Buttering Up
Speculative Design & Graphic Design | February-April, 2024
A speculative design project that uses design fiction and satire to examine the unconventional practices of the dairy industry. As a Designer, I conducted research and developed project concepts throughout the iterative design process. I also created printed and digital materials using Illustrator and Photoshop, and collaborated on designing the project workbook in Figma. The project was completed in the span of 8 weeks.
By Catelyn, Erika, Kaitlyn & Wendy
Project Link:
Project Workbook
DISCLAIMER
This speculative design project was developed solely for academic purposes. While it explores political branding through satire, it does not represent the personal political views, ideologies, or beliefs of our team. This project explores the dairy industry through a satirical lens, critiquing the persuasive tactics often employed in consumer marketing.
1.
INTRODUCTION
THE POLITICALITY OF EVERYDAY OBJECTS
Food is an intimate part of life with a culture of its own. But just a slice into the cheese would reveal that the items that lie in our day-to-day are there because of someone else’s agenda.
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In our instance, milk is the object of choice - regardless of whether one consumes it or not, milk, cheese and other dairy products are undeniable pillars of North American food culture. However, the affluency of the dairy industry is coming at the cost of our citizenship. The prominence of the dairy industry has been shaped by corporate interests and agricultural policies. Here, we examine these impacts and the role that the dairy industry plays in shaping our food choices.
We want audiences to question the cultural significance of milk. We also want to reveal the unknowing effects corporate interest has on everyday life.
GOAL:
2.
RESEARCH
DAIRY PRIDE ACT
Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday act = D.A.I.R.Y. P.R.I.D.E. ACT
An appeal to the FDA for “non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be confusingly labeled with dairy terms.” In other words, it should be make illegal for plant-based milk to be labeled as “milk.”
GOT INFLUENCE?
DAIRY FARMERS OF CANADA BINDER
Briefing binder detailing dairy industry strategies and practices
SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Canadian policy limits the amount of dairy products a farm can produce and ship in order to stabilize pricing in the dairy market. Government-run boards manage these goods, purchasing and redistributing them to grocery stores and other marketplaces.
MILK FOR THE MASSES
OVERPRODUCTION OF CHEESE
A dairy shortage in the 1970s led the U.S. government to implement a program to purchase surplus dairy, which resulted in creative solutions for managing the surplus cheese.
CANADA'S FOOD GUIDE
Canada's food guide was criticized for allowing industry influence from the dairy sector to affect the prioritization of certain foods, drawing concerns from health experts. This included bias against plant-based proteins from the meat and dairy industry.
SCHOOL LUNCHES
Since 1954, the USDA requires fat-free or low-fat unflavoured milk to be a part of school breakfasts and lunches. Their motivation, they claim, is to help children with their nutritional intake.
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​​​​In 2023, a student in Los Angeles was stopped from distributing literature about plant-based milk amongst her peers. She was also required to have a doctor’s note in order to obtain an alternative milk with her school lunch.
3.
SPECULATIVE PRECEDENTS
TRUSTO/OBEY CEREAL
TrustoCorp & Obey Giant
Critically designed food packaging placed in supermarkets to spark discussions on bank bailouts & propaganda
AEROSCENE
Rhode Island School of Design
A design fiction where city policies are made to be air-centric
ASIAN LUNCHABLES
Frankie Gaw @littlefatboyfrankie
A design fiction reimagining Lunchables
INTERNET FOR DOGS
Andrés Lucero & Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas (Aalto University)
A discussion on what an internet for dogs would look like
4.
FIRST ITERATIONS
FIRST ITERATIONS
With key research and design precedents as our inspiration, the first iteration of concepts focused on the relationship between our key actors: the public and private industries. Through this process, we aimed to expose the deceptive practices of industries like dairy, highlighting their roles in school lunch programs and consumer marketing. From these iterations, we received feedback that helped guide us through the next steps of our iterative process.
