Food design Portfolio

A kas h M uralid ha ra n

port

2019

fo l i o f o o d d es ig n

Hello !

Hi, I am Akash Muralidharan. I am an Architect and a budding Food designer from India.

The following is a display of few selected design projects, through the Master’s degree course in Food Design at Scuola Politecnica di Design, Italy. It also includes a few projects from my undergraduate course in Architecture in India. The projects displayed highlight the diverse scale and approaches adopted in my design education and career.

Growing up in India I have always had delightful memories and a strong relationship with food. As an Architect good design inspires me as much as good food.

One of the very important turning points through my journey was working on my undergraduate Thesis, leading to understanding the strong connection between Architecture and Food. From then its been a constant effort to find a balance between Food & design.

Later my internship with Food designer Katja Gruijters in the Netherlands helped me dive deeper in my search for understanding the connection between food and design.

Akash Muralidharan Food Designer

Social media akash_muralidharan +39 3273859032 akashms8195@gmail.com 4

INTRODUCTION

Nationality

Indian

Age

24

Location

EDUCATION

Arnhem, Netherlands

Scuola Politecnica di Design, Milan

Masters in Food Design

MIDAS, Chennai

WORKSHOPS

B.ARCHITECTURE

Da Vinci Media College

Certified course in Animation

Hyperthreads workshop

AA visiting school London

Food Services workshop

Roberta Tassi

Food tools workshop

Stefano Citi

Food objects workshop

Marti Guixe

Food packaging workshop

EXPERIENCE

Robilant Associates

Food places workshop

Andrea Manfredi

Intern at Senscape Architects Bangalore

June - Oct 2015

Intern at Andagere Architects Bangalore

Jan - April 2016

PHD research assistant to Ar.Jaffer Khan

July - Nov 2017

Studio assistant at Foundation design studio

July - Nov 2017

VIT(Vellore institute of technology) Editor of “Unlearn” VIT Student magazine

Nov 2017

Intern at Katja Gruijetrs food design studio

July 2019

SOFTWARE

Autocad

Lumion

SKILLS

Sketchup

Microsoft office

Vray

Ecotect

Photoshop

Revit

Illustrator

Rhino

Indesign

3dsmax

Animate

Maya

After effects

Premiere pro

OTHER SKILLS

Photography,

Sketching,

Animation,

Model-making

LANGUAGES

Tamil : Native Language | English : Academic Language

one

two

08

18

three

four

26

34

five

six

42

50

Farm food family Identity design

Disclosure Eating design

Twist-eat Food design

Glob Product design

Formaggiamo Interior design

Tesoro Packaging design

7

01

farm food family IDENTITY DESIGN #challenge Research, design, and develop a value proposition to CONNECT farmers, growers, locals, and visitors and EXALT THE RICHNESS of the Achterhoek region in terms of LOCAL FOOD and DRINKS PRODUCTION. #achterhoek region The Achterhoek Region is located in the Province of Gelderland, The Netherlands. It consists of 9 municipalities. The Achterhoek Region has specific FLORA, FAUNA, SOIL, and WEATHER that results in growth and cultivation of UNIQUE tasting products.

INVOLVEMENT

DESIGNER

INTERNSHIP

Research Ideation Installation design Event planning

Katja Gruijters

Katja Gruijters

8

#passionate individuals Farmers & growers are emotionally connected to their work as a result of sacrifice, family heritage, and life-experience. #social family However, there is a need for an evolution in production, communication, and collaboration methods in order to push innovation and stand out in the market. #photography Sabine Grootendorst

How can we use Achterhoek’s ingredients and their processes to connect the farmers, and ultimately connect the farmers to visitors ?

9

te r ho ek

1. Communication strategy Family photography. Due to lack of social connections, we decided to focus on connections within the ingredients

Food designer Katja Gruijters delved into the history of the regio the Achterhoek on behalf of the Achterhoek Culture and Heritag different families of ingredients and crops and each family linked participating municipalities on the basis of historical, substantive o grounds. This is how a real Farm Food Family was created.

