Mindful Consumer Project

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  Evidence

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  Showcase

Inspiration

I was inspired by Michael Pollan's book "Cooked."

What it does

The program reads a premade barcode, searches it in a text-based database, and retrieves their lobbying URL.

How I built it

I built the piece using max-MSP - a visual programming software. The program uses a key-in function that is connected to a barcode scanner and uses that number to read through the database in the program.

Challenges I ran into

The database system in Max-MSP is 0-indexed and it was difficult to use the real barcodes of the products I used in the installation. I had to make and use my own barcodes labeled 0-60.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I received a grant for this project and gained department recognition.

What I learned

Companies use fancy packaging and marketing to create an illusion that there is a competitive free market. Everything we buy at the grocery store is owned by 10-15 large corporations.

What's next for Mindful Consumer Project

I would like to make an app that allows people to scan products and immediately view the parent companies lobbying information. A few companies have created something similar, but I want to make something more specific and easier to use.

Built With

• max-msp