Live Well/Vive Bien
Not just a service, but an experience
Live Well/Vive Bien is a holistic mobile ecosystem planned to service the communities of Austin’s Eastern Crescent. The foundational idea is not just a service, but an experience, aimed at addressing unmet social needs that meets people where they are.
CLIENT
Equidad ATX
ROLE
Lead Researcher, Content Strategist
TEAM
Zaara Qasim, Nirali Oza, Alok Doshi, Noella Kiza, Brittanie Wilczak
Austin’s Eastern Crescent is an area living in the legacy of the 1928 Master Plan which created a racially and geographically segregated district east of I-35. The communities in the Eastern Crescent exist within an Urban Desert, experiencing limited access to affordable healthy food, access to healthcare, financial and professional services, and other critical amenities.
Furthermore, communities in Austin’s Eastern Crescent experience higher poverty rates, have lower life expectancies, and higher age adjusted mortality rates as compared to those living west of I-35.
“It is difficult to understand in this day and time why we don't have the same thing that every other community has."
— Ms. S, Colony Park Community Member
The Challenge
How might we best utilize our available assets to design a sustainable and holistic experience within our target communities that aims to address food insecurity in a dignified and COVID-safe manner?
Research Methods
Semi-Structured Interviews
Our team conducted over 20 interviews with community members, community experts, and project partners.
Participatory Co-Design Activities
We led 5 participatory co-design activities aimed at uncovering community needs around food.
Community Engagement Events
Over the course of 4 weeks, we led 4 community engagement events.
Insights
In a community that has seen many organizations come and go without lasting change, consistency in both visibility and physical presence, is essential to building trust.
“It would be better if the bus was stationary...it would make people curious to go see, and the more they see the more they feel like it’s part of their community.”
Many residents took action to help their community in response to years of disenfranchisement and unkept promises by outside organizations. Unfortunately, they often lack the organizational power to make lasting change in their neighborhoods.
“...(We need to) convince the Central Texas Food Bank to allow access to trusted community members. A lot of us have been doing this underground...I have proof I can do it.”
When determining community needs, it is tempting to think of Colony Park as just one unit but, the reality is that Colony Park is an incredibly diverse area, and its needs reflect its diversity.
“The same issues that might bother African Americans might not bother the LatinX community due to different background experiences, and different levels of adaptation [to life in Colony Park].”
The significance of food varies amongst the communities, for some it is a means for health and sustenance, while for others it defines culture and identity.
“I think I spend probably more time in my little kitchen than I spend anywhere else in my house.”
The Service Model
Our team created a prototype of the Live Well/Vive Bien mobile grocery store. It features an entry and exit door with accessibility ramps, as well as accommodations for ventilation for COVID-friendliness.
To enhance the Live Well service from merely another grocery store to a whole experience, we wanted to create an environment that felt warm and inviting.
The entryway featuring the accessibility ramp.
To encourage healthier eating habits, the Live Well/Vive Bien mobile market will offer food via the SWAP method- a way of categorizing food based on its nutritious value.
Shoppers will be able to choose from produce, dried goods, and refrigerated and frozen items.
Upon checkout, shoppers will receive a color-coded bag indicating the household size they are shopping for.
Transactions will be handled discreetly, so as to allow for dignity for all customers.