Zest
Sofia Oom
To wrap up my journey at Parsons, I decided to shine light on some of my most challenging and thrilling anecdotes. As a designer, I hold on to beautiful objects that trigger memories of meaningful moments in my life. Whether it’s from a trip, a memorable dinner among friends, or a vacation with family, I collect things. Through these objects I want to share experiences that contributed to the most exciting, fun, and certainly unexpected adventure of my life: The process of becoming a (semi) New Yorker (as a foreigner). Zest is a care-package-like service that strides to bring joy and sense of community to New York City’s newcomers. Designed for the young, artsy, enthusiastic college crowd, the bimonthly service delivers carefully curated and customized objects that illustrate city adventures to member subscribers. Upon reception of a package, you are invited to visit the social network that hosts a thread of stories from other newcomers on the monthly topic; Zest gives you countless opportunities to deepen the connection you have with the city and its inhabitants. By establishing an environment to share stories vividly, Zest connects you to a community that allows you to experience the city’s thrilling tales and links you to the cultural support so many times needed in a super-dynamic city like the Big Apple.