Digital epidermis
Josh Benjamin McDonald Glasgow School of Art BDes Hons Product Design 2013/14 e. jbmcdesign@gmail.com t. +447894742545
Brief
“”
Consider what happens to us in a technological landscape where the physical environment including, and in particular, our physical bodies is saturated with data, digital devices and connected experiences. Go beyond the “internet of things” to consider what the boundaries are between the human body and digital technology, and how these might shift and evolve within the next five to ten years.
DISCOVER. 01 - 17 Research into future healthcare and medicine. What conditions are becoming a world wide issue? Why is it an issue? What is being done? Initial direction. DEFINE. 18 - 28 Refinement of chosen direction, defining how I will tackle the design issue. Creation of user persona and their needs and desires. Identification of opportunities through insights and user persona exploration. DEVELOP. 29 - 41 Concept generation to sketch models using key opportunities to create a tangible design solution. Testing elements of concept idea to prove theory. Concept refinement. DELIVER. 42 - 51 Refinement and finalisation of design through critical evaluation. Video to document user journey and pictured in suite to convey context. Visual language and branding of product.
> JOSH BENJAMIN MCDONALD
The majority of this project was individually lead, however there was a class workshop and light group work in the initial stages. Mil Stricevic was my tutor for this project and has been for all of my projects this year. Scheduled tutorials allowed me to present my direction at each stage of the project and take his feedback into consideration. I also turned to my colleges for constructive feedback with small tutorial sessions organized as a group. The content within this Project Process Journal is my personal design journey of the Digital Epidermis project.
+Participants
verb
01
DISCOVER
1. to see, get knowledge of, learn of, find, or find out; gain sight or knowledge of (something previously unseen or unknown). 2. to notice or realize. 3. Archaic. to make known; reveal; disclose.
> PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH GATHERED BY THE CLASS
The brief for this project stated that the first week would be spent working in groups, researching areas of potential interest raised by the class. From this we would then break away in our own direction, each choosing an individual aspect from within the research area to take forward. However once we started to generate areas of interest we found that there were too many areas for the class to only focus on four. It was decided collectively that we would individually chose an area to research. In taking this approach we felt that more ground would be covered and more information could be sourced for use by the class. The areas of interest that we generated ranged from, healthcare, weapons and tattoos to relationships and death.
+Initial research
02
> THE RESEARCH WAS PRESENTED AND LEFT IN THE STUDIO. THIS ALLOWED THE CLASS TO USE THE INFORMATION FOUND BY OTHERS ON A SIMILAR TOPIC OR EVEN IN OTHER AREAS THAT WAS RELEVANT TO OUR OWN AREAS OF INTEREST.
> SURGERY TAKING PLACE IN THE 1920’S
The area that I chose to research was healthcare and medicine. I had no specific interest in these areas however I understood that it was a key area that constantly exploits new technology to advance the capabilities of modern medicine. I also understood that with this being a vast research area it was inundated with new gadgets and technological services either already developed or in development. With this in mind it was therefore key for me to define a specific area of healthcare and medicine to focus on. To do this I had to identify the future direction of healthcare and a condition/procedure which would benefit from further design development
+HEALTHCARE/MEDICINE
04
“�
The future of medicine is predictive, personalized, and preventative. On exploring the future of healthcare and medicine I discovered that there was a growing shift in the perception of healthcare moving from reactive to preventative medicine. The availability of inexpensive medical devices, for instance handheld ultrasounds and mobile eye examination machines, enables people to take their health into their own hands, checking for symptoms and self-diagnosing. This has lead to the migration of technology and personal health through smart
+future healthcare
05
devices into everyday life. This shows that not only are we more aware of our personal health but we are showing more responsibility and actively trying to improve it. Esther Dyson, chair woman of EDventures is calling for a serious re-evaluation in how we perceive healthcare and medication as a professional practice. She wants to see more emphasis being placed on prevention rather than treatment and personalised medication, and sees this as the future direction of healthcare.
ISSUE
MAINTENANCE
GENETICS
DIAGNOSES
TREATMENT
LIFESTYLE
reactive
Preventative
- Reactive healthcare kicks in only when someone has become ill and often involves costly doctors’ visits, tests, medications and invasive, expensive procedures to diagnose and treat conditions that could have been prevented.
- Preventive healthcare consists of measures taken that focus on disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Preventive medicine encompasses efforts on the part of the individual to improve and maintain their own good health.
This shift from reactive to preventative medicine concentrates more on the general health of people and looks to either improve or maintain a certain level of health. However this puts a greater responsibility on the person themselves to live a healthy life style. Maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly will ensure your body is in the best condition to fight certain illnesses or diseases however it does not make you immune to everything. A shift to preventative healthcare could cut costs and reduce the incidence of certain illnesses such as heart disease as a result of obesity or lung cancer from smoking. I found this aspect of healthcare interesting and therefore decided to explore medical conditions that could benefit from preventative medicine rather than reactive.
+Preventative medicine
06
Having decided to explore the possibilities of preventative medicine I began to research current and perceived health problems of the future that could benefit from this approach. This would allow me to focus the direction of my project and highlight possible design opportunities to take forward.
“�
We need more proactive engagement on weight management, and more importance placed on what we eat and how it affects our health. During my research into current health concerns the condition which was constantly to the forefront was obesity. It became apparent that the incidence of obesity was not only a national concern but also one of global proportions. The predictions were that the incidence of obesity would continue to increase. Professor David Haslam, CBE, Chair, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence believes that more has to be done and that the seriousness of the issue is not yet been realised. To help me understand the extent of the issue I carried out further research into the obesity epidemic in the UK.
+obesity epidemic
07
Obesity in the uk { } STATISTICS ARE TAKEN FROM A NHS STUDY
Estimated increase in risk for the obese in developing diseases M F 12.7
50%
5.2
TYPE 2 DIABETES
4.2
2.6
HYPERTENSION
1.3 1.8 1.8
of the uk population will be obese by 2050 M
F
M
STROKE
GALLBLADDER DISEASE ANGINA
F
53%
13%
16% 2012
1993
44%
high blood pressure due to obesity
During 2011-12 there were 11,736 hospital admissions due to obesity. over 11 times higher than during 2001-02.
more than 6 out of 10 men are overweight or obese
more than 5 out of 10 women are overweight or obese
ÂŁ2.3 billion was spent treating people with obesity by the nhs in 2007
> GUT MICROBIOME
So why as a nation and species is it that we are becoming progressively bigger? Weight gain is not a 21st century phenomenon however the substantial increase in the number of obese people in society today must be explainable. To find out why this is happening I carried out research and found that there were two possible reasons that could explain the alarming increase. The first reason was the type of food that we consume as a nation and its effect on our digestive system.
+Why are we getting fatter?
09
Recent research shows that the standard ‘Western’ diet (high in animal fat, sugars, and refined carbohydrates) fundamentally alters the bacterial ecosystem in our intestines. Years of consuming unnecessary additives such as sugars are destroying the habitat of friendly bacteria that evolved with humans for millions of years. This poor diet has resulted in the United Kingdom being the third most obese country in the world.
HIGH OBESITY LEVELS
LOW OBESITY LEVELS
30.6%
MEXICO
24.2%
UNITED KINGDOM
23.0%
SLOVAKIA
22.4%
GREECE
21.9%
Top 5 Countries with the Highest Obesity Rates in the World
UNITED STATES
>
“”
The second reason is quite plainly that we consume far more energy (kcal’s) than we expend. It is thought that this is a result of the “thrifty gene“ which has been passed on from our ancestors through generation to generation. Dietician Ursula Arens believes that early humans possessed a “thrifty gene,” which would have enabled early humans to store up fat during food shortages. The gene, alongside evolution has primed us to eat whenever food is available and today, in contrast to the distant past, food is constantly available, plentiful and relativity cheap. In addition to this there is little that we have to do to acquire it whereas our ancestors had to hunt for food. Therefore ultimately we are responsible for becoming obese in conjunction with our depleting bacteria due to our poor diet and our inability to consume only the energy we require.
+energy in vs energy out
THE THRIFTY GENE DRAWN IMAGE OF A FAMILY OF PREHISTORIC HUMANS
Everyone alive today is a survivor thanks to having fat, greedy ancestors. This is why we come up against our own brains and bodies telling us to eat at all times food is available. 11
So what solutions are currently available to fight the issue of obesity? One option is to go under the knife and subject ourselves to the various surgical procedures currently available. However this is a solution that doesn’t solve the problem but merely manages the symptoms. It is a quick fix with some cases needing more than one procedure; this is an example of the cons of
> A PATIENT RECEIVING LIPOSUCTION
reactive healthcare. Even with the advances in technology and medical treatment surgery is not a guaranteed and permanent solution to the obesity epidemic. More action and attention has to be focused on our lifestyles and what we consume with the emphasis on preventative treatment solutions. This has not gone unnoticed as companies are developing technological services and products, which can be integrated into our everyday life.
