STREET EATS a nibblish design process

TAIPEI 2015

Prototypes at Tonghua Night Market Photographed by Gareth Moon

STREET EATS

Street Eats is a design exploration into the tasty jungle of Taipei's street markets. This taste buds enhancing voyage is carried out by the nibblish team of Maya Ben-David, Ori Ben-Zvi and their 7 months old son Assif (the team's liaison officer to the hearts of the people they interact with).

From food oriented experiences towards social eating; this project explores different opportunities within the markets lifestyle with a focus on the human experience. In the process we asked two main questions: How can the market facilitate and enhance social experiences to be more relevant for the current generation? In what way design can generate social added value and enrich the market’s experience?

With this project we would like to discuss the social roll of night markets in Taipei, their relevance for contemporary culture and ways design can introduce a more human centered experience within this context.

A metal stool commonly used in markets is our platform for rethinking the market's space and experience. Playing with its design system and function we suggest alternatives eating configurations.

Streat Eats was conducted as part of Taipei's World Design Capital projects and was performed in a three months design residency.This project couldent have been posible without the support of:Taipei's Cultural Afair, Art Happening and TWDW.

Left: testing prototyps with random people, Photographed by Gareth Moon. Right: table detail

On the way to Tonghua Night Market

At Shiling Night Market

Photographed by Gareth Moon at Tonghua Night Market

STRANGERS IN THE MARKET

Making a cultural comment as a non-local designer is a complex mission. The need to understand the multilayered system before you, interpret it and then generate a comment which is understandable to both local and non-local viewers; is a complex analysis, deciphering and designing task.

The approach we took in our project “street eats” was one of a stranger acting with awareness to his external view of a situation and not assuming he can fully understand the scene he explores; nor capable of presenting it with “solutions” to “problems” he identified in it

A stranger does not understand all he sees, nor does he perceive a scene’s hidden layers or historical development. Nevertheless a stranger’s view is fresh and different to that of a local and its validity stems from his external positioning and difference of perception.

Photographed by Gareth Moon at Tonghua Night Market

Our Journey to Taipei's food culture started by visiting some of the variant night markets the city has to offer. We strolled many of the city's night markets, nibbling on their vast variety of foods. We observed the markets as they started- how the vendors carry their equipment, how they build their station, how they work their stations, when people come etc. We compared night markets with day markets and renewed markets with traditional ones. By documenting the surroundings and happenings around us we formed several main notions that guided us through our project development.

SKILLED HANDSWhat happens when the food preparation process is part of the experience?It is very evident when going to night markets, that there is a correlation between the food's preparation process and it's attractively. The freshness and conditions of the preparations are exposed, fully to the client. However it seemed to us it goes deeper than the technical and into the way the food is perceived by the client, validating its quality and authenticity simultaneously.

FOOD FACTURYUnlike the western markets, most of the stalls in Taipei are actually small production units where you can see the full cycle of a dish’s preparation. This form of extraverted process seemed significant as it had an overall impact on the experience generated on multiple levels.

From the tourist's perspective the preparation of the food in front of him generate a sense of authenticity toward the end product, validating its freshness and quality. Furthermore, seeing the preparation generates a perceivable process leading toward the aspired moment of eating.

The body of knowledge and understanding shared through the preparation of a dish can, in our era of food-imagery-posts, generate continuity toward the final image (the prepared dish), in that sense seeing the process validates the authenticity and worthiness of the visuals posted online.

Exposing the production process also expands the role of the stall owner and the way he/she is perceived by his clients; no longer a street vendor, but rather, a skilled craftsman selling his craft. The craftsman showmanship through making the dish can elevate his work to a form of performance and attract buyers.

Up: Noodles machine in a day market.Down: Fried bans preparation at Tonghua Night Market.

Up: Preparing dumplings in a day market, Down: the famous bans of Raohe Night Market.

CULTURAL FUSSILThe cultural value of traditional food stems from its relation with the past, the preservation of the techniques, tastes and feel of ongoing traditions. However through the encounter with such traditional dishes we started thinking of them as a form of cultural fossils containing a visual D.N.A no longer culturally available

PROGRESSING A PASTThe renewed Fish Market. Even though a well-funded project, gave us a somewhat similar feeling to many renovated places which have shifted to cooperative hands in various locations around the globe. Even though the sea food was as fresh as can be (I.e alive in big baths) the food on offer, as well as the sterile experience (alcohol was actually sprayed on our hands by the guar, when we got in) was disappointing. The interesting point in this visit, was in the realization of how similar such corporate food renovations felt globally (fake recycled elements on rough looking brick or wood panels; staff in specifically designed homogeneous uniform, and wealthy city crowds). It seems that with the loss of some of the dirt and chaos, the markets lose their identity, spirit and unique story. Leaving us with the question of how and what, can be changed in a market's environment and still keep its heart?

A cultural Fussil

DESIGN APPRAOCH- KEEPING THE MARKET'S DNA

We wanted to generate a project which will give a clear notion of night markets complex environments and conditions but, will avoid offering specific solutions. The positioning of the designer as an observer offering cultural debate stimulators in the form of object seemed highly relevant given the questions raised regarding the markets role in contemporary Taipei and the renovated markets we encountered. With this in mind the focal point of our approach was to attempt to isolate and manipulate an existing object relevant to local markets as a way to generate recognition and cultural focus on the markets as they currently are.

The proposed objects are intended to blend in, fill gaps and offer a perceivable scenario which validates the market on the one hand while raising awareness to aspects currently missing in them.

DESIGN PROCESS

A design project's process is closely related to its aspired outcome.As our goal was to propose new and realistic schemes for objects, which will generate a cultural and conceptual debate on the markets, we needed a diverse process.

The process undertaken mixed first hand observation and documentation, isolation of the environments visual qualities and prototyping of slightly exaggerated design to clarify the aspects debated in the object.We used rough copy paste techniques with ready-made stools in order to develop and test our new objects.

This mixing of "hardcore" model based furniture development applied with conceptual schemes aims to generate realistic qualities and feel to conceptual thoughts.

EATING CONFIGURATIONS

How do people eat their food at night markets? The ways, in which people deal with this, currently rarely addressed issue, was a key element in outlining the proposed designs. We photographed various people improvising and interacting with the food they purchased in the attempt to generate a realistic response to the existing system.

Eating while walking: eating from plastic bags. Feeding one and other, sharing one dish with several people to enjoy the variety of goods

Eating while standing: eating from takeout boxes given by most of the vendors.

Improvising PVC pipes heat bending to produce fast prototypes

Cutting the metal stool and prepare it for remix actions

Using the prototyps in social gatherings we tested how they affect and shape social interactions and ways of eating.

Testing prototoyps with users at Open Studio event.

Photographed by Gareth Moon

Photographed by Gareth Moon

With Mr.Tsai, owner of Chinyu Metal Workshop, and Kuo Ting which helpt with translatingof all the technical info

FINALPROTOTYPESPerformed by: Mr.Tsai, Chinyu Metal Workshop, New Taipei CityPhotographed by: Chong Kok Yew

THANKSWe would like to thank the following, without them this research and outcomes would have not been possible-

Miss Jessica Chen from Cultural affairs for inviting us to participate in this program // Art Happening team for pushing the final production for the exhibition // Mr. Ben Chui and Miss Rita Tsui from TWDW for their network, creative solutions to impossible situations and great spirit // Mr. Kuo Ting for translating and helping with communication // Mr. Tsai from Chinyu Metal Workshop for putting his time and high skill in place // Photographer Gareth Moon, who strolled with us in the markets and helped us tell the story.