7. Barrett
7
choice when people are physically able to sense it. It can be seen, then, that
lessening the psychological distance from a concept makes it easier for people to act
on it. This means that surrounding people with unhealthy food options makes it
more likely that they will choose to consume those products. This also means,
however, that increasing the immediate presence and availability of healthy food
options will increase the likelihood of people choosing them as an alternative to
fast‐food products.
Urban Farming
Some of the negative effects of industrialized agriculture can actually be used
as an opportunity to help people eat better. One of the most significant factors
contributing to U.S. agricultural land degradation is urban expansion14. As
14 "The Problem of Land Degradation." FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, for a World
without Hunger. Web.
8. Barrett
8
communities expand, agricultural land loses its value and becomes more profitable
to be sold for development. Additionally, private farms aren’t always passed down
from the owners to their children, creating a generational decline in private farm
ownership15. Because of this, empty lots and low‐density housing inhabit some the
U.S.’s best and most fertile cropland. These conditions make urban agriculture,
people growing food in their immediate communities, feasible on a national scale.
While urban farming may not be viable as a permanent replacement for
industrialized agriculture, current urban conditions still make it one of the most
realistic means of increasing the presence of healthy food around those who need to
eat it.
Awareness and Accessibility
Physical distance from food, while prevalent in the U.S., isn’t the only factor
that contributes to someone psychologically distancing him or herself from the issue.
There are three primary factors to someone’s construal level, including physical
space, time, and social prevalence16 (how people are talking about something). If
urban agriculture to be used as the primary tool for reducing psychological distance,
then a strategy for its implementation must affect all the aforementioned
contributing factors.
For this purpose, it may help to look at things in more relevant terms. The
majority of the research that has gone into Construal Level Theory and consumer
15 Andrew Marshall.. "End of the Family Farm?" National Rural News. Feb.‐Mar. 2012. Web.
16 Liberman, N., Y. Trope, and C. Wakslak. "Construal Level Theory and Consumer Behavior." Journal of
Consumer Psychology 17.2 (2007): 113‐17. Print.
9. Barrett
9
decision‐making has been utilized for corporate branding strategies. If urban
agriculture can be thought of as a brand, then psychological distance factors can be
brought into more familiar terms to help form a solution strategy
Physical and temporal distance, for instance, can be seen as issues of
accessibility. If someone can’t easily get to something from his or her immediate
situation, then the amount of time separating the person from experiencing that
thing is increased. This, in turn, results in psychological distancing and the desired
object becoming more abstract. Similarly, the issue of social distance can be seen as
one of awareness. The more people are aware of something and discussing it on a
social level, then the more “real” and concrete it will become in the conceptual sense.
With the factors of space, time, and social discourse reorganized into the
issues accessibility and awareness, the next step is to examine brands or strategies
that have succeeded in these areas. For awareness, one can look at an organization
like Livestrong. By creating a branded item, the Livestrong bracelet, the Livestrong
brand essentially created a ”thingness” for the fight against cancer. Lance Armstrong
became the face of this fight, and his yellow bracelet became the symbol. It is
estimated that over 50 million $1 bracelets have been sold17, solidifying the
rubberized, yellow loop as a cultural symbol. With this, a physical item was used to
represent an idea with massive levels of success, bringing an abstract concept into a
17 Sal Ruibal. "Livestrong Bracelets Approaching 50 Million Strong." USA Today. Gannett, 2005. Web.
10. Barrett
10
concrete, social reality. A feasible strategy for an urban farming solution to food
behavior, then, is to create a physical product and image that can manifest as a
symbol for the values of urban agriculture and healthy food choices.
For accessibility, the most pertinent example is the also the most prolific:
Apple. Worth over 500 billion dollars, Apple is the most valuable company in the
world18. One of the primary contributing factors to this massive success, however,
has been their approach to accessibility‐ both in terms of making their products
easy to get and to use19. Apple has made something as complex as computing as easy
as moving a finger. They’ve also adhered to strict design principles of limiting the
physical features of their products while enhancing their immediate aesthetic style
and appeal20. This strategy of accessibility combined with an attention to aesthetics,
in turn, is two‐fold. It not only decreases the psychological distance between their
products and consumers, but also increases the immediate desirability of those
products. This study brings up the generative question of this thesis: How would
Apple do a farm? How can we do the same thing to agricultural science that Apple
has done to computing science?
