VISUAL ARTS
@mama_shanga is my alter ego artist and inner elderly woman; unafraid to visualize my thinking while embracing multiple styles and identities.
Grounded Equanimity
Bold Poptart
Electric Earworms
Soul Strummer
Marilyn on Manila
Innocence at Wonder
Replica of Guido de Reni’s Oils
Replica of Michelangelo’s Fresco
Hometown Homage
Redefining Creativity
Redefining Creativity
In this free guide, you’ll learn actionable steps to discover (or redefine) your inner creativity. I use this process for my research work in the tech industry, as well as for personal use as an artist. It’s a well-known practice in the design thinking world but redefined with introspection. See more creative quick tips on my instagram: @mama_shanga
Visual Designs
Hi there! Sry to interrupt, but the rest of this page is under construction. Don’t worry, you can still see my methods and independent Visual Art on my new Instagram: @mama_shanga.
@mama_shanga
@mama_shanga
My family used to have a tenet who’d I see here & there. He’d always call me Mama Shanga as a term of endearment for a three-year old. It stuck with me ever since.
The way I approach my art, illustrations, visual designs, user experience research and storytelling is by redefining creativity. Lately, my curiosity lands on merging Research with Visual Design & Art in unorthodox, avant-garde methods that disrupts the idea that creativity has to be limited into one specific discipline. Multi-disciplinary is the future of creativity being redefined. Mama Shanga explores what that looks like, with the fearless and limitless imagination of my inner three-year-old-self balanced by my inner-old-wise-woman-self who teaches this way of thinking to artists and aspiring creatives around the world.
OCT. 2019 | STUDENT | 6 Weeks
no more 4.4
YouTube channel that teaches kids DIY low-waste alternatives to live sustainably.
tools
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- After Effects
- Google Drive
- Sketchbook
challenge
The U.S. Population produces an estimated average of 719,840 tons of waste every day. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production, how might we teach sustainable living to kids ages 7-11, to preventatively reduce waste?
process
Using the Lean UX Method combined with Douglas Davis’ Creative Strategy Framework, I diagnosed the problem and user need to develop a MVP. With early user validation testing, design success requirements were translated into human-centered product features and benefits.
industries
SUSTAINABILTY
ACTIVISM
EDUCATION
empowering kids as eco-activists
The U.S. Population produces an estimated average of 719,840 tons of waste every day. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production, how might we teach sustainable living to kids ages 7-11, to preventatively reduce waste?
The U.S. Population produces an estimated average of 719,840 tons of waste every day. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production, how might we teach sustainable living to kids ages 7-11, to preventatively reduce waste?
Problem Diagnosis
Defining the Demographic / Research Goals
"Should the global population reach 9.6 Billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost three planets could be required to provide the natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles." — United Nationsas a global call to action against climate change, the United Nations created 17 sustainable goals.
why focus on Un goal #12?
UN Goal #12 is Responsible Consumption and Production. It is about minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials to reduce pollutants and waste. This is a critical step in the fight against Climate Change and shares an impact with all of the other sustainable goals.
approach
To gather ideas and identify assumptions about Responsible Consumption and Production, I did a collaborative timed brainstorm. Society’s relationship with how and what we waste; food, energy, water, was intriguing to me. More info about this topic was needed. I started to organize my research goals into four categories.
demographic
More and more youth are today’s activists. Why not design for kids ages 7-11 in WA? When future gens. can learn to be better consumers and producers than adults are, we can be preventatively reducing waste instead of accumulating more. At this age demographic, kids are learning how to be consumers of their own.
goals
The project needs all pieces of the puzzle. What exactly is the UN trying to achieve in Goal #12? What are the misconceptions of reducing our waste? Competitive Research: What solutions already exist? How can kids be responsible consumers and producers? These four categories of questioning became goals to answer.
discovery research
Extracting Insights / Field Study / Competitive Analysis
recyclying is not the answer to our throw away culture habits
I needed to understand the nuances of the broad goal of Responsible Consumption and Production. My main sources were the United Nations’ website where they include infographics and specific time-boxed targets within Goal #12. This was instrumental in discerning key information.
In my research, I wondered why there’s still so much waste despite recycling. To identify any misconceptions, I watched a show called Adam Ruins Everything, where a reputable research team comically disprove common misconceptions and open-source their citations. I took notes on the ‘Adam Ruins Going Green.’ episode.
Besides online research, I conducted a brief field study by observing student work of Seattle schools. Kids know that our planet is sick but to what extent do they practice any environmental solutions? In competitive research, I found that the market was saturated with recycling and pollution eco-awareness or targeted parents and young women the most.
i learned three insights of how to achieve responsible consumption and production
1. recycling should be last
Like many, I assumed recycling was the key to responsible consumption & production. Plastic producers promote recycling so customers will buy & use without guilt but studies show this causes more waste. Recycling is still important, but it is not enough as it should be the last option.
2. always reduce and reuse
To prevent waste, we must first reduce what we consume & produce, then reuse what we already have, not buy new things. This aligns with the UN Goal#12 Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
3. global action is vital
Individuals need to encourage collective responsibility for global action. This aligns with the UN Goal#12 Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
three Early concepts that were not used
These concepts were made from secondary research but after primary research, interviewing kids, new insights led to changes.
None of these concepts focused on the key insight, low-waste living.
1.
Eco-Cost of
Fossil Fuels
Teach kids what fossil fuels are and how we use them in manufacturing so they know the environmental cost of consuming certain goods.
Deliverables: Visual Metaphor, Collaboration with Fossil Free USA
2.
Donations as Reusability
By reframing donation drives as a form of reusing, kids can learn that donating something creates a much longer product life cycle, more use.
Deliverables: School Event, Donation Rally, Interactive Game
3.
Debunk the Myth
of Recycling
Teach kids the process of how a single-use plastic item is recycled and why recycling should be a last resort after reducing and reusing.
Deliverables: Educational Animation, Kids Activity
primary research
Interviews / Task Analysis / Psychographics
seeking validity from kids ages 7-11 in wa
Before going further in concepts, I needed to find out what environmental issues and solutions they already knew. How much do kids know about recycling, reducing and reusing? I had the opportunity to visit Spruce Street School in Seattle, WA and interviewed four students as a group with parental and school permission. Pseudonyms have been used for privacy.
“I've never heard of low-waste living but I can understand it from context. It's trying to save as much as possible and not just throwing things away."
— Jimmykids think recycling is the most important eco-solution. Not all kids are aware of disposable verses reusable items, or what low-waste living is, but they can easily learn and want to take action.
jimmy, age 11
A fifth grader who enjoys composting and protesting for the environment with his school at a local park, but ultimately wants to join larger public environmental protests to be taken more seriously and feel a part of the global eco-movement. He says that, “recycling is reusing and compost is giving back.”
rachel, age 10
A fifth grader who frequently donates her clothes and toys that she out-grows to her friend or to Goodwill. Together with her parents, they mainly recycle paper products and she has a designated box full of scrape materials in her household, for future school projects and at home arts and craft activities.
ulyssa, age 9
A fourth grader who mainly recycles at home with her family and also donates clothes and other items to Goodwill. She knows that trash ends up in a “huge island in the ocean, that is the size of Texas,” and it makes her feel bad. What Ulyssa is trying to refer to is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
eric, age 7
A fourth grader who tries to recycle at home with his family. He says his Dad throws a lot of stuff in the trash but Eric likes to keep as much scrapes as possible in his bedroom, on his old desk. He was proud of donating items to the Burke Museum with the reward of his name on a plaque on the wall.
task analysis & Results
In a worksheet format, I created a matching exercise to see if kids understood the key to consumption and production: differences between reusable vs. disposable items. The left column shows pictures of the most common disposable items. The right column shows pictures of their reusable alternatives. Ulyssa and Eric did not know reusable verses disposable items and needed help. Afterwards, they successfully completed the task on their own. Jimmy and Rachel didn’t need any help.
Considering the competition and demographic, I knew a design solution would be most successful with an illustrative approach. I showed the students four different illustration styles to vote on. Illustration Style B won because they liked its 3D quality, shades, and paper-craft texture.
concept & success requirements
what is no more 4.4?
It is a YouTube Channel designed for kids to learn about low-waste living as a way to reduce waste while helping achieve UN Goal#12. Each episode features a DIY low-waste alternative versus buying a disposable item. Since each episode is animated, the big deliverable is the first episode while conceptualizing the others.
why that unique name?
No More 4.4 is named after the fact that the average American produces about 4.4 lbs of waste per day, even after recycling and composting which means the USA population produces an estimated average of 719,840 tons of waste every day. This is what the channel & United Nations are trying to change.
why diy toothpaste?
Toothpaste is a basic everyday item but the tube itself is wasteful, making it the perfect candidate for Episode One. It features a DIY low-waste toothpaste recipe as an alternative to toothpaste tubes. Globally, over 1.5 Billion toothpaste tubes end up in landfills every year because they are an unrecyclable mixture.
prototypes & tests
Animation Storyboard / Expert Review
is the design solution accurately conveying low-waste living?
expert review by eco-collective
I interviewed the Co-Owner & employee of a low-waste store in Ballard, WA called Eco-Collective, to find out of any misconceptions about low-waste living, how to start this lifestyle, learn about their customer base, and gain feedback on the animated episode prototype: a storyboard & script with a DIY toothpaste activity.
“Low-waste does not mean buying new things to be plastic free. Get through things before trying a more sustainable option. Don’t consume something new when you don’t need to.”
— Eco-Collective Co-Ownerfirst prototype & feedback
Before rendering Episode One, this lo-fi prototype maps out the story, animation action and VoiceOver script in key frames. This helped me quickly iterate. Although this prototype balances showing the problem of waste with a solution to prevent kids from eco-anxiety, the co-owner of Eco-Collective and employee said it could explain more of why kids should build these low-waste habits, not just how to.
final Prototype & Revisions
To show kids why low-waste living is vital, I added frames 2-8 which draws awareness to UN Goal #12 and explains the meaning behind No More 4.4, including digestible statistics as to why the USA has so much waste and how it ends up in landfills and incinerators. After explaining this environmental problem, I keep the friendly tone with upbeat music and a guided DIY low-waste toothpaste activity that kids can do with parents or teachers.
visual design
Logo / Branding / Animation Assets
final deliverables
Logo / Presentation Deck / Episode One Animation
Reflection & Results
6 Interviews 12 Iterations 3 Tests
animation needs cushion
Each asset was constructed in Illustrator, textured in Photoshop and then exported into After Effects for video rendering. It was tedious and close to the deadline but this can be remedied in better strategic planning; cushion time.
don’t underestimate users
Low-waste living ignited a personal passion of sustainability and hope for the future of our planet, kids. Instead of underestimating our youth, we need to see them as the catalyst for long term change, empower their imaginations and learn with them.
go beyond user personas
By directly talking to kids, instead of forming personas based upon them, I was able to build their psychographics and get a clearer understanding of their pain-points which led me to confidently and decisively pivot the design solution for them.