From gardens to fridges : technology design considerations for less food waste

Abstract

Die Reflexion auf die empirischen Ergebnisse der Interviews und Fallstudien, präsentiert als Hauptbeitrag Technologie- und Designüberlegungen für den sozialen Wandel aus einer praxistheoretischen Perspektive. Diese zeigen auf die Bedeutung des Verstehens und Respektierens von komplexen Abläufen, sowie eine Sensibilisierung für soziale Organisation und Materialität im alltäglichen Leben. Weiters werden Positionen zur Konzeptionierung von Problemen und Lösungen, ein kritisches Bewusstsein zu Interventionen, sowie politische Implikationen im Design diskutiert.

Consumer food waste in industrialised countries is an ethical, social and ecological dilemma requiring an understanding of existing practices and sensible interventions. This topic has received little attention in HCI yet, and the question where and how to intervene with digital technologies is a challenging endeavour. This PhD research contributes to an understanding of everyday food practices and informs possible ways of technology interventions towards reduced food waste. To understand everyday food and waste practices, I conducted an interview study with in-home tours in fourteen households. The analysis, oriented by social practice theory, points to food waste emerging as a later consequence from multiple other moments of consump- tion within practices of planning, shopping, (over-)buying, storing, cooking, gardening or socialising. These practices are embedded in the social and material organisation of every- day life and make it demanding for technologies to intervene or support. The findings of the interview study inspired and informed six design proposals for digital technologies poten- tially supporting #1 reflection; #2 informed choices; #3 communities of alternative practice; #4 reconnection to food sources; #5 promotion of public interest; and #6 activism; To learn from technology use embedded in people-s everyday food practices, I draw upon three technology case studies. I designed, developed and studied the mobile Food waste diary application and Fridge cam to probe deeper into #reflection and #informed choices. The findings of the two case studies point to the usefulness for some participants, and everyday life as being dominated by social and material circumstances where it is difficult for tech- nologies to intervene. The third case study on the existing Foodsharing platform uncovers the aspects of a #3 community of alternative practice, and the promoting of new narratives and practices that technologies and media are involved in. The empirical findings of the interviews and case studies, reflected along social practice theory, draw out the main contribution as technology design considerations for social change. These considerations highlight the significance of understanding and designing technologies for the messiness of everyday life, and being sensitised towards social organisation and materiality. Positions of how solutions and problems are framed, a critical enquiry into interventions, and the politics inherent to design are finally discussed.