Research

Co-Design Session

Service design involves co-designing. We are designing with people and not just for them. The studio class conducted a co-design session with the target audience and possible attendees.

Food Journey Walkthrough

We wanted to understand the context of food (understand the user journey) at conferences, from people who have attended past conferences. The co-design activity was a walkthrough of the user journey, where we asked the participant to map out their journey and construct it with string. As they would be doing this, we would ask them to be vocal about their thinking and their decisions behind their actions while we recorded their journey visually. We would also present our initial ideas and gain feedback.

What did we learn?

It was really helpful as we learned so many gaps that we didn’t realise in our own research. Here are some:  

What food should we provide?

RMIT University is located in the heart of Melbourne, where the city has a foodie culture with quality restaurants and is known for adding an “international fusion twist”. The food we should provide should be something that isn’t in close proximity to the venue (RMIT) of the conference. We wanted to also allow attendees to explore the city in their own time. So food choices at the conference could spark curiosity. At the conference we want to be sampling the foods where we provide ‘inspired’ foods.

Wash Against Waste

Reusing cutlery and tableware and having attendees wash their own cutlery/tableware - There were many problems that rose from this idea. While this was a smart concept, it also seemed unprofessional. Water waste should be considered because it would build up when individuals are washing at a time. Time is also an issue here and lines will be congested. People would also prefer to not wash their plates.

We must think of alternatives or adapt this in a way that encourages attendees to participate.

Sustainability Core Ideas

Melbourne has a re-purpose and re-use culture (like Keep Cups). Repurposing the food waste leftover and disposing the food properly in an ethical way. They were quite confused onto why we wanted attendees to do this at the conference, and why they were going to do that.

They saw no connection.

From this, We learned that we should be clear and communicate to attendees about our message of sustainability –

We need to carry the aim of our values in an effective and subtle way.

So attendees understand why they should engage and participate in sustainable decisions that contribute in decreasing the waste impact that the conference makes.

Co-Design Activity Outcome

We realised we needed to be flexible with our co-design activity. We were possibly very fixated on recording how the journey works and tracking the movement. People were very keen on giving so much feedback that sometimes they would run out of time to complete the journey. We gained a deeper understanding of their decisions that run through their mind to do with eating conference food. We were focusing on the user journey to solve the problems that arise and exist. The co-design session helped us connect more with people and bring in that human aspect to our ideas, but also connect the system that we had created in our mind to the human.

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Service Safari

While we couldn’t access any conferences within a short notice to observe or experience first-hand how food is delivered to patrons - We went to the Queen Victoria Winter Night Market. We investigated how the food experience was curated for this signature winter night market. We assumed the data and research we experienced at the Queen Vic night market could be applied and transferred to a conference. How the food experience works in existing conferences and how they deliver food to patrons.

What did we learn?

When we put ourselves into the shoes of the user, we recognised their actions and what they experienced. This further highlighted some problems within the logistics. How could we improve a better seamless experience?

Food Preparation

We observed how different food stalls cooked and prepared their food. For example, they had already prepared foods, and others were based on ‘made-to-order’. We wanted to see what was involved in the process - from caterer to presentation to the attendee. We also realised because the conference was going to be occurring in Winter, that people would prefer to have hot dishes. Especially if people were coming from around the world, comfort food that was tasty would be good.

The Space

We observed how different stalls were arranged in facilitating their customers from lining up, to ordering, to waiting, to picking up their food, to moving to a certain space. We saw many lines, often interconnected, not clear in any direction and often spaces were very congested. The space was often unclear. We observed that the setup of the Winter night market engaged an interaction between the market and patrons.

We took on the service safari at the Winter Night market with a head-on logistical approach and informed ourselves of the behaviours of people in food spaces.

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Idea Validation - Creativity of Ideas

From our initial weeks of research, we were informing ourselves of the logistics of the food component and considered the design problems that exist within. Our initial ideas were about solving those logistical design issues. We got feedback to encourage us to go further and go beyond this.

Rather than just providing food, how could it be an experience?

Where did the themes of the conference come into play? How can we connect it to the community? We learned that the committee was encouraging chaos, and not order – it didn’t fit the themes of the conference.

At the same time, I believe it was a good thing that we looked into the logistical side to help shape our ideas to be realistic and ensure that our concepts were practical and ensure a quality standard. The research helped us with background context. But also as we were ideating, it helped to ask more questions to identify the opportunities.

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Proposition of Design Outcomes

The Food Experience: The Cultural Journey

We aim to create a consciousness in the attendees with food for thought. Represent the diversity of Australia - through the food itself. Essentially, food is culture. And our Australian cuisine is shaped from the cultures that have influenced us. Through these foods, we want to represent Australia, and empower our people - which explores the paradoxes, tensions and in the plurality that exist within.

Food Ideation

Food Narrative

I researched into the different backgrounds and what contributed to our cuisine; the first nations, immigrants, refugees, multiculturalism and what values were associated behind each that characterised Australia as a nation. By looking at the recent census data, visiting the immigration museum and the Koorie Heritage Centre. I themed the days accordingly, so there was a clearer focus on the food cuisine that we could celebrate on each day, and also to develop a story that portrays diversity in the duration of the conference.

What food is there going to be?

