T-Shirt Design: Food Insecurity In Columbus

T-Shirt Design: Food Insecurity in Columbus

Topic

For this project, I chose to design a T-Shirt that addresses the problem of food insecurity in Columbus, Ohio and Franklin County. I wanted to address an environmental justice issue that was close to home, and food insecurity is one of the biggest issues my community of Columbus faces. Food security is defined by the USDA as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. Other definitions specify that a community must have accessible and safe foods, as well as food that is nutritious, sustainably sourced, and culturally acceptable.

After some research, I found that the state of Ohio ranks third in the nation for food insecurity, and that over 32% of residents in Franklin County alone report skipping meals and not having easy access to grocery stores, let alone fresh and healthy foods. Racial disparities in the residents who experience these problems are also high, which can be attributed to the long history or redlining and segregation in the City of Columbus. The city's continued use of redlining and rapid gentrification only amplify these racial disparities, leaving predominately minority and low-income neighborhoods with low property values and in turn less access to grocery stores and adequate food options, and even increased health risks.

Design

My design for this T-Shirt aims to start a conversation about food insecurity in Columbus, and to draw attention to the both its causes and effects. My final design was inspired by a few ideas. The center mimics a head of lettuce to represent access to healthy food options and produce, and it is in the shape of a heart to evoke a sense of caring and community, as Columbus is often depicted as the heart of Ohio. The text in the circle was also inspired by a popular phrase seen on T-Shirts in my community: "Ohio Against the World." This phrase is often used in reference to sports, but I have reframed it to create the feeling that our community can also come together to fight our inequities and injustices. The phrase is also seen most commonly on T-Shirts of the Ohio clothing brand Homage. This brand is all about retro/vintage styles, while also bringing together the community and supporting local business. Because of the recognizability of these designs and the previously mentioned phrase, I decided to play off these ideas in my design, which influenced my choice for font and the retro circular shape. Overall, I wanted a design that felt somewhat familiar, but still sparked curiosity and conversation, and can unite a community.

Below is what I imagine the design might look like printed on a grey t-shirt. I've included just a few different color options to test before it is physically printed.

Moodboard

Below is a mood board I created for this project on Pinterest. I started the mood board early on, and because there are not a lot of designs surrounding food justice already, I chose images that had to do with all social justice topics, and that inspired me or gave me ideas for my own project.

Process/Sketches

Here is the process of my design from start to finish. In addition to my mood board, I researched the topic of food insecurity in Columbus. My notes from my research are pictured, and all sources are listed below. From there, I began sketching, then put some of those sketches into Adobe Illustrator where I created multiple iterations of designs until I had the final product shown above.