Speculative Design Prompt
What would a future advertisement in a society obsessed with dieting, image and health look like?
In a world where food and technology have advanced to cater for a progressive, sustainable society, civilians of 2080 Queensland have come to value health as an integral part of their lives. The after- effect of this cultural shift ensues. A growing incentive to attain an elite standard of health has emerged. Individuals with elite health - especially the celebrities of the times - are glorified by the media. Thus, the expanding market of diet and exercise technology has led to the production of the Dieta, a product designed to help individuals reach their elite self by catering diet and meal plans to their unique individual needs. Fundamentally, the machine is a food portion controller that gathers health and medical data and blood samples from the user via the fingerprint blood scanner. After food is placed in the food tray, Artificial Intelligence is used to determine the adequate portion for the user to consume. For example, if the data reveals the user to be iron deficient, the portion produced would cater to ensure they fulfil that requirement. The design of the machine is very much adapted from old pet food dispensers.
The purpose of the designed concept was to critique our current idealisation and idolisation of the perfect body and its implications on our wellbeing and the youth. The 21st century has transformed society to make the internet and social media an integral part of daily life. With that, health has shifted from being healthy in a medical sense to changing our lifestyle to obtain the perfect body fueled by diet culture. “Diet culture is a system of beliefs, dominated by the idolization of thinness, the (ever- changing) good/bad categorization of foods, and the myth that everyone can and should be within a narrow range of body size” (Markey, 2020). For many, it has come to revolve around fad diets, detox cleanses and celebrity and social media advice. Pop culture exposes us to supermodels, bodybuilders, celebrities and socialites who all seem to fit the same cookie-cutter mould. Projected as rich, famous and glamorous and living lavished lifestyles that many desire - as part of human nature - we compare ourselves to these standards: most of the time resulting in dissatisfaction with ourselves. Yet, for many of these celebrities, the dark reality of plastic surgery, Photoshop, and unhealthy habits behind these perfect facades are never brought to light.
This desire to have the ideal body has in extreme situations led to individuals developing mental illnesses including body dysmorphia, eating disorders, anorexia and depression. With the rise of social media, these occurrences are becoming more frequent. As stated by the Society of Counseling Psychology, “diet culture feeds body shame, fuels body discrimination, and fosters disordered eating. It instils the false belief that eating certain foods and living in a thinner body increases one’s value” (Society of Counseling Psychology, 2021). So, from an early age, the impressionable youth have easy access to the internet and are influenced to grow accustomed to these unhealthy habits.
This culture we have created is detrimental to the vulnerable younger generation. In promoting these unreachable standards, we instil a mindset where they will never be content with who they are. Instead of promoting perfection, we should shift our attitude towards health that caters to our unique differences: a standard that doesn’t revolve around results or looks to determine success or status.
The advertisement poster design imagines a future where 'elite' health is desired by the mainstream media. The images used were pieced together to depict this mindset. The hand embodies the future viewer, their goals and desires, with the measuring tape being used as a metaphor for the factors holding them back: maybe it's their weight or view of themselves. Here the user reaches for the main point of the poster: the statue of David by Michelangelo with a Ken Barbie doll as his face. These two images are used to represent the idolised representation of health and beauty. The statue of David represents the biblical figure of David in the Bible who defeated Goliath. Through the centuries it has represented a figure of strength, immense beauty and perfection. The modern counterpart of this can also be displayed through the Ken Barbie Doll figure (as well as Barbie) who is considered flawlessly handsome and perfect. Overall, this obsession with perfection is something that is unattainable, thus is why the viewer is kept at a far distance from this image.
The other people within the poster also exhibit the desire to be perfect and immaculately beautiful and its impact. At the bottom of the steps, children and babies are seen reaching for this perfect human. Around the staircase, multiple photographers are featured around, also focused on David/Ken. This imagery was used as a metaphor for how mainstream media of current day portrays this idolisation of the perfect body and self and it's impact on the youth. With social media's like Instagram and TikTok as well as the newspapers and news blasting an image of perfection and beauty of celebrities and the like, the impact they have on children can have a damaging effect on how they view themselves as they grow. Mental illnesses like body dysmorphia and eating disorders are increasing in numbers, and with the rise of social media it comes with the question of how much it has fueled these issues and if there is a way to control this.
