Design recommendations for novel food experiencing artifacts and interactions

This thesis presents doctoral research into exploring design recommendations for novel food-experiencing devices and interactions. Despite multiple studies that unravel the potentials in the unique and multifaceted nature of human-food relations, technology design studies mostly lean into techno-solutionist devices. This approach is reductive and eliminates the social, personal, cultural and traditional methods of food making, limiting the extent to which the device designs might address. In this trajectory, we delved into designing devices considering the multidimensional values weaved into everyday food interactions. This study addresses the following research question: "What insights can we gain for design research and practice through designing human-food interactions that support everyday food experiences?" With this study, we aim to reach Design recommendations (KC3) that will guide future HFI innovations through designing food-experiencing artifacts (KC2) based on user insights (KC1). We adopt Research Through Design (RtD) methodology and use design inquiry to build research objects that reframe the research as it progresses. The design knowledge collected manifests itself in the form of three conceptual prototypes namely "Mobile Food Printer", "Foodiebuddy" and "Motion Master". In the end, this inquiry resulted in five design recommendations each addressing a different topic in HFI artifact designs: (1) limits and boundaries of taste, (2) bodily food-experience activities, (3) sharing activities around food, (4) spatial elements that complete food experience and (5) the utility and pleasure tradeoff. The design recommendations spark inspiration for future design researchers by showing how to work with different stakeholders in discovering new aspects of a context. They also shed light on design practice and demonstrate how to incorporate users into the design process.