+surgical procedures
12
Wearable technology in the form of wristbands is helping improve our lifestyle by measuring how much energy we burn in a day. The system consists of a wearable device that tracks how we sleep, move and eat with the Information being communicated through an app. By conveying to the user their personal energy input and output it allows them to make more calculated decisions in relation to eating and exercise. It places a lot of responsibility on the person themselves to live a healthy lifestyle and encourages them to do so. This is a less drastic and immediate solution compared to surgery but has the potential to change people’s lifestyle and ultimately prevent obesity. An approach like this in my eyes is the solution to the obesity epidemic and in my design I will look to adopt a similar treatment. However the band only shows what you should be doing or eating, it doesn’t provide the means to do so.
> A NUMBER OF FITNESS WRISTBANDS INCLUDING NIKE “FUEL BAND”, FITBIT & JAWBONE’S “UP24”
+Apps & wearable devices
13
> MOST OF THE WEARABLE TECH COMES WITH A SMART PHONE APP TO DISPLAY THE ACTIVITY AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE USER. SHOWN IS JAWBONES “UP24” IN THE VARIOUS COLOUR-WAYS AND ITS APP.
>
As what and how much we eat is fundamentally the reason why we become obese, I explored what the possible future for food could be. The biggest and fastest occurring development was 3D printed food. This type of printing has evolved rapidly in terms of what types of material can be used to print on it, from plastic and wood to food materials such as sugar, milk, chocolate and even meat. The process of printing food allows the creation of intricate shapes which in some cases would be impossible to achieve if made by conventional methods however it offers no other benefits. The possibility of 3D food
+3d printed food
3D PRINTED SWEETS SHOWING THE INTRICATE SHAPES THE CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE PROCESS 3D PRINTED PASTA
printers becoming a standard kitchen appliance is very real with the first printer expected to be on the market in 2014. This would ultimately change the way we eat, the kinds of food we eat and how we view food. With this in mind I decided to take the process of 3D printed food forward in my development to explore possible ways we could benefit from this.
15
3D printed food offers the opportunity to control what the food is made from. At the present time food has been printed using only one source. In terms on an ink-jet printer (for example) a print in all blue/cyan. But with more and more food sources such as meat and chocolate being made printable it is perceived that we could control and even customise the content that makes up our food. Much like an ink-jet printer that uses CMYK colours to create a coloured image on paper, food printers have the potential to hold different food sources and print them all into one edible food. Although not yet possible I felt that this future possibility should be taken into consideration when developing possible design outcomes.
+Food Content
16
3d printed food
food consumption
I concluded the initial research phase with the decision to explore 3D printed food and how it could be applied to address the issue of over consumption of food. After researching into the obesity epidemic it became apparent to me that this issue had to be addressed. Obesity is already costing the NHS billions pounds therefore a new approach has to be taken to solve the problem. The focus has to be on preventing obesity rather than treating it and how preventative healthcare ideologies could be applied to tackle the obesity epidemic in the UK and around the world. The next step for me was to refine my direction to enable me to highlight possible design opportunities. How could I design a product or service that would improve the way we eat?
+direction
17
noun
18
define
1. to state or set forth the meaning of a word, phrase, etc. 2. to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities. 3. to determine or fix the boundaries or extent of: to define property with stakes. 4. to make clear the outline or form of.
Having decided that my chosen direction was to improve the way we eat my next step was to isolate a specific cause for over eating. In doing this I could identify a design opportunity within a context. Although I have previously stated in my research that everyone has a “thrifty gene� that causes over indulgence not everybody is overweight.
Some people were eating more than others and not becoming obese why? This lead me to research different kinds of eating disorders which people suffer from. Some of these conditions not only lead to people becoming overweight but also unhealthily under weight conditions such as Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating, Bulimia Nervosa and other specified feeding or eating disorders. Although my initial inspiration for the project was obesity, I was looking at improving the way we eat in general therefore there was scope to also investigate addressing malnourishment. However to take the project forward I decided to focus on a condition that caused weight gain.
