Food Concept Design

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 or the double diamond design approach). The combination of practical and theoretical excercises will enable the students to co-create creative and unique solution spaces, either from a defined design framework, or from collaboration with relevant food actors. Informed by theory the students will be able to offer creative solution spaces for e.g. food service and experience based food companies, as well as offering a design related view on the broader food system challenges.

The course will have a focus on contemporary sustainable food related concepts, products or experiences, and their users.

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

The course draws on, and presents, relevant literature and applied methods from design thinking. 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 reflects, the different fields of study presented throughout the course.