Food Waste Ninjas and Sleeping Sheep: Understanding the role of vernacular data visualisation design in civic engagement and influencing food-wasting habitual behaviours

Abos, Regine (2024) Food Waste Ninjas and Sleeping Sheep: Understanding the role of vernacular data visualisation design in civic engagement and influencing food-wasting habitual behaviours. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 2265-2278. ISBN 978-952-7549-03-5

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Abstract

Studies have shown that data visualisations designed into eco-feedback technology have the persuasive capacity to change consumer habits that lead to significant financial and environmental consequences. There is, however, growing concern over their ethical, equitable, and psychological implications. This study looks at vernacular data visualisations analogue representations of self-tracking data collectively designed by non-experts and how they can be used as a bottom-up strategy for civic engagement and forming new habitual behaviours. Using consumer food waste as a case, this research was deployed as a nine-week, longitudinal, mixed-method study amongst working parents and their children in Australia (104 participants with a control group). Using theories in consumer behaviour psychology as a framework together with the literature in data physicalisation, play, and vernacular design, the participants were provided with a design probe that contained: 1) visual nudges and information demonstrating how to build food-saving habits and 2) a paper-based self-tracker to encode and share how they used the items in Part 1 using their own material and visual fluency. By triangulating the results through thematic, content, and paired samples frequency analysis, the results revealed that the group with access to the trackers was able to sustain newly formed habits for longer. Using visual metaphors like ninjas and sheep facilitated a deeper understanding of their unique household dynamics and instilled a sense of autonomy and accountability. This paper presents vernacular visualisations as democratic behaviour change interventions that have a place amidst their digital counterparts.

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