Minor Project | Food Aid Project

Gao Yuan Yi 0373945

PRJ62204 Minor Project / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 1 Proposal

Task 2 Design Development

Task 3 Final Presentation

Task 4 E-portfolio

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INSTRUCTION

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Task 1 Proposal

During Task 1, our team focused on understanding the core issues related to food insecurity among low-income communities, specifically in collaboration with the Food Aid Foundation and Taylor's Impact Lab. Our goal was to identify the barriers that prevent effective communication, nutrition education, and engagement in these communities.

We began by conducting contextual research and a competitor analysis of organizations like Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia, The Lost Food Project, and Food Bank Malaysia. This helped us evaluate their strengths and limitations, especially in terms of community engagement, cooked food distribution, and flexibility.

To gain deeper insight, we carried out interviews with Food Aid Foundation representatives, from which we identified key challenges such as language barriers, logistical issues, lack of direct community access, and the need for more engaging and culturally sensitive educational content. We then analyzed the data and created empathy maps and user personas to better visualize the needs and pain points of both the community and the volunteers.

Our team synthesized these findings into key insights and developed a clear problem statement:

People in low-income communities need a way to understand how financial constraints and nutritional awareness limit healthy eating access because they lack nutrition knowledge and access to food aid.

From this, we crafted several "How Might We" questions that guided our ideation process, focusing on:

1. Improving communication and trust.
2. Providing accessible nutritional knowledge.
3. Increasing community engagement beyond basic aid distribution.

We proposed a solution called NUTRA (NutriRakyat: Nutrition for the People)—a lightweight, offline-friendly mobile app designed to empower users with nutritional knowledge, community connections, and localized communication. The app includes features like:

• Community storytelling with familiar faces,
• Filtered, low-data recipe collections,
• Local language content,
• A digital bulletin board for events and updates,
• One-tap messaging and translation tools.

The design direction for the app emphasized clarity, warmth, and inclusivity, supported by a friendly color scheme and typography choices tailored for readability.

Fig.1.1.1 Task 1 Presentation

Task 2 Design Development

In Task 2, we focused on translating NUTRA's concept into a tangible and visually cohesive brand. Our deliverables included the design of the logo, poster, flyer, and animations ect. to represent the app's core values: accessibility, empathy, and practicality.

• The logo was crafted to be friendly and legible, using two tones of green to symbolize diversity, inclusivity, and healthy living. A leaf icon was added to reinforce the theme of natural nutrition.
• The flyer and poster were designed with warm, earthy color schemes and simple text layouts to ensure clarity for users with varying literacy levels. These materials were mockup-tested across different environments, such as low-income housing and public transport stations, to ensure relevance and visual impact.
• A short introductory animation was developed to introduce the app's features, mission, and user benefits in a concise and engaging way. This video was planned as part of our social media pre-launch strategy.

This stage allowed each team member to contribute creatively while maintaining consistency in tone, branding, and visual direction. The design decisions were guided by the need for trust, clarity, and emotional connection.

During Task 2, my main responsibility was to design the promotional flyer, ensuring it aligned with the project's visual identity and effectively communicated key messages to the target audience.

LOGO

Fig.2.1.1 Left: Logo in Black and White; Right: Reversed Black and White

Fig.2.1.2 Logo Colour Palette

Fig.2.1.3 Logo Rationale

Fig.2.1.4 Left: Logo Mark; Right: Logo Wordmark

Fig.2.1.5 Logo Variations

Click here to visit Task 1 Presentation in Canva

Fig.2.1.6 Logo Animation

APP

Fig.2.2.1 App Overview

Fig.2.2.2 Microsite Overview

POSTER

Fig.2.3.1 Poster Design

Fig.2.3.2 Poster Mockup

FLYER

Fig.2.4.1 Flyer Design

Fig.2.4.2 Flyer Mockup

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fig.2.5.1 Nutra Introduction Video

Fig.2.5.2 Facebook Update

Fig.2.5.3 WhatsApp Update

Task 3 Final Presentation

In Task 3, we prepared the complete final proposal and presented our final visual system, branding rationale, and user journey. We created a comprehensive user journey map covering five key phases: Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Service, and Follow-Up. Each stage outlined the platforms and promotional touchpoints that would support user interaction—from initial awareness through WhatsApp groups and posters, to post-launch feedback through in-app events and social media engagement.