> STILL FROM THE T.V PROGRAMME SUPER-FAT VS SUPER-SKINNY
+eating disorders
19
> OVEREATER’S ANONYMOUS WAS ONE OF THE FORUMS WHICH I WAS ABLE TO GET INSIGHTS FROM
The condition that I finally decided to design for was binge eating. This is a condition, which causes frequent episodes of consuming very large amounts of food but without behaviours to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting. Finding people who would openly discuss their disorder with me face to face was a challenge as most people were ashamed to admit they had such a condition. The result of this was that the majority of my understanding on the condition had to come from web sources such as discussion forums and information sites such as NHS. Looking at individual accounts of peoples experience on discussion forums and support websites I found that an overriding
reason for binge eating was the craving for food. People suffering from binge eating would have the urge to eat food even though they weren’t hungry but their brain and body would compelled them to. The cravings were personal to each person and varied from a strange concoction of multiple foods to one specific snack or food type. The craving for vast amounts of unhealthy food is an experience that most of us have experienced however this feeling was intensified in binge eating sufferers. I determined that the main issue was the unhealthy cravings people experienced this lead me to explore when and why people would have these episodes.
+Binge Eating / cravings
20
> MY MOTHER YVONNE MCDONALD SHOWING ME THE SCRAP BOOK THAT DOCUMENTS HER JOURNEY OF BEING PREGNANT
Rather than a design to help those who are obese lose weight my approach to this project was more about preventative solutions by trying to keep people healthy and preventing obesity. I began by exploring when and why we might experience episodes of craving. The most extreme and important context I came to was during pregnancy. This is a time when women go through extremely intense and sometimes strange cravings. During this time woman have to battle with their cravings and motherly instinct to feed
+Pregnancy
21
for two while ensuring a healthy diet for themselves and the baby. Speaking to my own mother about her experience of pregnancy with me and my sister she told me of the difficulty she experienced fighting cravings, especially when they where unhealthy. “Trying to maintaining a balanced and healthy diet was key to the baby’s health but also my own. I knew my cravings were extreme but this did not make it any easier not to give in to the cravings.”
“�
my craving was bacon, tuna & curry sauce sandwiches... The thought of even trying that now makes me feel sick.
Protein
Fat
Carbohydrates
Vitamins
Water
Minerals
To remain healthy the body requires 6 key nutrients; protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, water and carbohydrates. The amount of each nutrient the body requires is different for each person. This is usually down to lifestyle and different stages our body goes through, pregnancy being one of them. Pregnant or not having a healthy and balanced diet is important. However the choice whether to have one or not is personal. During pregnancy what
+essential nutrients
23
you eat can have a direct effect on your child therefore those who are pregnant tend to watch what they consume. However the problem is knowing what nutrients your body requires more of and if you are low on certain nutrients. This often leads to the over consumption of many nutrients which is as unhealthy as not getting enough. It was clear to me that this issue had to be addressed within my design solution to ensure healthier eating.
> FINGER PRICK BLOOD SAMPLE
One method that is used to calculate your nutrient levels is through a blood sample. This process once required a trained nurse to draw enough blood from you to then be analysed. However with technological advances the process has become simpler and quicker. Only a small amount of blood is now needed and home testing services and devices have been developed to allow people to do this themselves in the comfort of their home.
+nutrient Levels
24
“�
the illusion that retronasally perceived odours are localised to the mouth is so powerful that people routinely mistake retronasal olfaction for taste I had explored the multiple eating disorders people suffered from and their effects however my research only touched on how we actually eat. How do we even taste food? From my research on cravings and other eating disorders taste was a large part of the issue. We are naturally drawn to food that tastes good and for the most part, these foods are very unhealthy and
+how we taste
full of sugar. When tasting food there are 3 additional aspects key to taste, these are; sight, smell and texture. The most important and influential of these though was our sense of smell. Researchers Dana M. Small from Yale University and Thomas Hummel from the University of Dresden Medical School came together to explore the effect odours have on the brain.
25
They were driven by the phenomenon that sensing odour through the nose triggers the perception that it is coming from the outside world, while sensing it through the mouth causes the perception that it arises from the mouth. The interesting part is that our sense of smell through the mouth is so strong it can create the illusion of taste.
>
I wanted to try and prove this theory and so arranged two tasting tests. The first one was to see if having your nose blocked affected your sense of taste. I blindfold willing participants (this was to prevent them linking the type of food or its colour to a taste) and told them to hold their nose blocking any odour from the food I was going to give
+TASTE TEST I
26
PACK OF JELLY BEANS BOUGHT FROM A LOCAL SHOP ALICE AIMEE VIET FIONA HARSHADA ALL TAKING THE TEST
them. I used jelly beans for the test as they come in different flavours this enabled me to test them against each other. My theory was confirmed people had extreme difficulty trying to determine what flavour was the sweet. They could still experience it being sweet but had no idea what flavour it was.
