Three lenses, one wicked problem: Navigating pluralism to address consumer confusion in Australia

Authors

• Brian Rodrigo Llagas, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Building 9, Level 4, 124 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Australia; End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building, Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064 AustraliaFollow
• Linda Brennan, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Building 9, Level 4, 124 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Australia; End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building, Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064 AustraliaFollow
• Simon Lockrey, School of Design, RMIT University, Building 9, Level 5, 124 Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Australia; End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre, Wine Innovation Central Building, Level 1, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064 AustraliaFollow

Abstract

Food waste presents a significant global environmental and economic challenge. Australian households are responsible for 40% of discarded food, with unclear date labelling and storage advice creating consumer confusion, contributing to the problem. This research employed systems thinking and pluralism to address consumer confusion. A multi-level analytical framework integrating visual grammar, symbolic interactionism, and activity theory examined semiotic dimensions, interactions, and system behaviours within the food packaging system. Micro-level prototyping generated design concepts for date labels and storage advice. Meso-level collective intelligence-participatory design techniques evaluated the designs and brainstormed solutions. Scenario planning at the macro level used morphological analysis to generate insights and develop future scenarios. Findings reveal misaligned activity systems among consumers (assess), industry (communicate), and policymakers (regulate), highlighting the need for system-wide collaborative design rather than policy alone. This pluralist approach offers a replicable framework for tackling wicked design problems beyond food waste.

Keywords

systems thinking, pluralism, food waste, consumer confusion

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1156

Citation

Llagas, B., Brennan, L., and Lockrey, S. (2026) Three lenses, one wicked problem: Navigating pluralism to address consumer confusion in Australia, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1156

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License