Our marketing strategy was developed across three phases:

• Pre-launch: Awareness was built through teaser videos, Facebook updates, flyers, posters, and public transport ads.
• Launch: The strategy emphasized WhatsApp outreach through trusted messengers, supported by a second video campaign and app walkthroughs.
• Post-launch: We proposed community-based demos, user-generated content, localized rewards, and continuous feedback channels to maintain long-term engagement.

We also presented the final UI/UX prototype, along with the finalized brand guidelines including typeface selection, graphical elements, animation style, and color applications across different media formats.

Importantly, we clarified that NUTRA is currently a design prototype, and our role was to develop the branding, design system, and communication framework. Any implementation would require collaboration with Impact Lab and Food Aid Foundation in the future.

Fig.3.1.1 Empathy Mapping

Click here to visit Final Presentation in Canva

Fig.3.1.2 Final Presentation

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REFLECTION

Throughout the development of the Food Aid project, I experienced a full design process—from initial research and problem discovery to branding, design execution, and presentation. Working through Task 1 to Task 3 allowed me to grow not only as a designer but also as a communicator, team collaborator, and problem solver.

Task 1: Understanding the Problem Through Research

In the first phase, our team conducted in-depth research to understand the key challenges faced by low-income communities regarding nutrition and food aid. Through interviews with the Food Aid Foundation and analysis of similar organizations, we identified critical issues such as language barriers, logistical limitations, lack of nutritional knowledge, and minimal community engagement. By synthesizing our findings into a clear problem statement, empathy maps, and user personas, we built a strong foundation that shaped our design direction. This stage taught me the value of empathy-driven design and the importance of looking beyond surface-level needs.

Task 2: Design Development and Visual Identity

In Task 2, our focus shifted to design development. I was primarily responsible for designing the flyer, while also assisting my teammates in refining other visual elements. As a team, we crafted Nutra’s visual identity, including its logo, posters, flyers, and motion graphic materials ect. We selected earthy tones and friendly typefaces to reflect warmth, accessibility, and trust.

Working across both print and digital formats helped me understand how to adapt design principles consistently across platforms. Designing the flyer, in particular, required me to think critically about how to communicate clear, simple messages to users with varying levels of literacy and digital access. This phase also challenged me to balance visual creativity with functional communication, especially when dealing with community-based, real-world problems.

Task 3: Final Presentation and Communication Strategy

In the final stage, we assembled all components into a coherent and impactful presentation. We developed a full user journey map, outlining how users would discover, consider, adopt, and interact with the app. Our team also crafted a marketing strategy that included flyers, posters, WhatsApp campaigns, and public transport ads—all aimed at reaching the B40 target group.

In addition, we emphasized Nutra’s potential to operate offline, ensuring accessibility for users with limited internet. Although Nutra remains a prototype, our role was to present a fully conceptualized and visually polished design solution that could be adopted by the Food Aid Foundation or Taylor’s Impact Lab in the future.

This stage allowed me to experience how design thinking extends beyond aesthetics—into storytelling, trust-building, and strategy. I learned how to translate insights into branding systems, how to design for social impact, and how to present ideas with clarity and professionalism.

Personal Growth and Takeaways

Throughout the project, I grew significantly in my ability to design with empathy, adapt across different mediums, and work collaboratively in a team setting. I learned to think beyond typical design trends and instead focus on accessibility, cultural relevance, and clarity—especially when designing for underserved communities. I also learned the importance of iterative feedback, both from my peers and instructors, to refine and strengthen the final outcome.

Working on the Nutra project has deepened my understanding of design as a tool for communication and change. I now feel more confident in applying human-centered design approaches in future projects and am excited to carry these insights into other areas of creative media and community engagement.