NYC Public Health Vending Machine Design
Commissioned by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, this project involved designing artwork to be displayed on the first ever series of public health vending machines throughout NYC boroughs. Solving both language and literacy issues of the target population, a visual language of icons was created to communicate machine contents. Design inspiration specific to NYC was taken from subway system way-finding instructions as well as large scale street murals.
New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan on Monday unveils the Big Apple’s first anti-drug vending machine, which is packed with items including Narcan and drug-testing strips. Gregory P. Mango
Client: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
My role: Service design, graphic design
Brief: Conceptualize and design artwork to be displayed on the outside of the first ever series of public health vending machines throughout New York City. Artwork should support the goals of this public health initiative, which include:
increasing low barrier 24/7 access to naloxone, other harm reduction supplies, and wellness supplies in a culturally and linguistically competent manner
reducing stigma related to drug abuse and people who use drugs
engaging communities disproportionately affected by overdose
Challenge: Create a design which immediately communicates the purpose and contents of the vending machine to the target population, without attracting negative community attention to the target population or the vending machine.
Solution: After interviewing community groups servicing the target population, it became apparent that not just multiple language barriers but literacy itself was an issue. I also learned that the distinctive naloxone dispenser and its blue bag container had high visual recognition among the target population. These two insights drove the creation of an entirely visual icon system independent of language for the machine design.
Inspired by the clear way-finding instructions of the NYC subway system, icons were designed in a flat, neutral style and emphasized the naloxone dispenser and container, as well as fentanyl test strips. To reduce stigma associated with people who use drugs, icons representing medical, health, and hygiene supplies were also included.
Also taking inspiration from NYC large-scale street art, I enlarged the icons to cover the entirety of the machine, allowing the mural-like information itself to become the design. To avoid drawing undue community attention to the machines, the boldness of the large icons was tempered by appearing in a lighter shade of blue than the background, so that the design became visible yet discrete, almost disappearing into wallpaper.
Result: Well-received by communities and their target population, 4 machines were deployed in New York City boroughs starting in 2023. Over 18,000 items, including 2,100 naloxone kits, COVID tests, and safe sex products have been dispensed as of 2024.
Programs: Illustrator
Maritza Altruz held wet wipes and menstrual pads she got for free from the Bushwick vending machine, July 17, 2024. Credit- Alex Krales/THE CITY
“In the beginning, people often are concerned because it is not conventional,” said Erica Vasquez, who manages the two Queens machines. “But they offer so much more than just supplies for people who use drugs.
Sydney Atkinson, 36, who runs a barber shop on Central Avenue in Far Rockaway, said that at first he was worried that a vending machine across the street would bring new people who use drugs into the area.
“First couple weeks it had a bad reputation,” he said. “But people use it, and other people have kind of forgotten about it and go about their business as usual.”
Harm-Reduction vending machine 2640 Pitkin Avenue, East New York. July 17, 2024 Credit- Alex Krales/ THE CITY