18 "How Much Is $500 Billion, Apple’s Total Value?" How Much Is $500 Billion, Apple’s Total Value? Web.
19 "Why Accessibility Is an Essential Ingredient for the IPad's Success." BlindCanadians. 19 Jan. 2012. Web.
20 "Why Apple’s Aesthetic Is Influencing the Future of Electronics Design." The Independent. Independent Digital
News and Media, 2010. Web.
11. Barrett
11
SmartFarm poses a three‐part answer to that question based on the
packaging, use, and expansion of a new brand for urban agriculture. Packaging and
use will deal most directly with the issue of accessibility, limiting the physical and
temporal space between people and growing their own food. Expansion, on the
other hand, will focus on awareness and creating places that enable agriculturally
focused social environments.
“Good” Food
Before packaging can be specified, however, a suitable type of product to
promote urban agriculture has to be determined. Heirloom seeds provide the ideal
opportunity for this. Organizations such as the Ark of Taste and Slow Food are
dedicated to preserving and sharing unique, heirloom varieties of plants and
produce. Not only does the organic production of these seeds make them ideal for
the promotion of a healthy food product, but they also act as an incredible selling
point for the brand itself. Currently, there are 4 to 5 types of tomatoes made
12. Barrett
12
available through monoculture at the average American grocery store21. The Ark of
Taste, however, offers at least 49 uniquely tasting varieties of heirloom tomatoes22.
This type of relationship is true for the entire vegetable selection at any grocery
store. In selling these types of produce, then, SmartFarm is giving consumers the
notion of something special that they can’t easily get anywhere else.
Organic foods, such as those provided by the Slow Food Movement, have also
been linked positively to increased dietary nutrition and personal health23. There is
also significant evidence and research showing that these types of homegrown foods
don’t pose the same environmental and public health risks that those produced
through monoculture do24. Choosing to grow one’s own food and stay away from
unhealthy, fast‐food choices, then, will serve as SmartFarm’s definition of what
“good” food behavior is.
21 "Tomato Varieties‐complete Variety Description for the Homegarden." The Natural Food Hub Information
Contents Tree. Web.
22 "The Ark of Taste." Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Slow Food. Web.
23 Dani Alexis Ryskamp. "Health Benefits of Organic Foods Vs Processed Food."Livestrong.com. Livestrong, 2012.
Web.
24 Jule Guthman . "Fast Food/organic Food: Reflexive Tastes and the Making of ‘yuppie Chow’." Social & Cultural
Geography 4.1 (2003): 46‐57. Print.
13. Barrett
13
Part I: Packaging
With heirloom seeds as the chosen product, the next step is to consider how
to sell that product. This brings up the first part of the SmartFarm brand: Packaging.
Before the packaging design can be fully fleshed out, however, how it relates back to
the notion of changing consumer behavior must be specified.
Intrinsic verses Extrinsic Motivation
In terms of marketing strategy, the effectiveness of inherent values and
intrinsic motivators is essentially zero in comparison with the power of extrinsic
motivators. Research shows that immediate, tangible rewards create the most
buyable products25. This effect is so powerful that, in the right situations, extrinsic
motivators can completely replace their intrinsic counterparts. In a study replicated
multiple times over, children who already liked playing pianos for their own reasons
were given verbal praise (an extrinsic motivator) for doing so. Once the praise was
retracted, however, and children no longer received recognition for their work, they
stopped playing the piano altogether26. The extrinsic motivator of verbal praise
completely overrode the children’s original, intrinsic desire to play.
The idea presented is that people may like a Toyota Prius because it is said to
be good for the environment, but they buy it because there is a leaf on the
dashboard that tells them “good job.” The leaf essentially takes the abstract notion
25 Anderson. "A Reward/Measurement Model of Organizational Buying Behavior." Journal of Marketing 49.7‐23
(1985): 1‐2. Print.
