Revealing Insects
A transformative perception of crickets
Problem:
There is a perceptual issue in Western culture when thinking about insects as food. They are widely seen as a pest or disgusting because they sting, bite and crawl; all of which add a psychological negativity toward them as something to eat. However, as a superfood they are extremely rich in nutrition and prove to be an excellent protein competitor that exhausts far less environmental resources.
Design Opportunity:
How might we design a food experience that challenges our perception of insects?
This project re-examines food consumption as a response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #12, ‘Responsible Consumption and Production.’ Rather than aiming for sustaining our consumption, my task as a designers is to change attitudes toward our lifestyles and provoke what acceptable practices and habits impact. These broader questions need to be asked as it directly relates to the rising ecological concerns of depleting resources and warming climates within a globalized world.
Texture Study: Finding similarities between the exterior veins of an onion, insect wing, and walnut. Looking at the adoption of crustaceans as a delicacy in Western culture and their similar characteristics to the arthropod taxonomy with exoskeletons, antenna, and legs.
