The service consists in designing a neutral ground for people from different communities to bond over something in common. It revolves around a common ingredient, way of eating or cooking, tool, etc... that is mutual to all cultures.
The concept is inspired by the book You and I Eat the Same by Chris Ying, which looks at food as the common thing that connects all people and aims at highlighting the links and bonds that different cultures have with food. The idea is to test Ying’s hypothesis: Is what we eat and our way of eating really more similar than what we think?
Some of the examples of elements that could be used as common grounds for foods from around the world are: sesame, coffee, cilantro, food wrapped in leaves, food wrapped in flatbread, savory pastries, steamed food, tomato, etc...
The service is versatile, every month it focuses on a single similarity between different cultural food practices, and changes the medium accordingly (a street food market, a temporary restaurant, a coffee shop, a bakery…).
The differences are only visible when we get close. The idea is to look at food practices from an alien point of view, where things seem similar. The identity and tone of voice are light and humorous, inviting guests not to take things too seriously, but rather to enjoy the experience and look at things from a new perspective.
The name is “Us”: A short catchy name that gives the idea that we are addressing everyone under the same umbrella. Since the service is versatile and changes subject each month, the name will change accordingly. The tagline “as seen by Martians” remains the same, and “us” is replaced by the subject at stake.
The service consists of a physical experience backed by a digital experience.
On the website, guests can, of course, sign up for the events, and learn about the mission of US. But they are also active participants. They can share stories about food on the forum, helping journalists and anthropologists reconstruct the history of food. They can share recipes, they can read the magazine of US., which is like a repository that puts together this new perception of food. They can support small businesses that participate in the events, by making donations. More than that, they can become a participant to sell their food in the next event, but also join the team and help design the next event.
On the website, guests can, of course, sign up for the events, and learn about the mission of US. But they are also active participants. They can share stories about food on the forum, helping journalists and anthropologists reconstruct the history of food. They can share recipes, they can read the magazine of US., which is like a repository that puts together this new perception of food. They can support small businesses that participate in the events, by making donations. More than that, they can become a participant to sell their food in the next event, but also join the team and help design the next event.
Storyboard
This tool allowed me to go into the details of the service and to translate the concept into a story.
This tool allowed me to go into the details of the service and to translate the concept into a story.
Design principles
The System Map
The service is designed for 3 different stakeholders and offers both physical and digital services.
The service is designed for 3 different stakeholders and offers both physical and digital services.
The main stakeholder of the service is the user or guest, who has access to the physical experience where he/she can have tasting portions of food, buy the ingredients, and the option to get a branded tote bag and informative material through posters. The user can also access the digital platform where he/she can be part of the forum by reading and sharing stories, but also to the magazine where journalists reconstruct the history of food from a different perspective.
The second main stakeholders are food journalists and anthropologists, who on top of having free access to the physical experience, can use the forum as a resource for their research and the magazine as a space to share their ideas and get exposure.
Finally, the service benefits people who would like to launch their own F&B business, they have access to a station in the physical experience to get exposure and receive donations for their business.
Co-Design Session
After designing the concept, understanding how the service works, and visualizing it, I tested it by running a co-design session. I let the people I am designing for into the process in order to get feedback and understand its impact.
The session was conducted Online, using Miro to engage the participants through different questions and activities. I started by presenting the project and the process behind it, and then went on with interactive questions on Miro using element cards and post-its.
All participants of the co-design session live in Milan and are between 22 and 30 years old. For the purpose of this project, I chose five people who come from different countries and who are potential guests of the service.
The session was conducted Online, using Miro to engage the participants through different questions and activities. I started by presenting the project and the process behind it, and then went on with interactive questions on Miro using element cards and post-its.
All participants of the co-design session live in Milan and are between 22 and 30 years old. For the purpose of this project, I chose five people who come from different countries and who are potential guests of the service.