26 Lepper, M., Greene, D., & Nisbett, R. (1973). Undermining children's intrinsic interest with extrinsic
rewards. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 28, 129‐137.
14. Barrett
14
of environmental responsibility and reduces it to an immediate stimulus that can be
used for persuasion. These findings coincide with the argument on Construal Level
Theory, with external motivators essentially being concrete, and intrinsic
motivators being abstract concepts.
SmartFarm isn’t going to try to convince people to by better food because it is
actually good for them‐ at least not immediately. Studies show that intrinsic
motivation and the internalization of values happens over time and with
experience27. The packaging design, then, is meant to increase the overall value and
appeal of the product, providing immediate and tangible motivators for purchase.
With this type of “foot in the door” approach, it doesn’t necessarily matter how the
product gets into the consumer’s hands. As long as people eventually experience
farming, they’ll naturally begin to internalize its inherent values and benefits.
A Contemporary Aesthetic
What is appeal in terms of contemporary consumer culture? The first study
done to get perspective on this is a visual examination between traditional, organic
packaging and contemporary packaging designs that have increased the sales of
their products. These samples appeal to a broad audience from 20‐30 years of age.
This group is a part of the largest age demographic in the United States28 and is the
most sensible audience for SmartFarm to appeal to for the purposes of maximizing
27 Carol Sansone. "Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Rewards, and Divergent Views of Reality." Educational
Psychology Review 15.3 (2003). Print.
28 Lindsay M. Howden, "Age and Sex Composition: 2010." Census.gov. United States Census Bureau, May 2011.
Web.
15. Barrett
15
potential changes in food behavior. Three visual trends can be observed.
Firstly, an image of the product itself, such as the flowers or chocolates
displayed on organic packages, isn’t nearly as emphasized with contemporary
designs. Rather, simple text and symbols, such as the die‐cut of a cow, are given
precedence. Clinical research supports this move as well, finding that the symbols
and labels on products significantly affect the perception of how they taste29.
Images of the actual product can do this as well, but not always to the same extent,
and seem to take away from the simplicity and appeal of a package design.
Secondly, muted greens and browns do not appear to be the best way to sell
foods as the contemporary designs display a variety of bright, saturated colors. In
29 Masako Okamoto. "Influences of Food‐Name Labels on Perceived Tastes." Chem. Senses 34.187–194 (2009).
Print.
16. Barrett
16
fact, the studies being done on food and packaging show that the color of the
packaging doesn’t have to associate with the food itself at all, and different colors
don’t change the way people necessarily experience the food they eat30. While it
doesn’t matter if the color of the package itself reflects its contents, the way color is
used does affect general appeal and buying preference based on consumer
demographics31. The colors on the designs studied are also done simply, with one or
two colors per package, normally designating a different type of product within a
brand.
Lastly, it can be seen that the contemporary packages themselves are simpler
in their overall design, sticking to the emphasis of a select few aesthetic features.
The features emphasized tend to connect back to the symbolic elements of the
product, and it can be seen that packaging designs that communicate clearly and
creatively do better.
Using this information, multiple iterations of the seed packaging design were
tested to create the strongest possible design.
30 Cornforth, Daren P. "Consumer Preferences for Beef Color
31 Cornforth, Daren P. "Consumer Preferences for Beef Color and Packaging Did Not Affect Eating Satisfaction."
17. Barrett
17
Final Design
The final design corresponds with the various successful aspects taken from
the study of contemporary consumer designs. For the first point of image and
connotation, the image of the product itself, such as pea‐pods, is left to the back of
the package while clearly visible text takes up the front.
For the second notion, a single, vibrant color comprises most of the package’s
design, with a lightly etched brand image providing the only variation. The color
intensity specifically responds to the preferences of SmartFarm’s target
18. Barrett
18
demographic32. Different types of seeds will also have different colors of the same
vibrancy. This will allow for a multi‐colored display that will be used as a staple for
the brand identity in later stages of development.
