Meaningful eating : a new method for food design

This research focuses on Eating Design, and on t he process of designing an eating situation. Specifically, the aim of this research is to explore the scope for and devise a design method for the initial phase of the design process, the phase that precedes concept development and idea generation. Alex F. Osborn (1953) for example calls this initial phase of the design process, the preparation phase, defined by problem understanding and data gathering, or preparation. This research devises, assesses and ultimately proposes a design method for the preparation phase to be used in a process that aims at designing for radical innovation in meaning, as proposed by Roberto Verganti (2009). The proposed design method is called TED, Themes for Eating Design. TED is designed by integrating a tool and a technique called Visual Explorer, developed by The Centre for Creative Leadership, into a particular structure derived from the Five Aspects Meal Model, introduced by Edwards J.S.A. and Gustafsson I.B. (2008a). The Five Aspects Meal Model makes this design method specific for an Eating Design process, and Visual Explorer enables TED to reach participant's tacit and latent knowledge through metaphorical thinking, allowing the themes to have the potential to facilitate the design of eating situations that propose radical new meanings. TED is assessed in two studies simulating the preparation and the idea generation phases of an Eating Design process aiming at designing the ideal eating event. This interdisciplinary research draws on leadership studies for Visual Explorer, from hospitality for the Five Aspects Meal Model, and from design management with Verganti's perspective on meanings; components and perspective from different disciplines are used to develop a design method for Eating Design. This research contributes to knowledge by (I) identifying an area of knowledge still unexplored, Eating Design from a design theory perspective, by (2) developing, assessing and proposing a design method for the preparation phase of an Eating Design process, and by (3) producing a set of themes available for designers to generate ideas on the ideal eating event.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo