A broken food system has resulted in a wide disparity between food producers and consumers, undermining the perceived link between food and nature. It is therefore important to re-create the relationship with food when co-designing future solutions. This requires new tools and a new set of skills among food designers. Designing with empathy is well known from design processes as a way to respect human experiences. We therefore question if empathy for food can be used when co-designing the food system of tomorrow? The purpose of this paper is to explore what empathy means in food design, and how empathy for food can be created among users and stakeholders involved in the design process. The aim is to contribute to strengthening food design as a field that can contribute to tackle future food-related challenges in a responsible way.
Cite this paper: Hermannsdóttir, H.S., Dawes, C., Gideonsen, D., de Moor, E. (2016). Designing with Empathy: Implications for Food Design. Proceedings of DRS 2016, Design Research Society 50th Anniversary Conference. Brighton, UK, 27–30 June 2016.