The third notion focuses on the brand etching and acts symbolically towards
the notion of growth in general rather than to that of just a particular plant. The
simple text, strong color, and subtle juxtaposition of cities and trees are designed to
hit that “clear and creative” notion taken from the contemporary package designs.
The overall affect is to move away from plainly representing what’s inside the box
and focuses more on the notion of “sensation transference”‐ creating a general sense
of appeal and value that can be attributed to the entire product as a whole33.
32 Paul, P. (2002, February 1). Color by numbers. American Demographics, 30.
33 "Power of Colour in Marketing." Squidoo. UpMarket, 2011. Web.
19. Barrett
19
Traditional Seed Stand SmartFarm Contemporary Stand
Streamlining and Value
Enhancing the accessibility of urban farming, however, doesn’t just mean
making it appealing. The other half is making it easy. Using local sources to collect
seed products allows for a strategy that is regionally specific. Rather than shipping
one product out and making people consider when they should plant it, SmartFarm
can move to simply display local varieties of plants only while they’re in season in
that area. This means that people can buy and plant whatever they see in the store
the moment they get home. Taking the planning factor out of the buyer’s hands
shortens the temporal distance from the concept, making the decision to buy easier.
The seeds themselves are attached to nutrient‐impregnated seed sticks. This
technology has seen commercial use before, and allows for allows for more forgiving
20. Barrett
20
soil conditions34. This also makes act of planting itself easier, as sticks contain plant
labels as well as depth lines for how far they should be buried. Smaller seeds, such
as carrots, now become easier to place, and the act of simply sticking your seeds into
the ground makes the overall experience of planting novel.
The packaging’s interior is also lined with all the major tools needed for
farming: spacing measurements, water and shading requirements, planting
calendars, and a link to online content. These elements make full use of the
packaging’s material, increasing the product’s accessibility and overall value.
34 Thomas H. Gardner. "Production of Nutrient Material." USTPO Text and Image Database. United States Patent
Office, 21 Mar. 1989. Web.
21. Barrett
21
Part II: Use
The packaging’s connection to internet‐based content takes the form of a
Quick Response (QR) code that can immediately link a smart phone to the
SmartFarm website. A numerical code and website link also exist below the QR code
as to not exclude content to only smart phone users. This feature is the first aspect
of SmartFarm’s second component, use.
From a motivational standpoint, the time between planting and reaping is
dead time. This is perhaps one of the largest issues with creating a farming brand
that changes food behavior by minimizing the psychological distance of good food
choices. While the actual spatial aspect of psychological distancing can be altered by
changing one’s proximity to good food, the temporal distance involved with planting
is much more difficult to manipulate. Plants can’t be made to grow faster‐ at least
not within the methods of healthy food production this brand is promoting. While
22. Barrett
22
the packaging design adds some immediate value and rewards for purchasing seeds,
there is still a fixed amount of time separating consumers from their final food
product. If urban farming products are to be sold as viable competitors with fast
food options that specifically stress their immediate availability, then something
needs to be done about this temporal distance.
The amount of time itself may be fixed, but the way it is perceived is not. The
saying “time flies when you’re having fun” comes to mind. Idea being that, if one is
engaged in an activity during a certain span of time, then that span seems shortened
or even negligible. But how does engagement happen? In recent years, there have
been significant advances in the study of engagement, and the most prominent
results have come from the study of gamification.
Gamification
Gamification is the use of video game mechanics and rewards systems in
non‐video game products as a way to engage users and create consumer loyalty35. It
is a powerful tool that can have significant effects when applied correctly. Simple
feedback and rewards systems, which are pure gamification elements, have made
35 John D. Sutter. "Browse the Web, Earn Points and Prizes." CNN. Cable News Network, 30 Sept. 2010. Web.
23. Barrett
23
Farmville the most used feature on facebook, with over 16 million daily users36.
