Design, Food and Human Connection

Design is present in visible and invisible ways in contemporary society to the point which the term "design" has permeated everyday language—resulting in a situation where everyone knows what design is and no one knows what design is. Business and socio-economic demands require rapid pursuit of data and technological advances while leaving behind the personal and social side of those same topics. We are, as a society, altering our human experience under the illusion of increasing our connectedness. The growth of technology and access to information in our pockets is leading to the formation of evermore connections—virtual and seemingly less and less personal. This significant growth is also leading to the creation of endless amounts of content. So much so that the term "creator" has become a sort of professional identifier. We are relying on "smart assistants" to help us through our day, and in so doing, we are giving up our data to major corporations at the very least. We then become more data to be bought and sold and less and less human.

Design plays a massive role in this move away from being human—from being considered as people over data. Design is the vehicle of transport in this idea. We are not anti-technology or anti-data. We appreciate the value of both and what advances in both can bring to society. We believe though that the pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction, into a world of an extreme pursuit of data and technological advancements while losing sight of human impact. So while we believe the design industry has played a significant role in this swing, we think it can also return us to a balance.

Our studio practice, Station, has begun an examination of how design can help return us to more meaningful connections with people through the lens of something as culturally ubiquitous as food. How might we improve our approach to how we both practice and teach design by investigating practitioners of gastronomy and culinary arts? Through a series of interviews and collaborative experiences, we have held conversations with designers, architects, chefs, restaurateurs, food historians, and farmers to understand better both a historical and contemporary relationship between food, design, and culture.

We started this research project with the intent of understanding the parallels between chefs and designers—hoping to learn from the creative process of chefs pushing the limits of their profession as a way of advancing our own. What we have instead encountered is a shared foundational principle: creating opportunities for human connection. This research is helping us to reshape our studio practice's entire design methodology and altering our pedagogical approach to design in higher education. Insights gained from conversations and experiences with people at the forefront of shaping the way people connect will lead to strategies for designing opportunities for people to reconnect with each other.

We believe there is a need to reinforce our connection to each other as human beings. If we can return to this concept as a core principle in design practice and education, then we can create new opportunities for people to come together instead of driving people apart.