︎ Healthy Defaults by Design
From Interior to City for Rose
By Guanjingchan Xu ︎
Hypothesis
If Rose is given accessible healthy foods at home, guided by interactive tools, and supported by outdoor spaces for play, she will be more likely to eat nutritious snacks, move daily, and build lasting healthy habits.
If Rose is given accessible healthy foods at home, guided by interactive tools, and supported by outdoor spaces for play, she will be more likely to eat nutritious snacks, move daily, and build lasting healthy habits.
- Why
For Rose, a 9-year-old with diabetes, unhealthy snacks are easier to reach than nutritious foods. At the same time, her neighborhood offers few engaging outdoor spaces, making sedentary routines the default.
- How
Through Point of Decision Design, the kitchen becomes a child-friendly space that places healthy foods within reach and adds interactive prompts. At the urban scale, playful and safe environments nudge Rose toward daily movement.
- What
Interior+ Product (with Information): Cabinets position fruits and snacks at child level, while a smart fridge screen offers health tips and diabetes-friendly recipes-playful for Rose, practical for her mother. Urban Realm: Shaded sidewalks, colorful routes, and pocket parks invite Rose to walk and play outside.
- So What
Healthy snacks become Rose’s default choice, and outdoor play a natural habit. Over time, these nudges reduce her diabetes risk and build healthier routines for her and her family.proving that healthy eating doesn’t need.
The Link Between Design and Outcomes
The redesigned kitchen places healthy foods at Rose’s eye level and integrates a smart screen that gamifies choices for her while offering diabetes-friendly recipes for her mother. In the neighborhood, shaded sidewalks, colorful routes, and pocket parks invite daily play and walking. Over time, the outcomes include: Increased daily physical activity through outdoor play Improved diet quality and reduced reliance on sugary snacks Stronger family routines that support diabetes management A healthier community culture where the easy choice is the healthy choice.
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