The personas of Food Desert Shoppers were sketched out in the development of UrbanBARN, a design solution to address food deserts. The UrbanBARN team conducted field research in the Bay View Hunter's Point neighborhood of San Francisco, the sixth largest food desert in the country. Personas were composited from shop-alongs and intercept surveys in corner stores, fast food restaurants, food banks, and supermarkets with 25 participants.
FINE FOODIE Janet is well informed about health and nutrition. She has the convenience of a car and drives to multiple grocery stores, some outside of her immediate neighborhood to find the quality foods she wants. She feeds a family of four and takes her two children with her on her weekly shopping trips. She pays for her groceries using a combination of cash and CalFresh (food stamps).
HUNTER-GATHERER Doris has the convenience of a car. She drives to multiple stores to get the best quality and selection of foods for the best price. She goes to one for meat, another for fresh produce, and another for packaged goods. She feeds a household of six and takes her children on her weekly shopping trips. She pays for groceries with CalFresh (food stamps).
FAST FOODIE Jose buys his food from corner stores or fast food restaurants that are within walking distance (two to three blocks) of his home. He eats his meals in the establishment or takes them to go. He does not have his own transportation. He rarely shops at grocery stores and prioritizes price and convenience over nutritional value. He pays for food with cash.
FOOD BANKERDan gets most of his food from food banks and buys dairy products, produce, and meat from grocery stores with his available cash. His primary painpoint is that food banks in the city operate on a rotating schedule with each open on a different day of the week and at different times of the day. He travels by public transportation throughout the city to do his food shopping and must pay close attention to hours of operation.