Supermarkets now offer a dizzying mount of products from across the
globe, but details about a products origin, organic and industry standards and/
or the route of transportation are often difficult to discover, if present at
all. In recent years, with a increasingly curious and informed consumer
population, demand for information about our food is certain to change how we
shop for food and our food shopping experience.
Two German interaction design students Benedikt Burgmaier and Fabian Kreuzer have
begun addressing some of the issues that are sure to pop up by re-imagine
the meat, cheese and fish counter to provide customers with detailed
product, origin and recipe information for food items. Their senior thesis concept
visualizes details to make them easily visible for the customer and imagines an
interactive counter where customers can point at any item to have the description
and price displayed above the product. It also includes interfaces where origin,
product type and recipe information can be displayed when customer can lift one
of the books on the countertop, information which can be printed by the shop
assistant at checkout.
While just a prototype, imagine the further impacts this product could
have on consumer choice: Could it
display food miles, farm information, or various certifications for the
sustainability-concerned shopper? More importantly, for western populations
increasingly concerned with nutrition related diseases (obesity, diabetes,
heart issues, etc, and therefore with nutritional/ diet choices, could the
counter or related smart phone application display calories, fat, or sodium
content for those worried about intake levels? Could it link to dietary recommendations? The project presents a
thought-provoking look at the future of food shopping and an introduction to
innovative ways of including more than just a price-point as a guide to
shopping. The ability of consumers
to access many forms of information about a product is sure to influence what we
buy in the future, and what we want to see on offer.
Informative cheese, meat and fish counter – a guidance for your purchase from fabian kreuzer on Vimeo.
