NIFK20000U Food Concept Design

Volume 2024/2025
Education

Msc Programme in Integrated Food Studies

Content

The aim of the course is to give the students insight into the socio-material basis for conceptual food design approaches (such as design thinking or the double diamond design approach). The combination of practical and theoretical excercises will enable the students to co-create creative and unique solution spaces, either from a defined design framework, or from collaboration with relevant food actors. Informed by theory the students will be able to offer creative solution spaces for e.g. food service and experience based food companies, as well as offering a design related view on the broader food system challenges.

The course will have a focus on contemporary sustainable food related concepts, products or experiences, and their users.

The course will integrate socio-material design understanding with more extensive and systemic user-experience perspectives. The course builds upon knowledge from the areas of food sociology, transition and innovation in food systems. The studens will gain unique integrative competencies to analyse, visualize and facilitate food design improvements for relevant users interacting in different food environments and concepts.

The course draws on, and presents, relevant literature and applied methods from design thinking. Students are expected to create visual and conceptual solutions that are informed by both theory and practice, and to be able to discuss and present these solutions in an manner that coherently reflects, the different fields of study presented throughout the course.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • describe and compare conceptual design methods and models
  • understand the socio-material basis of design approaches and its users
  • reflect on historical and socio-cultural drivers of food concept design changes

 


Skills:

  • analyze the design process in a socio-material approach

  • apply design methods and tools on a give case

  • create theoretically informed designs/concepts for a given case

 

Competences:

  • critically  evaluate current food design challenges
  • critically reflect on the proces of involving users/actors and suggesting design solutions
  • propose and validate new design solutions in a given context
Literature

See Absalon for a list of course literature

Qualifications within the field of food sociology and food systems are recommended
Activities in the course will be a mix of interactive workshops with an emphasis on acquiring and applying knowledge and tools regarding food concept design, as well as more traditional lectures focusing on theory and practices.
Participating students will throughout the course have the opportunity to work with “real life” food environments/concepts or pursue own food design experiments in closed lab-environments.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 21
  • Preparation
  • 115
  • Practical exercises
  • 42
  • Guidance
  • 20
  • Exam Preparation
  • 7
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 20 - 25 minutes
Type of assessment details
Oral examination, 20-25 min. No time for preparation.

The portfolio is not included in the assessment.
Exam registration requirements

Submission of a group based portfolio.

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

The same as the ordinary exam.

If the portfolio was not handed in before the ordinary exam, the student must submit a portfolio three weeks prior to reexam.

Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome.