Harshika Gandhi
Food culture and its originSince the dawn of humanity, food has always drawn people together to form tribes; nations; cultures; religions. Food and culture are in a symbiotic relationship - therefore, food has played an important part in shaping and reinforcing the hierarchal society we live in. For example, Halal food gives Islam cultural gravitas, bringing those practising the religion together. In this process, dialogue enables language to develop and Islam's ideologies to be reinforced. Food as a cultural object enables it to be exported, adapted and experienced globally - food, like language, undergoes a 'creolisation' when met with other cultures. Food is both a product and a cause of the endless expansion and contraction of cultures. With the emergence of advertising and social media, the way we experience food has changed significantly. Food has now been split into two halves: its physical and virtual reality. Food is now bound to an image. These 'images' have diluted the physical value of food - and as a result, a 'food porn' culture has emerged - this is a culture in which the images of food are prioritised over physical processes and experiences. This has enabled fast food companies to become a craze - these companies have mastered the art of attaching an image to their food. This is an image that seduces you to the point of purchase - it doesn't care for the actual experience. Food brands are able to cultivate a personal relationship with their customers using social media. These communication channels encourage customers to engage with them virtually and this translates into purchases - according to an Accenture survey, 51% of people who engage with social media claim to buy food brands they see on Instagram. With the widespread use of social media, brands can design an image that shares a feeling of 'transparency' and as a result gain a loyal customer base. This has proven to be profitable for multinational food companies such as KFC, McDonalds and newest addition to diet fads - Kombucha. Marketing strategies now create 'hashtag communities' which are known to gather millions of followers positioned all over the globe. These hashtag communities tend to exemplify and propagate certain lifestyles, such as 'Zero Waste', 'best for the buck', 'All Organic', etc. These can be classified as new age food communities that create cultures of their own, free from the boundaries of location, traditions or religion. Reimagining the current food systemOur consumption habits have evolved with the times, our food is a lot more than a mix of ingredients. We know that our global food system is actually composed of numerous smaller and interconnected food systems. That is the start of the problem when the variables in a system increase, the logistics and quality have to be redesigned; if not it will result in an unstable food system that is not serving the people or planet . The current 'players' of the food system, the large corporations that manufacture processed foods and fast food companies can be held accountable for the growing healthcare crisis. There is a direct relationship between the increasing obesity and growth in fast food companies, they have been notoriously advertising misleading campaigns and propagating ideas about fast food. Some of the issues of the food industry include:
I am designing an app that will allow consumers to be informed about the food they are purchasing and consuming, giving them the power to make an informed decision. The aim is to improve level of recycling by providing information on how to correctly dispose/recycle packaging. Here are some screenshots of the video pitch for my app, the full video can be found on my website and design instagram account.
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February 2023
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