A series of events and communication methods that create one strong family identity through food and its processes.

onal products of ge Pact. She traced them to one of the or agro-technical

acht

2. Opening event - 29 September 2019 3. Municipal based food activities Food festival combining all food families and Traveling through the municipals with hands-on activities individualized events and tool boxes

event

#taste Local ingredients from our families: our Achterhoek family and our food family. #feel Explore these family ingredients and their processes through hands-on activities:

#listen Meet local producers and hear their story and process through casual conversation.

GIND, PRESS, FERMENT, INNOVATE

#installation map

1. Brassicaceae (Mustard)

4. Bovidae (Cheese)

7. Betulacae (Hazelnut)

2. Rosacea (Apple)

5. Vitaceae (Grapes)

8. Amarillydaceae (Leek)

3. Brassicaceae (Kale)

6. Poaceae (Grains)

9. Phasianidae (Eggs)

Event location - Dru Industrial park

Design submitted for development

Final design by Studio Metmet

15

opening event #photography

#website

Marieke Wijntjes

https://www.farmfoodfamily.nl/

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17

02

glob PRODUCT DESIGN #workshop The FOOD TOOLS - FUTURE RITUALS workshop asks students to look to the future and to imagine tomorrow’s food, table and society and consequently the culinary rituals and tools of the future. #future rituals How can the design of tableware and dining furniture be employed in crafting new rituals around dining. Dining, after all, is not just eating. It’s social, cultural, personal, emotional and political. It’s also multi sensory eating is the only thing we do, besides sex, that engages all of our senses.

INVOLVEMENT

TUTORS

GROUP TASK

Research Concept design Prototyping 3d printing Food styling Presentation

Stefano Citi Claudia Castaldi

Scuola Politecnica di Design

18

How can the design of food tools using biodegradable materials be employed in crafting new rituals in dining ? #biodegradability Plastic pollution is rapidly becoming a major global problem. We foresee a future of biodegradable tools, utensils and containers. The students ill be asked to explore Agar Agar, Kombucha and other biodegradable materials. #experiments Top right - Orange peel Bottom left - Banana peel 19

agar

#images Experiments on packing different products in agar agar moulds of different shapes and sizes with different details in opening them 20

GLOB is a biodegradable packaging thats transparent, freshness retaining and intuitive to open

Agar-a

Agar-agar, sometimes referred to as China grass, kanten, or just agar, is a gelatinous polysaccharide derived from red algae. Agar is used to gel many food products, such as puddings, desserts, jelly candy, soups, sauces, and more. The products can be disposed in an environment-friendly way.

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mold

#measurements Size of the product is 18 x 9 x 5 cm.

The size chosen is in accordance with the common commercial packaging size for single servings that is 13.5 x 13.5 cm

#quantity

#usability

The product is designed to hold a quantity of meat, seafood or other products that amount to a single serving for one person

The product is efficient for storage, opening and disposal. The product changes from yellow to blue to indicate the freshness of the food inside.

#materials The product is made of Agar agar, mixed with organic compounds which react with the food product inside and change color from yellow to blue to indicate the freshness of the product visually.

2 parts of the mold

22

The product is made of molten Agar agar, which will be poured into the ready made moulds with the product inside.

After drying agar agar solidifies

and forms a protective layer

around the product, with a color

indication for freshness 23

Opening ritual | Photography by Claudia Castaldi

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Color changing indication

Shopping Scenario

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03

dis’closure EATING DESIGN #workshop The idea of the workshop was to analyse and understand how we could affect the eating behavious of people by adding an active layer on simple everyday ingredients and add more meaning to them. #dis’closure Disclosure was a social experiment to understand the effect of food in helping us share and understand our secrets. The participants were asked to share a deep secret from their past along with a drink that represented their emotion behind the secret.

INVOLVEMENT

TUTORS

GROUP TASK

Research Concept design Participatory acting

Marije Vogelzang

Scuola Politecnica di Design

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How can we affect the eating behaviour of people by adding layers to simple ingredients ?

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-closure

#images Participants writing and sharing their secrets through rice paper.

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Rice is considered as one of the most powerful ingredients to express deep messages, in many cultures

dis-

The participants enter a chamber enclosed in white fabric. This helps them relax and feel neutral. A white screen separates them from the person on the other side. Now they are asked to exchange their secrets written on edible rice paper using edible ink along with a drink that represents their emotion.

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performance Hi ! welcome to disclosure. This is a social experiment to understand the effect of food in helping us share and understand our secrets.

We don’t know each other. I don’t know who you are and you don’t know who I am. This is perfect. Because I am going to tell you something that I have never been able to tell anyone. Can I trust you to keep my secret with yourself ?

Its very simple. I am going to write my secret using an edible pen and paper and share it with you along with a drink to explain the emotion I feel about it. I want you to read it and then eat it along with the drink so that you absorb the secret. So that my secret is completely within yourself.

But for me to do that I need your support.

Will you support me by giving me one of your secrets ? something that you have never told anyone. Because you can trust me. I am going to eat your secret and absorb it within myself and its not going to get out of me. Can you do it ?

So quickly write down your secret on the paper and choose a drink representing your emotion behind it and then we can exchange it.

30

Now I am going to eat your secret and take the drink to understand the emotion behind it. Can you do the same ? Now my secret and my emotions behind it are safe with you, same as yours with me. I feel better that I could share my secret with someone in this world. We value your time and emotions. Thank you for being a part of this performance

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rice confessions

04

formaggiamo INTERIOR DESIGN #workshop The FOOD PLACES workshop asks students to understand Retail design as a specialized practice of architecture, interiors, industrial design, graphic design, ergonomics and advertising, then apply this understanding to create an interesting atmosphere for a restaurant #food places This new concept of restaurant will happen in the space of the building of the closed restaurant Mangiari di Strada. The concept and the interior has to fit the principles of chef Giuseppe Zen. INVOLVEMENT

TUTORS

GROUP TASK

Research Concept design Drawings Renders Presentation

MartĂ­ GuixĂŠ Andrea Manfredi

Scuola Politecnica di Design

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#images Top left Giuseppe Zen Top right Mangiare di strada

How can we transport the personal interests and characteristics of the chef to the interiors of a restaurant serving cheese & wine as protagonists ?

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The restaurant is designed as a performance space with the chef as the performer, at the centre

-wine

36

and the diners as audience seated around, to witness the performance of cheese

This is a place where the value of artisanal cheese production combined with first level wine, is transmitted by a direct interaction between the chefs and their clients.

cheeseKitchen roof

Rear garden

Roof structure

Garden roof Neon wall decor Decorative arch Chandelier

Neon wall decor

Workstations

Community tables Cheese display Entrance

Facade 37

layout The restaurant is designed to give a mood of excitement and interaction within the customers and the chefs. Bars are the best places for socialising, hence the concept of bar is deconstructed here to suit to the cheese and wine menu. The layout of the bar tables are designed to face the workstations at the centre, where the chefs performance with the cheese happens. It arouses a theatrical effect within the diners, putting the entire focus on whats happening with the cheese.

The cheese display is the pinnacle of the dining area, with the different types of cheese displayed in focus lights. As the customers enter the restaurant the cheese display is their first encounter and the display highlights the importance of cheese in the restaurant.

The material palette consists of materials that are associated with memories of cheese, like wood, copper and concrete. The neon lights and icons give fresh and vibrant look to the atmosphere. The private space is for groups of people who wish to have privacy.

SECTION BB’

38

SECTION AA’

FLOOR PLAN

39

interiors #renders Bottom left : Main dining hall

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Bottom right : Cheese display

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05

twist-eat FOOD DESIGN #Workshop 1. Design Object

-

Street food

2. Ergonomic and Aesthetic Meaning ERGONOMIC, usability, consciousness of the context, materials quality and process, socio-political incidences, cultural and economic aspects.

