Redesigning Agricultural Education

Introduction

The world faces an unprecedented food crisis driven by conflicts in the economy and climate extremes. This leads to an estimated 2.3 billion people lacking access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy life. Seasonal crops prevent consumers from receiving the best-quality produce all year round. However, the adoption of vertical farming in urban areas aims to solve environmental and food security issues.

Vertical farming is an indoor farming system that uses artificial development techniques like hydroponics, aquaponics, and other approaches in soilless agriculture. The implementation of vertical farming in urban areas not only presents a sustainable solution to the global food crisis but also opens a host of economic opportunities. This innovative farming system requires less rural land, is less susceptible to pathogen contamination, and could lead to job creation. Furthermore, it offers the potential for year-round production, reduced water usage, and the ability to grow crops closer to the point of consumption.

The Issue

Vertical farming could solve food security and environmental issues, but public awareness is minimal. Survey data showed that 50% of participants had never heard of vertical farming, and those who had couldn't explain how it works or its benefits.

User Research: Personas & Journey Maps

Persona #1: David Martinez

Persona #2: William Davis

Persona #3: Sara Miller

UX Approach

After conducting baseline research with user personas and journey maps, I created an instructional script based on the users' pain points, needs, and motivations. The script followed a linear structure of an introduction, definition, types of vertical farming, benefits, drawbacks, outlook, and a conclusion. The script prioritized using plain language to accommodate a variety of users and used a second-person perspective to create a personal connection to the user. The script then underwent usability testing where participants' comprehension level, perceived feasibility, support level, and ability to identify benefits were measured. After the completion of the two-part usability test on the instructional script, I created an instructional video based on the script and the key findings during testing.

Usability Testing

Methodology

To test the usability of vertical farming, four applicants answered a survey of twenty-three questions broken down into three sections. Before the survey began, there was a brief definition of vertical farming and the definition of urban, rural, and suburban areas. The initial survey aimed to gauge the user's initial knowledge and support. The second usability test was a survey of twenty-three questions with the same definitions and an instructional script on vertical farming. The second survey is designed to scope how beneficial the instructional script was to the knowledge and support of each user.

The study involved collecting demographic data such as age groups and locations to find whether there was any correlation between the support found in geographical locations such as rural, urban, and suburban areas for vertical farming in urban areas. Once the two surveys were conducted and the users had read the instructional script, four post-test questions were distributed after completing the second survey. These questions aim to explore the effectiveness of the technical documents and find ways to improve them.

Results

The two-part usability test conducted on four users concluded that a fifty percent split of users were neither familiar with the concept of vertical farming nor somewhat familiar with it. This suggests that due to the little to no coverage of vertical farming, the community, whether rural or urban, is unaware of the concept and benefits of this new agricultural process.

Once applicants read the instructional scripts, the second survey illustrated an improvement in their knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks of vertical farming. The results reveal that seventy-five percent thought vertical farming would be "somewhat feasible," and the latter thought it was "feasible." The consensus of the group was that vertical farming would be possible in suburban and urban areas, considering set-up costs, zoning, and regulatory issues.

The results from the post-test gave feedback on how useful the instructional script was in gaining newfound knowledge on vertical farming. The four users' answers concluded that the script's most confusing section was cost effectiveness, as it needed a more straightforward explanation and comparison to rural agriculture. The user's feedback on the script was to add information on the zoning regulations, as it was only stated as an issue rather than explained how it was.

What I'd Do Differently

• Conducted usability with a larger sample size
• Conduct usability testing on instructional video, not just the script
• Use A/B testing for different types of educational pathways

Call to Action

Considering the limited information available on this new modern farming method, the instructional script has proven beneficial in informing the public about different aspects of vertical agriculture. A common weakness in the script was the lack of in-depth explanation. Users could get a general idea of vertical farming but could not understand the topic further than the provided information.

The users suggested adding more details on the cost and benefit outlook, as these were ranked as two of the most critical factors to agriculture in the test group. Corrections to the technical document have been made to enhance the performance of the instructional script. The methodology used to measure the usability of vertical farming and the instructional script based on the topic generated a well-functioning document and demonstrated its performance through the volunteered test group.

Skills & Tools Used