There are even promotions held where people are incentivized to buy real products
by giving away Farmville points with every purchase37. This means that people in
the real world will buy real products for what are essentially imaginary numbers
that don't physically exist. Over 4,000 supermarkets nation‐wide are successfully
using this promotional method38.
Another example of this would be the popular online game called Air Traffic
Controller. This game has achieved high levels of success, spawning sequels and
international sales, all while simulating one of the highest suicide‐rated jobs on the
planet39. The essential element to take away from this is that it isn’t necessarily
what someone is doing, but how he or she’s doing it that makes it fun. Games like
these show that the line between boring and fun, good and bad, isn’t as fixed as it
may initially seem.
36 Frederic Lardinois. "Farmville is Still the Popular Facebook App." ReadWriteWeb. Nov. 2010. Web.
37 "Miracle Grow FarmVille Promotion." FarmVille Feed. Web.
38 Vadim Lavrusik. "Featured in Social Media." Mashable. 2010. Web.
39 "Job Related Stress." Goetzco Consulting, 2003. Web.
24. Barrett
24
The SmartFarm website, in addition to providing growing information, will
act as an engagement tool to allow for people to contribute to a community and be
rewarded for their progress. The idea is to make people feel like they’re playing
rather than waiting. There are three proposed components designed to “gamify” the
SmartFarm experience: progression, community, and interactive aid.
Progression
Progression, the idea of simply telling people that they’ve improved, is the
most essential part of any gamification model40. The packaging’s QR code will allow
for consumers to effortlessly register themselves for email and text updates that
remind them to water and take care of their specific product. While different
products will have different needs, the online code will be able to generate exact
instructions for each specific plant, alleviating the user from the temporal burden of
planning. These will not only remind users to water, but also reward them for doing
so. For each successful watering notification, users will receive points and visible
progress markers. These points, in turn, will be usable to attain discounts on
additional SmarfFarm products. Points will build up into levels and experience
badges, all of which have been shown to tremendously affect user engagement and
motivation41. This strategy is similar to a frequent flyer rewards model. The
difference, however, is the point system and visible emphasis rewarding the user.
Once established, the nature of watering notifications and updates will be positive
and fun on a basic level.
40 "An Introduction to the Use of Game Dynamics to Influence Behavior." Brunchball, 2010. Web.
41 "An Introduction to the Use of Game Dynamics to Influence Behavior."
25. Barrett
25
Community
The second aspect to gamification within the SmartFarm brand is community
and allowing users to gain feedback from one another in a rewarding manner. This
will be accomplished through mechanics that allow user to attain popularity and
recognition. Allowing people to get feedback and recognition for their activity
enhances the probability of their involvement42, and Community‐centered websites
that use these types mechanics, such as reddit.com, have seen extensive growth in
community activity43.
SmartFarm users will be able to post entries and pictures in various farm‐
related categories. They will also be able to “vote” on other people’s entries, sending
projects up or down a popularity ladder. If someone posts a good recipe, he or she
will receive comments and see that recipe rise to the top of the popularity ladder.
Popularity ladders are separated by category and reset over time‐‐allowing for
anyone to have a chance at receiving recognition. If someone asks a good question,
then it will rise to the top of its corresponding category. Likewise, if someone posts a
42 Sarah Faglio. "How To Engage Through Feedback on Social Media Sites." Business 2 Community. 2012. Web.
43 Szalak, Artur. "Stumbleupon vs Digg – Comscore Statistics." Graviton. Web.
26. Barrett
26
good answer to that question, then their answer will be elevated to the top of the
answers to that question. The community will be able to drive its own interests and
form another level of engagement for the entire brand.
Interactive Aid
The last aspect of “gamifying” the SmartFarm store isn’t something that, in
and of itself, is essential to the gamification of the brand. Rather, interactive aid is a
way in which this online system can become socially useful. Recently, a debate has
arisen on whether or not Non‐Governmental Organizations and aid programs have
been successful in the long term44. One of the proposed problems with NGO’s from
this debate is the notion that their business model makes less gratifying aid
44 Sarah Faglio. "How To Engage Through Feedback on Social Media Sites." Business 2 Community. 2012. Web.
27. Barrett
27
programs unsuccessful. People tend to support the causes that make them feel the
best45, and less “feel good” causes tend to lack in funding. This problem gained
publicity in 2011 when it was reported that the NGO Engineers Without Boarders
had been building water systems in impoverished areas that had a precedence for
failing due to a lack of maintenance funds46.
