Cross-Cultural Design | Illustration
Gather Vending Machine
A vending machine concept to connect Seattle's urban Natives with traditional foods and tools.
Overview
This project was completed for an autumn course in international user experience and communication at the University of Washington (UW) for which our team was tasked with developing a vending machine for a distinct cultural group. Due to our team's shared interest in exploring and learning more about Native American cultural heritage within Seattle, we developed "Gather," a conceptual vending machine intended to support the preservation of Coast Salish traditions, knowledge, and artifacts within Seattle's King county. The vending machine offers First Foods, weaving tools, and instructional resources, functioning as both a community pantry and a tool library.
My Duties
Visual design, mockups, illustration
Duration
1 month
Team
4 students, and me (Designer)
Tools
Figma, Procreate
Background Context
"Coast Salish" refers to a language family of around two dozen languages and dialects, as well as the cultural group of Indigenous peoples who speak or spoke these languages
The Coast Salish encompass over 40 independent nations that speak more than 20 related languages and dialects. The Duwamish and other Coast Salish people are the original inhabitants of the Seattle area that were forced to relinquish their land to the US government in 1855 under the Treaty of Point Elliot.
A map of the Coast Salish region and cultural groups (source).
The Problem
71 % of Native people live in urban areas, disconnected from traditional food systems and cultural communities
Federal policies and settler colonialism have displaced Coast Salish communities, disrupting traditional food systems and cultural practices like weaving and harvesting, which are deeply tied to their ancestral lands.
Our Mission
To create a vending machine that serves as a culturally transformative space, reconnecting Native people with traditional foods, tools, and knowledge in a modern, accessible way within urban King county.
Research
Research Methods
Secondary research and guerrilla interview with a Coast Salish Weaver
Since our team had limited knowledge of Coast Salish traditions, data gathering in the form of articles, books, podcasts, and museum visits was vital. We also managed to perform a brief guerrilla interview with a Coast Salish weaver to get their perspective on our proposed ideas.
Research Key Findings!
Many Urban Natives within Seattle called for systemic changes to the native community.
Identity is tied to traditional practices like weaving, language preservation, and First Foods.
Among Coast Salish societies, group affiliation (collectivism) takes precedence over individualism.
Coast Salish Weaver Quote
"I really love this idea. If we could build this vending machine in an urban area, like the waterfront, it could become a new cultural hub for our tribe."
Reports and other texts written by urban Natives for the City of Seattle were utilized extensively for secondary research.
Visual Inspiration
Form and Visual Elements
Wooden longhouse with an open design structure and salmon motifs with emphasis on Coast Salish graphical elements, colors, and language
To honor the importance of longhouses to the Coast Salish, the facade of the vending machine would mirror that of a longhouse, while its wooden texture would reflect how trees are the backbone of Coast Salish art and culture. Salmon, which is a well-known First Food staple of great significance, would also be conveyed in the design. The basic design elements of Coast Salish art (i.e., circles, ovals, crescents, etc.) and traditional colors would also be employed to respect these traditions.
Design
Final Concept
Utilizing our research findings and visual inspiration, I created the final illustrations using Procreate and Figma
The overall structure encloses three machines. The grey machine acts as a tool library, the green machine supplies First Food items, while the blue machine acts as a kitchen where community members can either collect traditional foods prepared by others or leave meals they have made.
The various elements that compose the overall design.
How an item would appear within the machine with the Lushootseed word on top and the English translation below.
The seating area with a built-in weaving loom and benches shaped like salmon also incorporating Coast Salish design elements.
The tool library and First Food machines would require a "Community Access Card," which would be solely given to those officially enrolled in a Coast Salish tribe.
The "Community Access Card." It would also reflect Coast Salish graphical motifs and colors.
More Design Explorations!
