Systems-oriented design for physical activity
2019, Gigamap, OsloMet University, masters in Product and Service Design (semester abroad)
I created this gigamap using systems-oriented design methods to visualize the complexity of political, social, and internalized factors that affect women’s participation in physical activity. After developing several preliminary maps based on primary and secondary research, I refined my ideas into a larger, interconnected map that includes recommendations for systemic change.
Role / Researcher, designer
Timeline / August to October 2019
“How might we encourage more women to participate in strength training?”
The design process
Brief
This project was for a course called Visualizing Complexity. The goal was to design a gigamap that expressed the complexity of a system using systems-oriented design methods. It was required that the final synthesis include a solution for an identified problem.
Research
This gigamap was originally based on the content of a research paper I wrote on women and physical activity. Additional research was collected through interviews and co-creation methods to contextualize secondary research around personal experience.
Mapping
I iterated on several maps using various mapping and visualization techniques including system mapping, causal diagrams, mind maps, illustrations, physical modelling, infographics, collage and others.
Synthesis
The final gigamap is a composite of refined iterations of the first mapping exercises, linked to one another to show my insights. Those insights were then connected to my recommendations for points of intervention in the system.
Mapping
Synthesis
I designed this section infographic using research from various sources that categorize and quantify physical activity. By visualizing this data I discovered new insights that I had not considered before.
This section of the gigamap dissects the difficulty of living an active lifestyle through analysis of theory and causal relationships which I translated into key components of an active lifestyle. In addition I added the less tangible factor of feelings that emerged in primary research in order to provoke additional thoughts and insights from the viewer.
The centre piece of this gigamap is a visual system of women’s participation in physical activity. Using methods of systems-oriented design I visualized a timeline of the average Canadian woman’s life and added structures, entities, and expectations that create complexity at an individual scale. Above that I represented the intergenerational relationships between girls, women, and seniors, both to one another and within their peer groups. Finally above the timeline is the system-at-large, a snap shot of political and social entities that impact perception and internalized belief.
The amount of information in a gigamap is overwhelming and could discourage some people from engaging with the content. This map was designed to share a variety of research and ideas in approachable visual formats. Ideally any of the sections can act as an entry-point for the audience. This section details the fundamentals of strength training and the reasons that women of all ages should do it.
While mapping and visualizing the system achieves broader understanding this map also includes recommendations based on key findings. Referring to Donella Meadow’s Places to Intervene in a System, I proposed three possible interventions to get more women participating in physical activity and strength training.
Mockup of final gigamap in a room to show scale