Vicky Kafkaki – Graphic Design MA Falmouth University

Identify a theme or issue that relates to your locality and present your findings on the Ideas wall, prior to design phase.

Research and discover issues that relate to your locality and post them on the Idea wall.

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1. Crime – in Maryland the crime has increase a lot lately – especially in Baltimore city. There are some areas nobody wants to go – even the police stay way. We have carpet cleaning business and we had book job there – people were walking around with guns, knifes….we never accepted another job from this area. 
2. Pollution– recently was a huge accident just couple hours from where I live – a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3 near East Palestine, Ohio, sending toxic chemicals into the air, soil and creeks in the area.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/ohios-toxic-train-derailment-detailed-visual-timeline-key-97593315

     Residents of the area nearby are complaining of a mix of symptoms that may be related to chemical exposure, including headaches, breathing difficulties and skin rashes.

3. Food providing – this is getting big issue lately too – the prices are going so high that one average family has to minimize the normal shopping list. We have couples supermarkets around – they run specials every week butt different time frames – some are from Tuesday to Monday, another from Sunday tot Saturday…so, for one working women is hard to keep up with this and having one or two days off is lowering her ability to go around and check the specials. I wish is some kind of system (app or Facebook page) that can give specific info at specific day where is best to go to buy your groceries.  

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I did change my subject – because all the issues above are very important but they mostly global – they relate to many other places -so, I start searching again – I spoke to couple friends that live in the area and what I realize is that we have problem with the public transportation. Most of the people have cars here but there are many that don’t or for some reason can’t drive (older people, kids, people with health issues…)

One of my friends said that she works till 5pm and her kids (14 and 15 years old) have classes at the Harford community college at 5pm and is very hard for her to take them – she can’t leave work early because she is responsible to close the whole office at 5).

Another friend of mine said that her mom is here with her and she wonts to go to work somewhere but the problem is the transportation – nobody can take her and pick her up every day – the mom doesn’t have license and doesn’t speak English well). 

On the weekend some people need a ride to some places around – shopping for vegetables at the Amish markets (they are 30-40 min way), visiting some parks or events. 

So, my solution would be a bus that takes kids for activities, people to different places and events. 

How this can be done? – There is going to be a website – with information, sign up page for the rides and payment options. 

So, lets say, a mom has 2 kids that need to be taken to the community college for soccer and gymnastics when she is still working – all she need to do is feel up information a week earlier (so, the company has time to manage the route and the timing), pick a pick up point (they are going to be assigned with some space for bench in many places in the town), give permission the kids to be picked up and pay for it (very small amount – not like Uber or Lift charge).