charles’ fugue an interdisciplinary experience in one semester
the arrival food I entered Matthew Strong’s Senior Project class determined to construct a project around food branding. | chocolate I was passionate about my first proposal, a line of healthy candy comprised of ingredients such as vegetables, grains, and sugar substitutes. I wanted to make various chocolates, hard candies, fruit snacks, spreads, and ice creams from scratch. | “new ways of presenting common things” | ancient beauty treatments I settled on a fictional brand of beauty products stemming from ancient treatments, including crocodile dung, snail slime, seaweed, and spices. | “how can it be more meaningful?” | back to food: food beauty treatments, beauty care recipe book, edible beauty treatments, beauty restaurant... | other interests: board game writing fears/phobias perception loneliness happiness unconventional packaging habits niche areas of NY survivals superstitions patterns cooking exotic flavors edible packaging hydroponics aquaponics aeroponics inhalable food clothing fabric listmaking organization/time management hiding ghosts/paranormal desire walking horoscopes personalities/temperaments dreams | unique food inventions a Google search turned up an article about sound influencing taste. |
charles’ fugue
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I began my researching studying the link between sound and taste. I found that different pitches can bring out different qualities in food. For example, high pitched noise makes food seem sweeter, while low pitched noise makes the same food seem more bitter. This can easily be observed with chocolate, a flavor that can exhibit both qualities. Furthermore, louder noise increases the perception of crunch while decreasing the ability to perceive taste at all, and (unsurprisingly) food is more pleasant if eaten while listening to enjoyable music. I was excited about the prospect of creating an experience surrounding sonic dining.
As I continued my investigation, I discovered the concept of multisensory dining. While the link between sound and taste was intriguing, it was not the only parallel. All five senses are closely linked with taste. Smell is actually stimulated through both the nostrils and the esophagus. Flavor qualities are associated with color and aesthetic. Temperature and texture can affect taste intensity and enjoyability. These new findings shifted my project to a dining experience in all five senses that was meant to explore their interconnections and influences on taste.
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the research After an intense study period, I organized all of my research into an overview to help guide the project.
sound
smell
high pitch – sweeter
collected through nostrils
low pitch – more bitter
and esophagus
louder – crunchier
contributes to 75–95%
quieter – more flavorful
of taste
environmental sounds – enhance or diminish flavor touch
taste
soft – more flavorful
minimal distractions
warm – more flavorful
heighten taste
more viscous – more flavorful sight influences appeal creates expectation elicits memories
umami
perception
fifth taste – savory
biological responses,
parmesan, tomato, mushroom
natural reactions
airplane tomato-based drinks
recollections of past experiences
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audience
environment
foodies, adventurous, risk takers
dark, minimal, focus attention
wealthy, appreciate a splurge
on food and senses
appreciate fine dining
hip, current
appreciate food beyond taste
mysterious, discovery
interested in unique experiences, break from the norm location New York, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, area of high quality dining and diverse crowds
“Our goal is to increase awareness of the interplay of the five senses and their role in comprehension of human experience, particularly pertaining to dining. We aim to evoke appreciation for the tremendous impact of sensory stimulants on the perception of flavor and the pleasure of food.�
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the name The title of the project needed to reflect all five senses and express intermixing, perception, and experience. Single word names like “Synapse” and “Aurality” sounded empty, and word combinations like “Overature Saveur” seemed gimmicky. I was searching for a natural name, one that did not feel forced, and one that evoked comfort in high quality food coupled with mystery of an unknown experience.
Finally I setted on “Charles’ Fugue.” I was attracted to a name in the title as it evoked a personal experience and a deliberate origin. I pulled the first name of Charles’ Spence, an Oxford University professor and a leading researcher in the field of multisensory experiences and crossmodal technology, whose name emerged numerous times across my research. Although “fugue” is a musical term, it perfectly connoted my theme, officially defined as “a short melody introduced by one part, successively taken up by others to develop an interweaving of parts.” Charles’ Fugue is a meal introduced by one sense, successfully provoking others to develop a sensory fusion and a realization of the influences on taste perception.
