Global Ties: Mundo Gardens

Wooden painted signs made for the different vegetables and the garden name

Date: Jan. 2018 - Mar. 2018
Hours spent: ~50 hours
Key terms: Community Garden, Irrigation System, Signage, Needfinding, Ethnography, Ideating, Low Fidelity Prototyping, High Fidelity Prototyping

At UCSD, I enrolled into the course, ENG 100D: Design for Development, a class made to involve students in human-centered design to solve the problems of local and global communities. I happily took part in a team of 7 to help a small developing community garden called Mundo Gardens. Located in National City, the garden was founded to be a community hub for the impoverished area. It was meant for the community to come and have events as well as help take care of the garden in return for fresh fruits and vegetables, a rarity in a city where fast food chains are in abundance due to the poverty levels.

While the whole team made a collective effort on the project regarding the various aspects of documentation, research, and implementation, each member did have a specific job in the group. My specific role was Community Liaison, where I communicated information with the organization about our plans, what we discovered, when we would meet, and any other relevant information.

I really enjoyed working on this project because I got to help (even if just by a little bit) real-world communities that could use the help. It really connected with my passion of wanting to help people. By taking this class and doing this project, I learned and improved my skills in communication, team work, problem solving, and compromising.

1. Needfinding / Ethnography

Each member of the group interviewed members of Mundo Gardens. I interviewed Gustavo Luna, main handyman/gardener. I talked to him about his contributions to the garden, the past of the garden and how it used to thrive, the previous owner, and about the issues he was having currently at the farm. He particularly pointed out the issue with manual watering and the loss of water from broken tools.

2. Research and Ideating

Through a meeting where we discussed all their problems, both short and long term, and the possible solutions, ranging from funny, impossible ideas to serious, possible ones, we determined at the time, that they needed short term solutions in order for them to focus their attention on addressing longer term problems and solutions. Through research and brainstorming, we determined they needed an irrigation system to lessen the work load, as well as, signage to get the garden more awareness from neighbors before they can work on outreach and events.

3. Low Fidelity Prototypes

We created crude prototypes of an irrigation system using a bottle of water, cups, and a tube with holes, and signage using popsicle sticks and markers. The purpose of these crude starting prototypes was to address how the solutions would work, how easily they would work, as well as, how they would look. We tested the prototypes and also got advice from students on their thoughts.

Paper prototype sign showing 3 different leaf vegetables using paper and popsicle sticks

Paper prototype sign of carrot using paper and popsicle sticks

Paper prototype sign of chard using paper and popsicle sticks

4. High Fidelity Prototypes Test

We went to a bigger scale by buying some materials from Home Depot and using reclaimed wood and bricks from the garden to make bigger, but still simple prototypes of the solutions. We tested the prototypes, but we also included the clients and some people from the community to try the improved prototype.

Team member assisting participant in using irrigation prototype

Team member explaining to group of participants about testing the irrigation prototype

Participant and her child applying irrigation tube to a vegatable plant

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Signage prototype of a brick with the word 'lemon' and a lemon picture painted on it placed next to a lemon tree

Signage prototype of a brick with the word 'fig' and a fig picture painted on it placed next to a fig tree

Signage prototype of a brick with the word 'sage' and a sage picture painted on it placed next to a sage bush

5. High Fidelity Prototype

We refined and implemented a skeletal irrigation structure that they could modify to fit whatever section of the garden they want, and implemented signage around the garden that they replaced the old ones with.

Adobe Illustrator image of the whole irrigation system prototype

Irrigation system attached to water tank

Blocked end of irrigation system that can be expanded upon

Irrigation tubing placed next to each vegetable plant

Another angle of tubing placed next to each vegetable plant

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Team members cutting into a wood palette

Wooden signage for each vegetable and for the garden name

Chard wooden sign placed next to chard plant

Maiz wooden sign placed next to maiz plants

Tomato wooden sign placed next to tomato plant

Community board placed on shed by team members

Finished look of community board with chalk board

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