Everything on the menu is vegetarian. (Except on the first day where there is Indigenous foods.) We are aiming to be sustainable.  A study concluded that was found by the previous research - that eating no meat for five days would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Melbourne is familiar of catering to vegetarians and vegans.  I had to be mindful of special dietary requirements too and make it easier. Vegetarian would usually be a safe way to go. As long as the vegetarian food was tasty, people wouldn’t mind.

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Food Presentation - Grazing Tables

Per day according to the food narrative theme, the selection of foods will be laid across grazing tables. Catering the presentation of the spread of the foods to convey ‘Tensions, Paradoxes, Plurality’, while also keeping in mind food contamination. Food labels and signage will be displayed to show the name of the foods, special dietary requirements and suggestions of the fusion bar food combinations. We looked into services and companies who would be able to provide for our services. Not only caterers, but also crockery companies.

The Food Space

The layout of the food space within the central ‘hub’ of the conference. To ensure our food ideas would utilise the space in a user-friendly way.

We considered the space of the conference venue. A lot of our decisions were based on the physical space of the buildings. We had to adapt accordingly and work with what we were able to provide in that space with the given resources allowed. We visited this site multiple times and on our group work sessions we would often work here.

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Sustainability

Promoting the idea of zero-waste and sustainability through ‘Wash against Waste’. To reduce the impact of single-use items. Implement a ‘repurpose’ mentality at the conference, to influence how attendees will throw their waste out. We want to educate attendees to encourage limiting their water consumption and be aware of their own food choices in the future. Repurposing and adapting any waste to support the Earth and communities. Communicate positive waste management practices to our communities. Creating these experiences in the conference will also demonstrate a sense of community contribution as they explore the tensions, paradoxes and plurality. Both solutions are built to be efficient with a rewarding impact.

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Washing Station

The washing station is an open concept, showcasing an art piece statement that is interactive. Portable sinks will be used. Grey water from the washing station will be used to water plants around the RMITCampus.

An installation video will briefly show the challenging water supply issue, and how much water they have saved through self-wash.

Attendees are aware that their actions will benefit the environment in reducing their impact, which encourages them to self-wash, but not be obligated to.

A station will be provided where attendees are to return their cutlery and tableware as an alternative.

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The Waste Experience (Repurposing)

A compost garden that involves the attendees to compost their food waste – they can see what to compost and what not to compost, and its benefits. The garden idea is an installation that involves attendees physically planting their food waste into transparent containers. We asked advice from the Sustainability Hub at RMIT to give us advice on this and if we could collaborate with them.

To expose the tensions of the amount of waste created being thrown out - Bins for general waste, recyclable materials will be transparent. Attendees can see the amount of waste being thrown out, and will get attendees to rethink about their waste. We want to engage their waste in an educational way and create awareness.

In the back-of-house operations, Caterers providing the food on the day and we would like the option for them to donate any excess food produce from their kitchen, and donate them to an external company, SecondBite, that saves food and helps people in need.

Retrospective

Teamwork and Communication

All aspects of the food experience were taken into account, to ensure all stakeholders were considered in the service design. Dismantling the whole food experience deeply, which in the end, turned out to be a bigger project than we had expected. I was in control of establishing the narrative of the food experience, mainly because I was a migrant – a local Melbourne student who was also very worldly.

It was important that there was strong communication between each of us to ensure we weren’t working in silos in the service design of the food. Within the team, I naturally found myself to take the initiative to make team decisions and actions. I planned our own timeline, ensure we were on the right track of our milestones and phases – which was vital for our big project to be organised in meeting deadlines. Organising the documentation of our meetings; facilitating the conversations and communications between each member to ensure everyone kept up to date; and also helping team members to understand and assist in their communication.

Imposter Syndrome - Designing a Service Design

As student designers, we didn’t have a lot of design experience, nor did we know what service design is. This was an opportunity to let us think creatively and crazy about what we could do, with no given prior knowledge. I saw this as an advantage. With no knowledge of how industry conferences work, it was up to us to investigate how the food works in conferences. I guess this was good for us to create a whole new food experience, as we weren’t so limited to what already exists. We honestly didn’t know what existed.

Making Design Decisions

In a studio setting, our team felt we did not have much guidance during the project. There were missing details from the conference committee and we didn’t know what their expectations were – so we had no idea what to produce and how to fit the constraints. However, our ideas were adaptive as we began to know more helpful details.

We didn't know where our ideas were going. It gave us a lot of uncertainty and doubts. That was until Juan came in to confirm our ideas and that’s when things began to come into light. From there, we were able to develop those concepts constructively and it started to fall into place.

Final Thoughts

The ServDes committee approached us afterwards as they decided to continue with executing our food experience proposition for the actual ServDes2020 conference taking place. The success of our hard work really paid off.

This project taught me to not be scared with my ideas. Not be worrying on the expectations, but exceed the limitations. But there was a balance. Go crazy. But come back to make sure it was practical and realistic.

I learned how valuable feedback is. Checking our ideas continuously throughout the design process constantly to give me a good sign whether we were on the right track. Having that reassurance from someone really makes a difference. But at the same time, as the designer, there’s a level of confidence we should achieve in our ideas. If there was more time permitted, I would have tested our ideas with prototypes or mini experiments.

In the end, I look back, it was a bumpy ride. Painful. Confusing. There would have been things made easier if we had the information we needed in our early stages. But I loved it. I enjoyed the design process. And it was worth it from the hard work we put into it.

I learned that the project is very much self-directed. And that’s how it usually would be in actual industry contexts. And very fortunate enough to learn about service design through this applied studio approach.