Present

As part of my development towards becoming a Food Experience Designer, I aimed to apply the competences that I discovered and gained during my master’s in real high-end gastronomic context. Driven by curiosity and a challenge-oriented mindset, I focused on designing an innovative, tangible dining element that enhances guest experience while addressing the growing disconnection between people and food.

In collaboration with the two-star Michelin restaurant De Treeswijkhoeve, the projects mission was to align with the restaurant’s vision and identity while introducing a meaningful storytelling innovation. To manage the complexity of this project, I developed a customized method to analyse the restaurant’s values, narrative structure, and experiential approach. This framework also enabled a comparative analysis within the fine dining sector, supporting contextualized design opportunities.

A participatory design session with the restaurant’s core culinary team enabled deep insights into their aspirations and informed material exploration and iterative prototyping. The outcome was a multi-sensory spoon accompanied by a storytelling light, designed to enhance the dessert course and foster emotional reconnection between diners and food. Evaluation sessions with chefs and guests confirmed the design’s feasibility, alignment with the restaurant’s sensory-driven identity, and positive experiential impact.

Throughout the project, I developed and refined key competencies across various expertise areas:

·       Restaurant Identity Frame (User & Society, Business & Entrepreneurship):
A self-developed method (picture underneath) for analysing and comparing high-end restaurants based on identity, narrative, and strengths. Using interviews, shadowing, literature review, trend analysis, and SWOT analysis to fill in the Restaurant Identification Frame it offers a concise strategic overview to support design positioning and differentiation.

·       Material and Sensory Exploration (Creativity & Aesthetics, Technology & Realization):
Material ideation began with sketching and low-fidelity prototypes (Picture left; foam model lamp) and progressed to digital modelling (Fusion 360) and prototyping (3D printing, plaster, ceramics) (Picture middle left; crafting with natural materials) . Ergonomics and sensory responses (Picture middle right; hand ergonomics test) were key, and interaction was enhanced through electronics exploring form, temperature, and light (Picture right; light check through different thicknesses).

·       Experience Prototyping (Creativity & Aesthetics, Technology & Realization, Math, Data & Computing):
High-quality, multisensory prototypes were developed iteratively. A self-programmed, colour-shifting lamp visualized selected ingredients from the dessert, while ergonomic and functional decisions were co-developed with stakeholders. Usability testing and thematic analysis of chef and guest feedback validated design outcomes. (picture left; technical drawing and measurements spoon, picture middle; concept picture colour-shifting lamp and spoon, picture right; arduino coding colors for lamp)

·       Storytelling (Creativity & Aesthetics, Business & Entrepreneurship, User & Society):
The design integrated the restaurant’s narrative and identity, translating these into material and aesthetic choices. The intervention introduced a distinctive tangible storytelling element that deepened emotional engagement and differentiated the restaurant’s offering. (picture left; ceramic shelf, picture middle left; outside De Treeswijkhoeve, picture middle right; inside de Treeswijkhoeve, picture right; dessert)

·       Stakeholder Management and Co-creation (Creativity & Aesthetics, Business & Entrepreneurship, User & Society):
Active collaboration with experts and stakeholders shaped concept development. When direction was unclear, I initiated and led a participatory co-creation session with carefully selected participants (picture left, co-creation), enhancing my skills in leadership, communication, and collaborative design (picture right, meeting chefs).

This project illustrates the role of the Food Experience Designer in creating contextually relevant, sensory-rich, and emotionally engaging dining innovations. It underscores the potential of experience design as a tool for differentiation, inspiration, and reconnection in fine dining. While further development is needed for market readiness, this work establishes a strong foundation for ongoing exploration in multisensory food design and interdisciplinary collaboration between chefs and designers.