Q: Should private deals overtake the importance of health?
To highlight the influence of corporate interests on food systems, the all-dairy Lunchables satirizes the over-production of cheese and its role in school lunch programs.
A trendy personality quiz that hints at the hidden agendas of different food industries.
1/3
2/3
3/3
A reimagining of the MicroMacro game where players try to uncover the hidden schemes in the city.
CONCEPT FEEDBACK
1. TARGET AUDIENCE:
Our topic doesn’t feel relevant or urgent to viewers
2. MEDIUM:
The presentation and form are vague so our ethical position and audience were not clear. Our project also relies on prior knowledge which we didn’t sufficiently surface
3. WORLD BUILDING:
Our prototypes can be pushed further; we need to think about what we want our designs to ask the audience
5.
SECOND ITERATION
MOO MAG
Reiterating our design by addressing the feedback above, we conceptualized Moo Mag, a kid’s magazine based in a fictional world. The goal of the magazine is to critique milk’s excessive influence in present day North American culture, and dairy marketing towards children.
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Considerations were made on what content was needed to address the feedback from previous weeks. For example, the decision to make a kid's magazine helped identify a clearer target audience for our project.
View Moo Mag:
Moo Mag Magazine
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Mimics current magazine trends (Celebrity Interview Spreads)
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Familiarizes the defamiliarized
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Gives insight into the mind of Chairman cow, revealing his true controversial thoughts and feelings
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Effective in integrating prior research
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Makes research easier to digest
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Mimics current dairy propaganda
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Address the topic of lunch programs in a less literal way
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Ads allow for world building
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Familiarizes the defamiliarized​
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
The introduction of Chairman Cow opened new design opportunities. While Moo Mag was a great step forward, there were ways to push our speculative design further. To do so, we shifted our focus onto Chairman Cow and the world he would create.​​ Our team also looked at domain precedents to inspire further design opportunities. Some included: livestock shows and book fairs. These precedents prompted 2 design directions: (1) Political Campaign & (2) Children Book Fairs.
6.
FINAL EXECUTION
Note: This project was created as part of an academic assignment and does not represent any political endorsement or opinion.
CHAIRMAN COW
Chairman Cow is a product of design fiction and defamiliarization with the goal of manifesting of the prevalence of dairy in North American policymaking. Through him, we seek to understand the positionality of dairy in our everyday lives - how bizarre is it, really, for a Chairman Cow to want to overtake our government?
MOO-D BOARD
PRODUCT LINEUP
BRANDING
POSTERS
BROCHURE
STICKERS AND TEES
ANTI-SOY SMEAR CAMPAIGN
OUR CAMPAIGN
7.
REFLECTION
1. PROCESS & COLLABORATION
One of the most valuable aspects of this project was experiencing the iterative design process. I learned how to navigate feedback, adapt ideas, and refine concepts through multiple rounds of development. Collaborating with my team also taught me the importance of flexibility and open communication in shaping a strong visual language that aligned with our goals and message. Throughout the process, I was often recognized by my teammates for helping redirect group discussions and fostering understanding, ensuring we stayed focused and aligned with our project objectives.
2. TECHNICAL GROWTH & DESIGN SKILLS
Additionally, this project helped me strengthen my skills in both print and digital media design. I gained valuable experience in developing cohesive visual materials, from posters and brochures to digital mockups, that supported the overall narrative and concept direction. Most importantly, I learned how to translate complex themes and abstract ideas into accessible, engaging, and thought-provoking visual formats.
3. CONCEPTUAL THINKING & DESIGN IMPACT
The project taught me how to balance humor with critique, using satire as a method for sparking deeper discussions about thes influences of everyday life. Overall, Buttering Up was a unique opportunity that allowed me to apply my design skills in a both creatively challenging and socially relevant way. It pushed me to think more critically about the power of design in shaping narratives and how visual storytelling can be used to comment on real-world issues.
