This project was designed to enhance people’s understanding of food. To do this, we developed a context-aware system that would allow people to interact with each other through a system that exists primarily on mobile and portable devices and passes relevant information when and where it is the most relevant. The system is not real time and, instead of being location based, it functions in spaces and times that are most relevant to the information being thrown around between users.
This project was designed and built in collaboration with Daniel Lara.
Research
The initial research that we conducted can be viewed on the Tumblr site that Daniel and I maintained here.
Models of Learning
Latent Learning
Latent Learning is a form of learning that is not immediately expressed in an overt response; it occurs without obvious reinforcement to be applied later. [1]
Latent learning is when an organism learns something in its life, but the knowledge is not immediately expressed. It remains dormant, and may not be available to consciousness, until specific events/experiences might need this knowledge to be demonstrated. For instance a child may observe a parent setting the table or tightening a screw, but does not act on this learning for a year; then he finds he knows how to do these. (via)
Latent Learning: The type of learning that occurs, but you don’t really see it (it’s not exhibited) until there is some reinforcement or incentive to demonstrate it. This may seem a bit silly, but it is important to understand that there is a difference between learning and performance. For example, if you are in a car going to school with a friend every day, but your friend is driving all the time, you may learn the way to get to school, but have no reason to demonstrate this knowledge. However, when you friend gets sick one day and you have to drive yourself for the first time, if you can get to school following the same route you would go if your friend was driving, then you have demonstrated latent learning. (via)
This second idea is interesting in the context of the ideas of Wander Learning (Real Space Version). Driving with someone or even being told the directions as you drive is a very ineffective way to learn the geography or real character of an environment.
Connectivism
… connectivism is the use of a network with nodes and connections as a central metaphor for learning. [2] In this metaphor, a node is anything that can be connected to another node: information, data, feelings, images. Learning is the process of creating connections and developing a network. Not all connections are of equal strength in this metaphor; in fact, many connections may be quite weak. (via)
Interface Play
This is a series of gesture and networking possibilities that we are exploring with some object forms that we discovered on a research trip. We were engaged by these 12 identical pieces and curious as to what inspiration we could draw from their form. What opportunities are presented when holding, stacking, resting or combining many objects with this form?
Video Sketching
Distance Display
This idea of the distance a food has traveled is good but we’ve quickly realized that knowing this once you are in the kitchen is not very valuable since you’ve already bought it and brought it home. It needs to happen earlier in the process, before a purchase has been made.
Farm Coop with Dynamic Recipe Options
The idea here is that initial pink block knows what is in your bag from the farm coop. Once placed on the counter, recipes would be displayed and filtered based on what items from the bag are selected by placing them near the block.
We liked this idea of a system in which recipes are presented based on what you have available. However, as evidenced by my small apartment counter top, counter space is incredibly valuable during cooking. Updated displays need to exist as a different model that remains flexible and reactive to the cooking process.
Location Research
A look into a tangible locative model that facilitates exploration
Farmers / Market Research
In order to research the value of knowing where food comes from, I joined a Community Supported Agriculture coop. The pictures are of the first box received through the system. The box is ordered online and a drop-off location is selected at the time of purchase. Each drop-off location has a different day/time specific to that location. You do not get to choose what is in the box. Each box is (essentially) the same for that week.
What was interesting about this endeavor is how much produce the box contained that I would have never bought on my own. Once I had the box, it was very exciting to look up each new food item and find ways in which these new vegetables and greens could be used in cooking.
This lead us to start thinking about ways in which we could interrupt people’s normal progression with new ideas of things for them to cook with and eat.
Sampling @ the Farmers Market
The best form of promotion: delicious samples. (Works for the farmers. Works for the DJs).
Farmers Market Typography
Some lettering specimens from the signage used at the farmer’s market
Interface Tests
These are initial tests of a surface that would aide in the delivery of cooking related information like recipes, demo videos, and community related information such as video feeds of other people in your neighborhood cooking with the same food items. The goal is to explore not only some practical needs within the kitchen but also to experiment with possibilities of enhancing the conversational or communal aspect of food.
