Making a packaging prototype that portrays sensory attributes before tasting. In an attempt to visualize taste using packaging as the mediator, I tried to contribute to designing one's expectations toward foods.
Unless we have physically met and tasted the food, it is beyond our capacity to fully understand what a new food would taste like. For older adults, children, people speaking different languages, is there a way to universally portray the taste?
We encounter countless products a day and before its physical usage all we can rely on for information is its outer packaging. Meanwhile, it is proven that thorough taste education and sensorial stimuli enable better joy in consuming different food.
Packaging design to shape sensory expectations
In-depth research, sensory workshop, qualitative coding, data visualization, prototyping
consumers can expect and perform better taste experience of which formerly focused on its visual elements only.
There exists countless food, people had built their own experience and preference - throughout their entire life. People eat to live. But there is so much more than eating to survive in current culture.
Overview of the one of the food items, potato chip's, sensory workshop outcome
Following items were selected as the exploration input variables: Strawberry candy, Lemon, Beer, and Salted chips. The sensory exploration was conducted in a form of a creative workshop, as a means to understand the sensory interactions emerging from each food item, the level of intensity and pleasure for each sensory cue and which sensory attributes can amplify the hedonistic properties. Consequently, the workshop consisted of three levels: the general interpretation and imagery, levels of intensity and pleasure, and sense amplification. I have recruited five non design majors of Korea to participante.
Following test is conducted to generate informative insights on people’s insights on certain food, without consuming it. Certain expectations, prejudice, judgements and biased level can be analyzed from here.
Following test is conducted to witness any trends on the ‘images’ that can be utilized in visualizing the taste and corresponding sensory factors that can well be visualized too.
Following tests are conducted to collect insights on what are the sensory cues that involve the most when eating certain food; if not taste, what is it and how can they be targeted and amplified in the future.
Following test is designed to discover the maximized sensory ability to enhance one’s food experience. With the same item but with different sensory variables, the participant focuses on finding the best fitting experience for him or herself.
| Sensory Modalities | Strawberry candy | Lemon | Coffee | Salted chips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sight | ||||
| Smell | Strawberry odor | Strawberry odor | Burnt wood | Strawberry odor |
| Sound | Classical Harp | Classical Harp | Classical Harp | Staccato, violin |
| Touch | Warm, soft paper | Ice cold glass | Ice cold glass | None |