> THIS TIME USING UNSALTED OAT CAKES AND A TISSUE COVERED IN LEMON JUICE
I was less confident about the second taste. This time I would try to make someone experience the taste of something they were eating but through their nose. Make them eat one thing, smell another but taste what they smelt. To enable the experiment to work I had to find something with very little taste and so tried using rice
+TASTE TEST II
cakes, tofu and plain crisps. To my surprise it actually worked, to a small degree. Participants spoke of experiencing the taste sedations for a very small period of time, mostly after the first bite. The issue that I had was isolating the scent to the nose and also being able to feed the scent into the mouth.
27
“�
using personalised 3d printed food and the theory of retronasal olfaction to challenge the issue of food cravings
Using all the information and insights I gained during my research phase I was able to come up with a design opportunity. I would be designing a product system that anticipates the domestication of 3D food printing technologies in a near future context to prevent unhealthy eating habits. This would include using smell in our perception of taste to manipulate the mind into thinking it is eating something that it is not.
+opportunity
28
verb
29
develop
1. to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state. 2. to cause to grow or expand. 3. to elaborate or expand in detail. 4. to bring into being or activity.
Having defined my context and my design opportunity I proceed to develop a user persona. Doing so would allow me to create design outcomes in relation to the insights I had obtained. Prior to this I defined 3 different degrees of interaction and users that my design would appeal to; obese, overweight and fit. Mapping 3 different users by their possible interaction would meant that I knew what sort of user I was designing for and where certain design elements could overlap onto other users desires.
+user
30
>
IMPROVE HEALTH
EAT HEALTHY
AVOID MEDICATION
MAINTAIN HEALTHY HABITS
LOSE WEIGHT
MEASURE ENERGY INTAKE
INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
AVOID SURGERY
My research initially began by looking at obesity therefore someone battling with weight issues would be my core user. The desires of this user would be; to improve health, avoid medication, maintain healthy weight, increased physical activity, healthy eating, maintaining healthy habits, measured energy intake and avoid surgery. These 8 touch points were key to this specific user however a lot of these things would be solved using reactive medical procedures like surgery. It was from this that I decided not to design for the core user but instead look at potential users before this stage. It would be here that preventative methods could take effect.
+obese
31
I decided to develop my user persona around the middle user where my chosen context of pregnancy would sit. Most of the desires from the core user would transfer over to the middle user such as; improved health, avoidance of medication, healthy weight, healthy eating, maintenance and measured energy intake. At this point users would benefit from preventative methods to stop obesity whether they were slightly overweight, in danger of becoming obese or going through pregnancy.
+overweight
32
I perceived other potential users to be athletes or people who take their fitness and health seriously. Keeping healthy, controlled weight, healthy eating and measured energy consumption were similar desires to the two users mentioned. However these users would be people who are already healthy looking to enhance their health, which is not the purpose of my project. However this didn’t stop them being potential users, but I wasn’t designing from them.
+Fit
33
> KERRY 30 YEARS OLD HOUSING MANAGER MARRIED 6 MONTHS PREGNANT CRAVING: TUNA PASTA & JELLY
+user persona
34
needs
>
REST & SLEEP RETAIN HEALTH ( FREE OF ILLNESS ) WATER/HYDRATION FOOD & NOURISHMENT BABY PRODUCTS ( COT, CLOTHES ECT )
desires
>
KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION ABOUT HER BABY KNOW WHAT NUTRIENTS & VITAMINS SHE NEEDS HAVE COMFORT & SUPPORT EAT HEALTHY MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT FIND OUT THE BABY’S GENDER
With a user persona now created I began drawing sketches of how this device might look and operate with the persona in mind. It was to be placed in a domestic environment therefore I didn’t want it to look out of place. This lead me to research kitchen appliances for aesthetic inspiration. The main difficulty was creating an eating environment where scent was isolated but the user could smell scents.
+Ideation
37
Through testing and feedback the final design I came up with involved two sections that were connected together. One part would hold the food and supply scent directly to the users nose, the other would steam a scent into the users mouth. Not being able to see the food was a big factor in convincing the user that they
+Final Concept
38
were tasting the same food that they were smelling. My solution to this was creating a ball shape and concealing the food during the eating process. I decided to also use a curricular shape for the scent bank, giving all the aspects the same visual language.
