The project started from my design vision and identity, and I gathered around it all intriguing stakeholders who were interested in helping. After graduation, I will continue with my coach Miguel Bruns to apply for funding to continue the Inclusive Gastronomy Design project. If successful, I want to work as a design lead and hope the current stakeholder want to continue the project. The chef has indicated that he wants to start a collaborative journey in developing the praline, but experts are needed in the field of food science to work on the correct characteristics of the praline.
My final master’s project showed that dealing with food allergies in restaurants is a complex problem and that generating a restaurant experience with zero risk is impossible. Still, global standardization, like precautionary labeling about what allergen exposure levels are harmful to consumers [1], can help communication and improve trust. Also, the interest from stakeholders and the results of the focus group and taste test show there is value in pursuing this project. Together with multiple stakeholders, I want to innovate the food sector in terms of machines, materials, and technologies. Since the overall goal is to create a safer experience, all services and workarounds around the 3D printer must be carefully designed and researched before implementation. Furthermore, I also have future stakeholders in mind for the project, allowing the stakeholder network to grow even further.
As design lead, I want to ensure that information from various stakeholders and the user perspective is considered and translated into design. The learned critical and open mindset will contribute to always wanting to keep improving my knowledge and abilities. As a designer, I want to gain more confidence in myself by gaining more experience and learning to be less critical of my work. Choosing my way of working more often will ensure that I get even more of my style as a designer and can use it.
Further in the future, I hope that in a few years, the problems surrounding food allergies in restaurants will be significantly reduced, and I hope I have contributed to this. There are several sides to what I find interesting in the future in the field of food, such as food designer/researcher in a food lab. Also, the research of laboratory or behavioral gastronomy [2] attracts my interest. Once I can’t continue within food, I want to work as a social, service, or experience designer (UX and CX).
References:
[1] Turner, P. J., Patel, N., Ballmer-Weber, B. K., Baumert, J. L., Blom, W. M., Brooke-Taylor, S., … & Remington, B. C. (2022). Peanut can be used as a reference allergen for hazard characterization in food allergen risk management: A rapid evidence assessment and meta-analysis. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 10(1), 59-70.
[2] Zurzolo, G. A., Koplin, J. J., Mathai, M. L., Tang, M. K. L., & Allen, K. J. (2013). Perceptions of precautionary labelling among parents of children with food allergy and anaphylaxis. Medical Journal of Australia, 198(11), 621–623. https://doi.org/10.5694/ mja12.11669
[3] Laboratory of Behavioural Gastronomy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2023, from https://labegas.nl/