The aim of the course is to give the students insight into the socio-material basis for conceptual food design approaches (such as design thinking). The combination of practical and theoretical excercises will enable the students to make creative and unique solutions informed by relevant theory to improve food services and experiences as well as broader food system challenges.

The course will have a focus on contemporary sustainable and ethical everyday meals and experience food concepts and their users. However, it will also present and discuss how broader historic developments (economic, social, and cultural) affect both the celebratory and the “everyday design” of our shared and individual food environments. Relevant environments include commercial businesses as well as public institutions.

The course will integrate socio-material design understanding with with more extensive and systemic user experience perspectives and consumer knowledge. The course, therefore, builds upon knowledge from the areas of food sociology and food systems. The studens will gain unique integrative competencies to analyse, visualize and facilitate food design improvements for relevant users interacting with and in different food environments and concepts.

The course draws on, and presents, relevant literature from science and technology studies, food concept design, event-and service design studies, food sociology as well as some applied material cultural analysis. Students are expected to create visual and conceptual solutions that are informed by both theory and practice, and to be able to discuss and present these solutions in an manner that coherently integrates, or reflects, the different fields of study presented through-out the course