39
To convey the process and value of my design I created a number of user scenarios specific to my intended user. These would allow me to highlight key touch points of the design that still had to be resolved but also create a narrative for my design to be explained. It was clear that being able to read your nutrient levels was a key interaction and attention had to be given to the design of the interface located on the printer. Inspiration for the stories came from the discussions I had with potential users and their experience of cravings. Doing this also allowed me to plan a user journey that I could film to show how the design would be used.
+Narrative/scenario
40
To allow me to visualise my design in the best way possible I made a 3D-Prototype of my design. This was to scale however it didn’t function as It was not made from the desired materials. The most difficult part to make was the eating vessel; this required most of my attention. For the 3D printed food I was able to 3D print a file of what I had envisioned the food to look like. As for the mock up of the 3D printer I was able to hack an old printer I had. I was able to remove parts and cut out a section for a display to be put in. I decided to paint all the models white; this would ensure that they all had the same visual language. However as part of my design the user would have the choice of several colours.
+prototyping
41
verb
42
deliver
1. to give into another’s possession or keeping. 2. to bring (votes) to the support of a candidate or a cause. 3. to give forth in words; utter or pronounce: to deliver a verdict. 4. to give forth or emit.
The 3D printer is where interaction begins in my design. The printer has a built in interface where the users can create profiles, submitting name, age, gender. Through this information the device is able to calculate the healthy amount of each nutrient the user should have. The interface takes the user through each step, from displaying nutrient levels to choosing a desired food texture. To test nutrient levels there is a finger prick built in which takes a small blood sample for analyses. The printer displays the levels of nutrients within the printer, highlighting when a new nutrient cartridge needs to be inserted.
+3d Food Printer
43
The eating device consists of three parts; the eating vessel, steam ball and heating plate. The printed food is placed in the eating vessel where it is placed on an eating platform. Nasal prongs that slide into the nasal passage when used are linked to a scent ball on top of the vessel. This allows a concentrated flow a scent to reach the nose. The eating vessel is then connected to a steam ball where scents and water are placed inside. The plate that both parts sit on holds them in place however the side that holds the steam ball is heated slightly using small electric heating elements in the plate. This causes the water and scent mixture to steadily steam and vent its way into the eating vessel.
+Eating Device
44
The scent bank is a place for the user to store the different scents that they collect. The way that they would acquire these scents would be through an online shop however it gave them the opportunity to create and store their own.
+scent bank
45
To make my design more believable I decided to brand it. Instead of creating a new brand I chose to tie it to an already existing brand which I could envisage producing and selling the product. The brand I chose to tie it to was Panasonic, the reason for this was their aim to “create solutions for personalized healthcare�. Panasonic are also a well establish brand and I felt that the values in my design would relate to their brand values. To make it seem more like a Panasonic product I didn’t name my design but gave it a model number and doctor screen-shots of my design into their health care website. The model number I gave it was EU7806K and on the site users had a choice of 4 colours.
+branding
46
+user journey video
49
“”
IF THIS WORKED, I WOULD USE IT. I WOULDN’T USE IT TO REPLACE HOW I EAT BUT EVEN JUST TO CHECK MY NUTRIENT LEVELS, FIND OUT WHAT I WAS LOW ON AND WHAT FOOD I SHOULD BE EATING. > Leean, 27 with her 7 weeks old baby boy, Leon
To get valuable feedback on my design I interviewed a handful of women both currently pregnant and those who had recently had their child. The majority of the feedback was the same with people unsure about the eating process. They didn’t like the idea of eating 3D-Printed food and in this way. They did however see the value in knowing nutrient levels and what sorts of food to eat. This was a particular issue that first time mothers said they struggled with, most of whom admitted to putting on weight as they felt they were eating for two.
+feedback
50
Upon reflection of the project I believe that with more time I could have better communicated my design process and final design. Areas such as it being photographed and filmed in situ and perhaps more exploration of other possible finishes of the design would have made the design richer. I feel that the brand identity was an important part of the design however I wasn’t able to resolve and implement it as much as I would have liked to. Given more time I would have been able to do this however I feel that this aspect was big enough to be a project of its own. Although the final outcome and process seems very futuristic the technology is
+reflection
there but just not at this stage. Therefore I see my design as a near future solution to the growing issue of unhealthy eating. The feedback given supports the view that people are not yet ready to explore this new way of eating. I would liked to have explored the different materials that could have been used to make the product as I had initially wanted to make it from ceramic. Time limitations were a significant factor in the development of my project; with deadlines set I had to do what I could in the set time. Personally I feel that I managed my time well and achieved the most that was possible within the time given to finalise and resolve my design. 51
e. joshbenjamin.mcdonald@gmail.com t. +447894742545