Flavour Atelier
An app for flavour learning
Flavour is like a face – we can unerringly identify it, but when we are asked to correctly describe it, it becomes challenging. How can flavour be visualised? And how can it be learned in a participatory way?
The current worldwide obesity epidemic is connected to a conflict between satiety (satisfying hunger) and nutrition (satisfying the body’s nutritional needs). As flavour determines our relationship with food, learning about flavour can increase our awareness of food choices. Not everyone can or will read a book on flavour science. A flavor app that uses sensual and evocative visuals can educate people with different levels of previous knowledge about flavour in a participatory way.
The project consists of four major components:
Content development
Visual identity
The flavour visualization system
An interactive experience for learning about flavour
In collaboration with sensory scientist Dr. Jeannette Nuessli Guth (ETH Zürich), 35 flavour terms referring to taste, odor and texture were carefully selected as the fundamental contents of the app. The visual research draws on both cognitive and affective attributes. The visualization system includes image references, association tests, knowledge in sensory science and happy accidents. Bringing a series of visualizations together with visual identity and interaction design resulted in a clickable prototype that will be tested with prospects for further development by the project partner.
