Introduction

Definition of Food Desert

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a food desert refers to "a low-income tract where a substantial number or proportion of the population faces limited access to affordable and nutritious food options."

Still finding it difficult to grasp? The concept of food deserts can indeed be complex, with numerous factors to consider. That's precisely why I've created this interactive infographic—to provide a playful platform for better understanding food deserts. Continue reading to dive into the interactive prototype and experience it firsthand.

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Outcome

Interactive Prototype

The visual representation of food deserts as a complex system serves as the culmination of this project. Users are warmly invited to engage with the interactive elements, toggle through different measurements and hover over different areas on the infographic, and discover informative tooltips that deepen their understanding of various food environments.

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Measurements of Food Desert

To effectively present the information, I aim to develop an interactive infographic employing the LATCH method. The infographic delves into four key measurements of food deserts: Availability, Nutrition Level, Affordability, and Accessibility. Each measurement being presented with different visual representation.

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01 Availability

Food desert can happen in both rural and urban areas. Availability of food are presented through the distribution of food sources. Through a geographical coordinate system, the infographic plots the relative locations of food retailers on a map, offering insights into the spatial distribution of available options.

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02 Nutrition Level

The second measurement focuses on evaluating the nutrition level of the food sources on the map. The nutrition level of available food is presented by color value. The color value assigned to each building signifies the nutrition level it offers, with darker shades indicating higher nutritional value and lighter shades representing lower nutritional value.

Categorization of Food Retailers:

The infographic employs different hues to categorize food retailers based on their nutrition level. According to the USDA, the categories are as follows:

• Supermarkets: Healthful food providers with a wide range of fresh options.
• Grocery Stores: Offer a variety of foods but with a smaller scale than supermarkets.
• Convenience Stores: Provide a limited range of foods, often excluding fresh options.
• Fast Food: Limited or no fresh food offerings.

These categories help demonstrate the relationship between nutrition levels and different types of food retailers within food deserts.

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03 Affordability (Economic Accessibility)

The affordability of food, also referred to as economic accessibility, is considered by “the cost of food” and the “income-level” of the residents

• Cost of Food: The cost of fresh food is represented using the scale/height of each food source.

• Low-Income Tracts: A food desert is typically situated within a low-income tract, characterized by a poverty rate equal to or greater than 20% of the population. To illustrate the affordability level for low-income households, the infographic features a visual indicator that identifies the food providers within their economic range.

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04 Accessibility (Physical Accessibility)

The fourth and final measurement focuses on evaluating the physical accessibility of residents to fresh food sources. "Low-access" can be determined by various factors, such as proximity to suppliers of fresh produce and the adequacy of transportation.

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Reflection

Throughout the process of creating this infographic, I immersed myself in extensive research on food deserts, delving deep into the data and exploring various criteria used to measure this phenomenon. While the project predominantly focuses on presenting critical information that defines food deserts and other aspects of the food environment, there is one aspect I regret not including: the impacts.

In future iterations, I aspire to further investigate the impact of food deserts, including health data, and incorporate it into the current design. By expanding the scope of the project to encompass the consequences of limited access to nutritious food, we can deepen our understanding and shed even more light on this important issue.