&gathers
This project was created as my diploma project for my Masters of Design at AHO. An exploration into what would happen if you mixed foraging with unique culinary endeavours.
Services
Service design
Role
Lead Designer
Year
2023
The concept of sustainability has gained increasing attention in recent years due to the pressing environmental challenges faced by the world, such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, and food insecurity.
In response to these challenges, regenerative gardening and foraging have emerged as innovative approaches prioritizing ecological and social sustainability. These practices involve cultivating food to restore soil health, promote biodiversity, and minimize waste.
Slång
During this process, I wanted to interview people while they were actively out foraging. I conducted this research and interviews through a series of field work and guerilla-esque interview tactic. This became my process. I broke the field research into Grow my own, Make my own, and Build my own.
By adopting this process as my framework I was able to work in a bricological approach to continuously testing new theories, ideologies, and methodologies as I went along
Find My Own
I began foraging for food. I’ve explored forests, parks, and the Oslo area in search of “free food.” I documented where I found each food source on google maps.
Grow My Own
I created a balcony garden to test my ability to grow a variety of produce from seeds for my family. I grew tomato, paprika, rosemary, radish, lettuce, carrots, catnip, and cucumbers from seeds. I also experimented with composting to improve soil health.
Make my Own
To engage others in the conversation, I initiated dinners where I prepared food from our foraged finds and gardens for friends, family,
and neighbors.
Themes
Four reoccurring themes emerged. Community, do it your self, secrecy, and what was socially acceptable. In each of the these themes there was an overarching theme of money.
People were secretive about where they were finding goods because many sold what they found, there were community groups to join but you had to pay to join them, you can get out there and do it yourself but there was a need for knowledge to be safe, and what was socially acceptable in regards to foraging depending on what you were initially taught so many would ¨slång¨ from more unkept gardens which cost the original gardener.
Outcome
The &gathers is designed for those who enjoy being in nature, but are unsure how to taste it fully. The contents are designed to take ones experience and appreciation to the next level by expanding upon the possibilities that nature has to offer.
The Service
To understand the system in its entirety, I conducted system mapping to highlight the flow of information from the &gathers service, to the suppliers, to the explorers and back into the community.
What's in the box?
Monthly recipes, local produce, foraging map.
Three tier system
Small: Serving 1-2 1 Main & 1 Complimentary
Medium: Serving 4-5 1 Main & 2 Complimentary
Large: Serving 7+ 2 Main & 2 Complimentary
