Conference Agenda

This research is guided by the general question: Why do foods have the forms they do, and what is the best form for a particular food? The possible answers are multiple and complex, and involve a mix of factors, starting with ingredients and their transformative technologies, immersed in geographical and cultural contexts, informed by the customs, needs, tastes, and food functions of each place and time. These factors, and the interactions between them, constitute the determinants of a particular food's shape or form. Food morphology is defined by the author as the study of the generation, transformation and reading of designed foods, considering their function and meaning, understanding the interaction between edible ingredients and their processing technologies to reach optimal forms.

Restaurants face the challenge of lacking systematic integration pathways in their sustainability transition (ST), struggling to fully incorporate sustainable principles throughout their operational systems. In this context, menu design demonstrates significant potential as a strategic tool to drive comprehensive ST. This study employs Goffman's dramaturgical theory to conceptualize restaurants as "social theaters," examining how menus function as "scripts" to systematically drive ST. Through analysis of eight representative cases, the research: 1) develops an integrated framework comprising three strategic dimensions, including nine key design intervention tactics that provide concrete implementation pathways for restaurant ST; 2) reveals three agency mechanisms of menus, theoretically elucidating the operational alignment logic and core value propositions required to drive ST in restaurants. The study reconstructs discrete menu design elements into an agentic "performance system," providing both theoretical foundation and practical pathways for the catering industry to achieve substantive ST.

In light of the escalating climate and resource crises, design education must reconsider its role in shaping circular and regenerative futures, particularly with regard to emerging materials from waste. This paper presents the results of a pedagogical study conducted at the Joint School of Design and Innovation of Xi’an Jiaotong University and Politecnico di Milano. In this study, 120 students transformed local food and textile waste into new materials through hands-on experimentation, based on the Material Driven Design (MDD) approach, in a Chinese educational context. A comparative analysis of six student projects across toy and accessory applications reveals a synergy between the MDD approach and narratives of waste-based materials, articulated through socio-ecological and cultural-geographic forms of engagement. The findings demonstrate that MDD can activate two distinct local waste streams as resources for circularity and regeneration while facilitating material exploration, design application and pedagogical reflection in contemporary design education.

This paper examines the transformation of traditional Turkish desserts into contemporary industrial food products through the framework of transformational design. Grounded in the premise that food functions not only as a biological necessity but also as a carrier of cultural memory, identity, and social meaning, the study explores how traditional foods can be reinterpreted within modern production systems, consumption patterns, and sustainability expectations. Drawing on student projects from a food design course in an industrial design department during the 2024–2025 academic year, the research analyzes how desserts are redesigned according to industrial constraints and contemporary lifestyles. Using thematic analysis, findings show that each product reflects cultural, systemic, and behavioral transformations, confirming the interconnected nature of transformational design. The results support the concept of food’s “transformative nature” (Daou & Sarantou, 2025), demonstrating its role in reshaping identity and social interaction. The study contributes to discussions on cultural sustainability, food design and industrial design.

The current research explores the intersection of archives, history, food, and performance. Based on a case study from Løp Gård, a museum site within Nordlandsmuseet in Norway, the museum performance director (museumsregissør in Norwegian) Barbro Laxaa has developed a book that presents historical recipes created by former generations of Løp Gård’s owners. Laxaa explores methods of performing memory and the spirituality of place, positioning food as a catalyst that unites the lived experience of audiences with archival material and historical recipes rooted in the site.

The method of this study is artistic research, which has led to the development of a conceptual framework for the book of recipes from Løp Gård.

The theoretical framework of this study spans concepts such as historical food-making, archives, spirituality, Nordic traditional food, and performance. The findings include recommendations on how forgotten traditions and archival recipes can be revitalized through performative practices.

Biobased composites, which are sustainable materials ideally poised to replace fossil-based raw materials, paradoxically are struggling to gain market acceptance. This underperformance is attributed to poor demand and acceptance of biobased composites, driven by technical and perceptual challenges. However, most research on biobased composites focuses on addressing technical challenges and fails to incorporate perceptual qualities into the material development process. By understanding the role of material characteristics (colour, patterns, texture, roughness) in shaping these qualities, we propose that novel biobased composites could be developed to meet specific consumer product needs. A prediction model for generating the desired material perception could help develop novel, sustainable materials that are perceptually appealing to consumers. This paper proposes a modified material design process based on consumer perception. This new process can help material engineers and product designers create new biobased materials that align with the emotional demands of the product segment and user experience.