Roots & Routes

This was an 8-month project where we had the opportunity to collaborate with Acta Non Verba: Urban Youth Farm Project, also known as West Oakland Farm Park (formerly City Slicker Farm). The project aimed to elevate visitors' overall farm experience by developing a comprehensive wayfinding system, designing educational materials for younger visitors, and creating activities to strengthen the bond between the farm and the local community.

Project Detail

Role

Duration

Student project
User Experience Research
8 Months
January - August 2024
User Experience Design
Team project
Signage Design
Impact Award Finalist
Prototyping

About the Acta Non Verba: Urban Youth Farm Project

Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm Project (ANV) elevates life in Oakland and beyond by challenging oppressive dynamics and environments through urban farming. Founded and led mainly by women of color from the surrounding neighborhood and larger community, ANV creates a safe and creative outdoor space for children, youth, and families in East Oakland, CA. ANV engages and strengthens young people's understanding of nutrition, food production, the natural world and healthy living as well as strengthens their ties to the community.

Goal & Challenge

The goal for this project is to build up the entire wayfinding system, enrich educational experiences on sustainable living and nutrition, and increase community engagement to promote sustainable living and nutritional awareness through various hands-on activities at the farm. Beyond this, we aim to deepen the community's connection to the environment and foster a thriving, self-sustaining community.

During the design process, we faced several challenges, including addressing the diverse range of farm participants with varying interests, needs, and goals. This increased the complexity of our early research and later testing procedures. Simultaneously, the implementation process was more complicated than anticipated, as we aimed to ensure our designs were both environmentally and financially sustainable over the long term, while remaining noticeable and readable.

The Outcome

Wayfinding System

New User-Friendly Farm Map Enhances Visitor Experience

Educational Learning Material

New Species Cards for Self-Guided Tours

Community Building

New Compost Visual Guide Empowers Farm Volunteers

Research & Analysis

Secondary Resources -- Iceberg Model

In the first two months of this collaboration, our team was curious about this organization and we wanted to understand how the organization works, why it is necessary for the local community, and what kind of issues they are trying to solve. From there, we took a system research approach and built an iceberg model to understand West Oakland Farm Park/ANV and to get a better understanding of how we can help ANV solve issues from their deep roots

Secondary Resources -- Stakeholder Map

After that, we were also curious about who should be involved in this organization, who would benefit from it, and who would interact with the farm more. From there, we identified key interactions between ANV, youth, educational institutions, communities, and other societal roles.

Primary Research -- In-depth Interviews & Finding

In the first two months of this collaboration, our team was curious about how community members thought about, and what problems they thought could be solved. From there, we conducted some in-depth user interviews and observational studies at the farm, and identified three key pain points that required attention to make the experience more intuitive and engaging for visitors.

Need of Wayfinding

Missing Educational Materials

Community Bonding Needs

Farm staff and visitors expressed a need for clear signage and wayfinding tools to better navigate the space. There are no proper guides currently, and their existing map hasn't been updated in years.
While children enjoy the farm, they lack educational resources for self-guided learning. Currently, no materials exist to teach visitors, especially kids, about urban farming.
The farm struggles with community engagement, as visitors lack guidance on how to interact with urban farming activities like composting.

From there, we've came up with our problem statement

Ideation & Design Development

Wayfinding

Version 0.0 -- Business Origami Map

With all these insights, we began exploring the solution space. Using business origami, we mapped audience interactions within the farm, identifying key intervention opportunities. We then explored how each stakeholder would engage with farm spaces to shape our solution.

Systemic Interventions -- Theory of Change Chart

During our ideation process, we explored stakeholder engagement and identified multiple possibilities for our farm space project. By systematically organizing potential solutions into a chart, we prioritized directions based on resources and intended outcomes, creating a strategic roadmap that guided our project's development.

Version 1.0 -- Ideation development & First Draft of Map

After finalizing our strategic chart, we're developing a comprehensive wayfinding system and tourism experience for farm visitors. This includes creating educational materials that will enhance visitor engagement as they explore the farm, providing an immersive and informative journey through the space.