DESIGN also includes the aesthetical factor and is influenced by the manufacturing. OBJECT - FOOD also has a second ergonomic area. It needs to TASTE GOOD. Taste good means to please the senses, and it has to be healthy.

INVOLVEMENT

TUTORS

GROUP TASK

Research Concept design Prototyping Presentation Photography

Martí Guixé

Scuola Politecnica di Design

42

#bamboo dragonfly

How can we use street food to create awareness on ingredients that are vanishing ?

#packaging PACKAGING to be avoided as much as possible, design the food not the packaging #functional As final the object to be held in the had to eat, has to be Sexy, tasteful, functional, ergonomic, ecologic, usable and trendy as much as possible.

#gestuality 43

INGREDIENTS

#avocados

#chocolate

#peanuts

#guacamole

#mousse

#peanut spread

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#chickpeas

#hummus

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

#Step1 -Put the soy bean mixture into the hot iron -Take the cooked hot soy bean sheet out

#Step2 -Quickly give the sheet an egg wash and make four cuts along the sides -Put the sheet in the mould when still hot and roll them into cylinders

#Step3 -Now be patient -Within a few minutes the dough cools down and hardens -Fresh and crispy TWIST-EAT is ready to be filled 45

-e a t

46

#scenarios

twist-

#choose

#pay

#pickup

#fill 47

06

tesoro PACKAGING DESIGN #workshop Packaging is one of the touch points of the brand. What a brand needs to deliver and how packaging helps the brand send the message. Packaging started its history from being a container. After all this evolution its become content that needs to be delivered to the consumers. #majani Treasure of the Majani brand is Bologna where the first solid chocolate in Italy was born, purest ingredients, thoughtful production process, as well as the family thats cares about keeping the process and tradition alive.

INVOLVEMENT

TUTORS

GROUP TASK

Research Brand restyling Packaging Structural design Illustration Presentation

Fabio Molinaro Robilant associates

Scuola Politecnica di Design

50

How can we redesign the dispensers of Majani, a 200-year-old chocolate brand to attract young customer, without changing its identity ?

#Brand restyling The biggest challenge here is that Majani is a brand that has a big history of 200 years. Hence the newly designed dispensers have to keep up with the brand’s story and help its customers connect with the brand. But at the same time the dispensers have to offer a memorable and unique moment of purchase to the consumers to attract new customers.

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oro

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TESORO or treasure in Italian, is an attempt to showcase the brand and its glorious history in a very elite way. To promote the brand as high end with a completely new way of dispensing the products, to attract curious customers. To tell the story of Bologna through graphics with golden imprints to highlight the brands treasure, its history.

Historical and Premium brand Exclusivity of having one Element of surprise

the Teso

#inspiration images

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creminon

#working The dispensers attempt to embed the brand’s identity in the consumers minds through very bold display of the brands logo. The 3 towers stand for the 3 symbols of Majani’s logo.

The graphics on the towers have an image of the Towers of Bologna, the most important monument of Bologna.

The working of the dispensers is inspired from the methodology of the Pez candy dispensers.

A spring from the bottom pushes one piece of chocolate everytime someone opens the box on the tower. So the customers pick one chocolate at a time. It gives them a sense of exclusivity and added value to the product.

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premium Designed for Impulse buying at specific situations like airport lounges & stations

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Designed for day to day encounters at bars and cafe counter tops

branding ideas

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& ani m ation Conceptual data driven restaurant processing management system https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Se_gTP92rXM&t=1s

Twisteat stopmotion University project for a new street food concept https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nRk9B_fjSCA

Glob - Biodegradable packaging University project https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BUGaUfPy3cs

vide os & Logo for a stylist in the United states

Illustrations and animation for MASDAR expo in Abu Dhabi

Illustrations for an animated ad for FASAH Dhubai

akashms8195@gmail.com +39 3273859032