The implication is that it is much easier to get people to donate towards
building a school than it is to get them to donate towards funding the salaries for the
teachers who will work there. This is because a school can be built and then seen as
an accomplished goal, whereas the teacher’s salaries is an ongoing need that offers
donors less satisfaction.
Gamification, however, is a way of changing what does or doesn’t feel good
through the manipulation of rewards systems. SmartFarm can take causes that
would otherwise loose the publicity battle and weave them into the website’s
rewards system. Before redeeming coupon points, users will be given the option of
having SmartFarm donate their points to an underexposed charity. Users will get to
choose which charity this is and visibly see that cause’s progress, making the
process of donation inherently more enjoyable. This type of system wouldn’t be
purely altruistic, however, and could easily aid in creating socially positive
associations with the SmartFarn brand as a whole.
45 Lalin Anik, and Elizabeth W. Dunn. "Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self‐Interested
Charitable Behavior." Harvard Buisness School 10.12 (2012). Print.
46 David Damberger. "David Damberger: What Happens When an NGO Admits Failure."TED: Ideas worth
Spreading. Dec. 2011. Web.
28. Barrett
28
It also should be noted that gamification is not the only intended function of
the SmartFarm website. Rather, it is the potential versatility of the website that will
be critical to the brand’s success. Other features, such as planning out one’s future
garden, online purchasing, farming assistance, and the coordination of community
events can all be added to the site’s functions. The flexible nature of an Internet
model makes it so that such additions can be undertaken with relatively low cost
while significantly enhancing the product’s value.
Part III: Expansion
The final component of the SmartFarm would be that of expansion. While the
packaging and use components respond to the accessibility of urban farming by
shortening the spatial and temporal aspects of psychological distancing, expansion
affects awareness and social aspects. There is a need within this strategy for a place
where people can talk about and experience the brand more directly, making the
decision to buy it easier and less abstract. The idea is to build upon the seed packet
29. Barrett
29
design as a basic unit to form a display, a series of installations, and ultimately, a
stand‐alone store.
Installation Wall
As it was noted before, the seed packet is designed for integration into a
larger display. When put next to one another, the packets form a color wall that acts
as both a display and attraction. This element, however, is only the first part of what
can be built upon for a unique brand experience.
Browsing
The seed display can be extended into an installation that acts as a wall of
color that has several immediate benefits. While novel and visually interesting, the
wall design allows for a unique, purely browsing experience. People can walk back
and forth and scan as they would with a paint selection. The combination of food‐
words and colors, however, creates a kind of synesthesia throughout the experience,
enriching it as a whole.
30. Barrett
30
The wall itself would be 18 inches deep, allowing for magnetic push shelves
that users can press to have a row of seeds extend out. This creates an element of
interaction that extends the browsing experience for people who want the ability to
find exactly the seeds they want. Extended browsing time ensures that people will
stay in the store longer, filling it with people and activity. This, in turn, increases the
overall effectiveness of the wall, as groups of people actually attract more people47.
It should be noted that this notion doesn’t conflict with the idea of shortening
temporal boundaries either, as someone who is looking for a specific thing is already
engaged with a certain level concrete thinking.
47 Consumer Behavior." Atmospherics.” Marketingteacher, 2012. Web.
31. Barrett
31
“Plug in” Retail
As an 18 inch deep piece of furniture, the installation wall can also function as
piece of plug‐in retail. The recent recession has left considerable amounts of unused
and empty retail spaces throughout the country. Difficult situations, such as ten‐foot‐
deep inlets, have been abandoned in many cases due to their inability to sustain lasting
revenue. This, however, has led to the advent of “pop up” retail stores throughout
suffering commercial districts. These temporary stores occupy empty retail spaces,
32. Barrett
32
unloading their inventories and testing new markets with limited risks. The minimal
structure of the wall enables it to be set up in a variety of small or temporary “plug in”
spaces. This strategy is ideal for expanding the SmartFarm brand into the dense, urban
areas where it could have the highest impact. Areas with failing retail inlets are likely to
have the open lots and unused land portions that make urban farming possible, and the
installation wall allows for a seed supply to pop up in these locations for however long
it may be possible to positively affect food behavior.
