Food Design

Food Design is an emerging discipline، so young that its meaning is too often misinterpreted. Because of the intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of Food Design this discipline is the result of the application of norms deriving from visual arts، culinary arts، Graphic Design، Product Design and multisensory، and experiential research، Food Science، Food Service/Management and many more. 

The term Food Design was probably born after the design world started to pay particular attention to the technological research linked to the shape and packaging of foor products: from the traditional Swiss chocolate Toblerone، whose architecture invites a particular gesture to break the pieces; to the more recent Pringles، a chemical-physical-morphological device where the chip is designed in an ergonomic shape that perfectly lies on the tongue، releasing its flavour and enhancing the tasting experience. These chips are designed not only to create a strong flavour experience، but also to let it last as long as possible. This is the reason for their shape that perfectly fits in the mouth، but also for the smart packaging that preserves the ‘whole chip’ shape.

The term Food Design that right now encompasses many different kind of product. These products are different from each other in terms of technology، concepts، materials and design processes; the application of the term Food Design to such different types of products or processes makes the term itself a bit confusing. Since this discipline is approached by many different categories of professionals and researchers، the term Food Design is attributed to many different categories of products.

To better understand the meaning of the concept Food Design، see the page Subcategories where a possible sub-categorization of the concept Food Design is listed. These Sub-categories group together products deriving from the same design methodologies and belonging to the same category of products.

Food Designer

Today، the Food Designer is a professional figure still in its embryonic state because there is no academic institution that forms it. The Food Designer should be half chef and half designer، and have a combination of both the methodological knowledge of the designer and the chemical and technical knowledge of the chef، who is able to transform and combine the raw material. Moreover، because food inevitably leads to an experience، and because the Food Designer should aim at an aesthetic experience، this professional figure should have knowledge of the artistic and creative approach to a project. Today، however، since there are no university courses that teach Food Design as the complex discipline that it is، people who design food are designers، architects، and innovative chefs.