Kalynn Porter

A browser-based navigation system that uses AR and physical pathways to assist mobility-impaired users in experiencing the Downtown Santa Monica Farmer’s Market safely.

The Downtown Santa Monica Farmers is a beautiful space to explore. People value organic produce and supporting local businesses. However, the market is riddled with hazards for users of mobility devices.

Santa Monica has a high concentration of disabled citizens, 4% of its population identify themselves as disabled. Despite this fact, the Downtown Santa Monica Farmers Market is not set up with their needs in mind. From our interviews, we learned that a wheelchair user's route is often precarious and even a the smallest amount of jostling can cause a wheelchair user to be pushed into a dangerous pathway, especially when the mobility device is electric.

Routed combines the farmers market experience with accessible wayfinding through a browser-based navigation system that uses AR and physical pathways to assist mobility-impaired users in experiencing the Downtown Santa Monica Farmer’s Market safely. Routed benefits both farmers and visitors by augmenting an in-person experience, using both city data and user-inputted data to keep information accurate and relevant. Designed with accessibility as a priority, Routed is a resource to create a more inclusive experience for all visitors.

Sowing Seeds of Support is a social impact design project focused on enhancing the communication strategies of Harvest Home, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting pregnant women experiencing homelessness. The project aimed to streamline Harvest Home’s mission and values communication to engage a modern audience and cultivate greater donor and volunteer support. By leveraging storytelling and digital media, the project created a more personalized and impactful portrayal of the organization’s work, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and resilience of the women they serve. This comprehensive strategy included an updated website section featuring alumni stories, proposals for expanded social media presence, and promotional materials to drive engagement and support.

Harvest Home needed to modernize their communication strategies to effectively convey their mission and values, aiming to increase donor and volunteer engagement while addressing the diverse needs of the pregnant women experiencing homelessness that they serve.

Through workshops and interviews with Harvest Home staff, it was discovered that personal stories of the women they serve were powerful tools for engagement. Highlighting the diverse backgrounds and resilience of these women would better convey the impact of Harvest Home’s work and connect more deeply with potential supporters.

The project developed a comprehensive communication strategy that included an updated website section featuring impactful alumni stories, proposals for expanding social media presence to platforms with higher engagement, and the creation of promotional materials highlighting Harvest Home’s mission, needs, and community impact.