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the mark Similarly to the name, the identity mark needed to indicate perception of a sensory experience. I experimented with marks inspired by five senses, food symbols, sensory insinuations, perception and illusion, and mystery.
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My sketches led to three resolutions. This pentagon-inspired swirl kept my attention first. It indicates a chase, one sense coming from another and leading to another, with everything culminating in a full circle. It also communicates revolution around a central part, and an open center suggests a welcome.
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After sketching some interweaving swirls, I became confident in this elegant mark. I then spent hours creating a smooth and perfectly symmetrical five pointed embellishment. Similarly to my first concept, it implies parts leading into each other and culminating in a full circle, and it utilizes five sections for five senses. Its single interweaving line loops to make connections ahead and behind, indicative of Charles’ Fugue’s theme. It suggests a long journey, as the restaurant is a comprehensive experience.
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The fork was not originally a direction I considered pursuing, but after several positive critiques and pieces of advice, I decided to explore the concept. On the surface, crossing out the fork creates a completed tally, expressing the five senses. Additionally, negating a symbol of food expresses that Charles’ Fugue is not actually entirely about food; it is really about the senses. The rough, hand drawn stylization contributes to an organic feeling associated with food, as well as a feeling of mystery and curiosity in imperfection.
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the decision
decided pentagon swirl was the way to go Criticizm indicated that it was a bit feminine and perhaps looked too much like an aperature.
became really confident in interweaving loop embellishment Comments suggested that it might be too upscale and elegant for a modern, mysterious experience. To address these concerns, I considered it hand drawn or displayed in a bright color.
fork glimmered as an option The fork mark received very positive feedback. It conveyed a hip and mysterious dining experience and was unique and eyecatching.
back to swirl It seemed to satisfy all needs.
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back to loop I was just so happy with the way it turned out.
considered fork Maybe I was hesitant about a hand drawn element.
but it was so pretty and also took forever to make
considered fork again The fork truly conveyed a much better sense of mystery and wonder.
but
well
but
well
but
well 23
In the end, the fork prevailed. Upon asking the preference of several friends, the most excited reactions were towards this mark. One friend even expressed her fondness of it before I even began to explain it. I decided this seemed fairly telling of the most effective mark. After coming to this conclusion, I realized how fitting the negated fork truly was of Charles’ Fugue’s message. It showed food and five and an alternate meaning, and it carried underlying tones of riddle and mystery.
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the type Now that Charles’ Fugue had a mark, I needed to illustrate its textual component.
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Spent countless hours refining this hand drawn type.
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Whipped this up and realized it was perfect.
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This completed mark epitomized the voice of Charles’ Fugue and delivered all themes of mystery and hidden meaning that I wanted to maintain in the project. Now onto the full experience.
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round 2
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the menu The meal would consist of five courses, one for each of the five senses, and would include additional sensory stimulants, such as scents or textures, to enhance each dish. I began the menu design with elegance in mind. My first thoughts were to create a booklet for the diner to experience as if reading a novel. This would encapsulate a step by step experience, a journey. The first mockups were variations of books with different degrees of information revealed, different sizes and papers, different closure methods, and different typographic layouts. I explored different textured materials to maintain the idea of different senses. Unfortunately I still felt a lack of direction in all of these explorations. “Novel� was not a strong enough concept to promote any solid design decisions.
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I revised my menu concept. The idea of a journey was strong so I explored new, inventive, unexpected menu presentations through three different concepts. My first idea was to choose your own adventure book. Every possible course would be included in the menu, which the diner would keep for the duration of the meal. A page would prompt the diner to choose a course and turn to a specific page for instructions on how to eat the meal and explanations of how the senses are affected. He or she would continue this process for each of the following courses. The second concept was to provide separate menus for each course. The dishes would not be obvious or explained but would be complete mysteries, titled things like “chill,” “texturize,” or “add” based on the theme of the dish. My third and favorite idea was to offer three predetermined five course meals. The diner would choose a meal based on a theme, without knowing what dishes would be served. Each dish would come with an instruction card to explain how to use the sensory stimulants while eating the food. After the meal, the diner would receive a booklet explaining how and why the experiences happened.
