EATING TO HEAL: Using Design Thinking to Reconceptualize a Community-Engaged Project for Health Justice

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Designing for Social Justice Community Engaged Approaches in Technical and Professional Communication

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

In this chapter, the author discusses using a design thinking approach to rethink and redesign the food-centered community writing and performance project Write Your Roots to explore the topic of having to change one’s diet for medical reasons. This approach is based on interviews with seven individuals who have personally experienced diet change to address a health issue (distinct from diet change for preventative health). After a description of the original project, the author shares interviewees’ responses to a series of questions about their experience changing their diet and their interest in taking part in a community writing project on this topic. The author then explains how her project plan was redesigned in light of the responses from interviewees and her own experience with medically driven dietary change. In conclusion, the chapter offers two design activities, one for a service learning writing course and the other for a non-service learning writing course based on the author’s work.

First Page

67

Last Page

80

DOI

10.4324/9781003469995-6

ISBN

[9781032745923, 9781040342114]

Link to Full Text

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