Version 2.0 -- Usability Testing & Detail Adjustment

After completing the first draft of the map, we consulted farm staff and gathered feedback. The stakeholders appreciated the map's clear structure and engaging design language. However, they noted that the map felt overcrowded due to the abundance of 3D elements and multiple colors.

Additional Testing & Iterations

After completing the first draft of the map, we consulted farm staff and gathered feedback. The stakeholders appreciated the map's clear structure and engaging design language. However, they noted that the map felt overcrowded due to the abundance of 3D elements and multiple colors.

Version 3.0 -- Wayfinding Farm Map Design

After completing the first draft of the map, we consulted farm staff and gathered feedback. The stakeholders appreciated the map's clear structure and engaging design language. However, they noted that the map felt overcrowded due to the abundance of 3D elements and multiple colors.

Version 3.0 Add on -- Directional Signages

While implementing the map at the farm, we discovered an additional need for better wayfinding—a directional signage system for contextual guidance. We carefully designed these signs to indicate spatial connections while seamlessly blending into the natural surroundings.

Learning

Species Information Card Template

In addition to the wayfinding system, we gathered insights from staff, children, and adult visitors about their learning expectations. Through intercept interviews with visitors, discussions with staff, and a drawing workshop with camp children (ages 3-13), we identified key content needs. We narrowed these down to basic planting information, practical applications, and fun facts. Based on feedback from staff and camp facilitators, we prioritized cooking tips for our first design draft to maintain curiosity across all ages
We simplified the species cards' visual design while enhancing the customizable template system. This flexible solution enables farm staff to independently create new cards as seasonal plants change—they simply duplicate the template, update content, and print, eliminating ongoing assistance needs.

Community Building

Version 0.0 -- Current Compost Instructions

The current compost instructions face several challenges:
‍Poor quality images make identification difficult
‍Text-heavy instructions slow down the sorting process
‍Lack of sequential steps creates confusion about proper procedure
‍Missing directional signage to locate appropriate bins
These issues hinder efficient composting for staff, volunteers, and community members who need clear guidance for waste segregation.

Version 1.0 -- Inspiration Gathering

Our revised composting instructions evolved through multiple iterations inspired by the bento-box design approach. Each version experimented with different information densities to find the optimal balance. The ultimate goal was creating a more accessible guide with improved clarity for all farm participants.

Version 2.0 -- Final Compost Station

The final design simplifies the composting workflow through color-coded steps and reduces information overload. We integrated QR codes to provide access to detailed content digitally, ensuring essential information remains clear while additional resources remain accessible.

Implemention

Handover

After 8 months of collaboration with ANV and local community members, we've concluded the first phase of our project with an implementation plan. To ensure practicality, we prioritized designs feasible within Oakland's farm space, considering budget and space constraints. Our outdoor solutions feature weather-resistant materials and anti-graffiti laminates specifically chosen to withstand Oakland's climate challenges.

Looking Ahead

Our deliverables include not only design files but also resources, instructions and templates that enable the organization and community members to continue transforming the space through collective efforts.Looking ahead, we've aligned our work with ANV's long-term vision, planning to explore ways to foster a more communal experience at the farm through tools like a community board that support their future growth and community engagement goals.

Learnings & Reflection

As a Team:
We enhanced visitor and volunteer experience at the 1.4-acre West Oakland urban farm through a comprehensive wayfinding system, informational produce cards with reusable templates for staff content creation, and clear composting instruction guides for proper waste segregation.

As an Individual:
This farm project transformed how I approach design challenges. Working outdoors taught me to think beyond screens and consider how my designs weather both literally and figuratively. I learned to stretch every dollar of our tight budget while still creating something beautiful and functional. It was eye-opening to design for such diverse users—from excited kids to elderly gardeners to busy staff members—and find solutions that worked for everyone. Most rewarding was seeing my designs actually help people connect with nature and each other. When visitors smiled at finding their way around or staff thanked me for making their jobs easier, I realized just how meaningful practical design can be. I'll carry these lessons into every project I touch.

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Always knee for a good collab

Based in San Francisco → [TIME]

LET'S BUILD SOMETHING TOGETHER

SOCIAL

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