33. Barrett
33
The Store
In less restrictive situations, it may be possible to turn the installation wall
into and entire store that can enhance the SmartFarm brand experience and food
behavior strategy. For the purposes of example, a typical 120 by 80 foot lot in
Phoenix, Arizona was selected as a sample site. The idea is to make a store out of the
installation wall that emphasizes the brand identity and carries the motif of
simplified design that was established with the seed packets themselves. For this
purpose, the building was given a thick wall that conceals most of its complex
functions behind an appealing “wrapper”.
35. Barrett
35
Concealed Systems
A five‐foot gap between interior and exterior allows for a thermal envelope
that vents heat from the exterior outside towards the building’s roof, isolating the
interior’s temperature. Meanwhile, a reveal window is cut through the side of the
building as to display the product from the parking lot, and a truss hidden behind
the wall’s skin creates the support for an uninterrupted view. This reveal is
structured with the appropriate dimensions for only allowing winter sunlight into
the building while shading it from the sun during hotter seasons. Lastly, the gap
between walls also conceals a gutter that takes rainwater from the roof and drains it
into a cistern.
36. Barrett
36
Dynamic Facade
The black, laminated glass skin serves as a multi‐faceted tool. Visually, it
creates a strong contrast with the green foliage and colorful seed packet display. It
also allows for the use of solar thermal absorption to power the building’s cooling
systems. The five‐foot thermal envelope is a proven passive cooling strategy that, in
this case, essentially makes the temperature of the building’s skin inconsequential48.
This allows for the opportunity of using a black membrane to absorb as much heat
as possible for the purposes of transference into cooling power. This works by
attaching thermal tubes containing water along the backside of the panels, where
heat is then collected and transferred into a chiller system that uses the thermal
energy to effectively cool the building49. Solar thermal cooling systems generally
require water temperatures of 190˚ F to operate at full efficiency50. In Phoenix,
however, dark surfaces can easily reach over 200˚ F with extended exposure to the
summer sun51. This essentially allows for the building to cool its interior by making
its exterior as hot as possible. The store will actually save the most energy during
the hottest times of the year.
48 Jürgen Schnieders. "CEPHEUS – Measurement Results from More than 100 Dwelling Units in Passive
Houses." Passive House Institute (2003): 341‐51. Print.
49 Mohamad Jihad Almshkawi. "Modelling and Assessing an Efficient Building with Absorption Chillier for Two
Different Climates in MENA Region." Unikasse. Cairo University, 2011. Web.
50 "Solarinstallation Design ‐ Solar Cooling ‐ Solaranlagen." SOLID Solarinstallation Design. Web.
51 "Smart Parking Lots." Emerald Cool Pavements. Emerald Cities, 2011. Web.
37. Barrett
37
Wall Sections
Clean Interiors
When looking at how successful brands have structured their retail interiors,
a few patterns can be seen. The foremost of which is the emphasis on clean and
open circulation patterns that allow for streamlined product browsing. Following
this notion, the SmartFarm store’s interior is left to be clean and simple, allowing for
38. Barrett
38
browsing to happen on the northern wall and for demonstration crops to be grown
on the southern.
The second, perhaps more subtle detail to be taken from the examples is the
gradual minimization of front desks and points of sale. This trend not only
streamlines the purchasing process, but also frees up employees to wander the store
and engage customers directly, creating a sense of community. With the SmartFarm
store, point of sale will be integrated into the display wall with touch screens,
allowing for the openness of the design to channel people through the building and
towards its exterior demonstration gardens.
