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Client /
Dev
Role /
Art Direction
Agency /
Publicis
Year /
2023
Ephemeral memories - SLAW SLAM
To properly design for “generosity of self” within a community, I wanted to share a part of myself since I was to asking others to do the same. Vietnamese spring rolls inspired this pop-up, with the rice wrappers as an homage to my father’s side of the family. In designing this experience, I was intrigued by foods best enjoyed immediately, such as tempura, ice cream, or fondue. I wanted to bring people together through shared ephemeral memories. For this experiment, I asked everyone to take a bite of a sesame slaw roll. Then, they contributed to a slam poetry wall by writing the first word that their first bite brought to mind.
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Org
IDEO
Role
Experience Design
Industry
Consulting
Highlights
Spotlight interviews, food design
What do your memories taste like?
I was invited to IDEO’s office in Cambridge, MA to design for generosity and curiosity with the overarching goal of inspiring community and connectivity within the firm. As a Designer-in-Residence, I developed and implemented a series of food experiments, culminating in a four-course “food and memory” immersive experience for the studio.
[Many thanks to the fabulous Sophie Feng at IDEO for capturing the moments on this page]
Imagined memories - Jam session
Some people will describe a dish they love as “the stuff of dreams.” To explore this notion, I invited everyone to add their own flavor and imagination to a jam session. I provided the nectarine jam base and encouraged workshop attendees to add rosemary, candied ginger, salt flakes, or even chili powder—whatever struck their fancy. I asked everyone to write a story about how the jam got its flavor and ended up in their jar. Creative writing flourishes with constraints, so there was one requirement: each story needed to end with, “and then it went splat.”
Individual memories - Food souvenirs
The pop-ups served as useful prototypes for the final tasting event. For the culminating experience I interviewed four members of the IDEO studio about their personal food memories. What was one food they could not live without? When did they develop their own palate? What was the first meal they learned to cook? For each person, I then created a dish that incorporated their stories, selecting narratives people in the office might not know. The goal was to share a taste of Aaron's life, or a bite of Sarah’s history— a jumpstart to kick off conversation.
maximum recommended number of eggs, the crunch of broccoli, laid-back Sunday cooking, caramelized shallots, grape tomatoes
Tim's Veggie Frittata
BBQ beef, toasted sesame pie crust, hints of New Zealand, sauteed onions, son-mat
Sarah's Bulgogi Pie
spicy shredded garlic chicken, IDEO salsa, exploration, warm corn tortillas, building to think
Aaron's Street Tacos
toasted baguette, caramelized bananas, cozy family traditions, sprinkles of sea salt, fragrant Belgian dark chocolate
Nathan's Banana Bread Pudding
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Outcomes
One of my favorite moments during the final tasting event was hearing about “son-mat,” a Korean term that translates to “the taste of one’s hands” in English. Thanks to Sarah’s story, we all learned that it is a compliment to say someone’s cooking has good son-mat; hands help impart the perfect flavor. I loved when another designer chimed in and shared a similar concept from his Egyptian upbringing, that the “hand taste” is an ingredient essential to excellent cooking.
Before I left, the lead experience designers at the studio told me they were eager to start a tradition around the food spotlight experience. The four-course meal would not have been possible without the Fortnight crew; thank you to Nick, Alex, Jihyun and Sophie for help with prep and plating. And special thanks to Tim, Aaron, Sarah, and Nathan* for sharing their memories with me.
*Names modified for privacy