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Moving forward with the predetermined meals, I titled them after composers that have written famous fugues of differing moods. I created symbols for each of the senses and for each individual dish. My first attempts at creating the menu elements used wood burning, a technique that apparently takes years of skill and did not yield anything close to the elegance of Charles’ Fugue, so I turned to the trusted laser cutter. Simply engraving the text onto the teal paper did not yield enough of a difference, so I used a xyron machine to adhere the teal paper to bristol, then the laser cutter to engrave deeply through the teal paper but not through the bristol; this way the bowls and counters in the letters could remain.
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Upon sitting down at the table, the diner chooses Bach, Beethoven, or Pachelbel, predetermined five course meals.
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Each course includes a sensory stimulant to alter the perceived flavor or enjoyability of the food. Instructional cards are provided to guide the diner through using or noticing the additions.
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After the experience, the diner receives a booklet specific to his or her chosen meal. The booklet explains each dish and its surprises in detail to help the diner further understand multisensory dining.
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touch
scent
taste
sight
sound
temperature
addition
umami-rich
judgment
pitch
texture
intermixing
negativity
mood
expectation
volume
texture alteration perception
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the place setting Next came presentation of the menu. To simply set the instructional cards on the table was too carefree, so I wanted to invent an easel to support them as they were changed in and out. This still seemed too disconnected from the meal, so I created a serving platter that housed a plate along with the instructional menu cards. The palate cleansers (water and lemon sorbet) received their own tray, as they would remain on the table for the duration of the meal. Initially, I wanted to use light colored wood to maintain texture and organics. I left the wood natural and unstained, only sanded, but critique suggested that the white plate was absorbed by the lightness of the tray so I resorted to a light stain. This was a pleasant decision as it emphasized the dishes nicely and upped the elegance and perceived quality of the meal. The tray is present on the table as the diner is seated. It remains on the table for the duration of the meal. The plate and instruction cards are changed in and out for each course. The water is present on its tray for the duration of the meal. The sorbet serving spoon remains and is filled with a bite of sorbet before each course is served.
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the takeaway I was challenged to design a package for the third part of the menu, the informational takeaway booklet. Creating a bag or box for one small book seemed pointless to me, so I decided to expand the takeaway gift. Examining other restaurants, most give their diners chocolates or candies at the end of a meal. I resolved to carry the multisensory dining experience to candies and to create a do-it-yourself book. Guests could continue the experience after leaving Charles’ Fugue and better understand and experiment with sensory overlaps hands-on if they desired.
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The box itself went through different incorporations of envelopes, flaps, and closures. I settled on a thin wooden box with a sliding lid to emphasize a reveal, mimicking the gradual disovery over the course of the meals. As I have never been anything close to a savvy woodworker, I began the design with carefully measured cardboard models, Adobe Illustrator files, and one box with pieces that didn’t fit together. I also discovered the unfortunate reality that stain does not cover wood glue.
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After the meal, the diner receives a box to remember and reignite the experience. Sliding the lid upwards slowly reveals sensory candies—soft taffy with bubble wrap, flavor-altering berries, and white chocolate colored dark—and then the takeaway book. Under the book, a wooden flap lifts up to reveal a DIY book of experiments to revisit multisensory food experiences.
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finishing touches Since Charles’ Fugue focused on the senses, I knew I needed to enact at least one experience. The first course of the Bach meal was decided as creamy butternut squash soup served with a textured spoon. Textured silverware was undoubtedly odd, uncommon, and intriguing. I thought that sandblasting a spoon would leave it with a gritty texture and took advantage of Pratt’s jewelry studio, but the result was actually a very smooth spoon that looked like the shell of a Macbook. Luckily the students in the metal shop were super kind and willing to a use frightening-looking tool called a needle scaler (terrifying) to smash divots on the spoon.
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I designed a bill and receipt, as well. What started as a nicely laid out single sheet evolved into a small booklet, a keepsake to conclude the meal.
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This project was created—conceptualized, designed, and constructed— by Alyssa Phillips during the Fall 2014 semester at Pratt Institute.