What did we do?
We created The Future Fridge – a life-size activation that could support an informed dialogue experience. It was specifically designed to be mobile for use with multiple audiences, and intended for group activity to facilitate conversations between participants in a fun and provocative way.
Working with Imperial’s researchers and their community partner Nourish Hub, who are experts in food waste and environmental education, we developed compelling examples of both real and possible near-future supermarket products – such as chicken nuggets made from insect protein and meat grown in a lab – that could encourage audiences to question their daily shopping and cooking choices and consider how willing they would be to explore more climate-friendly alternatives.
These were then designed into a series of food items with embedded interactive and sensory elements to make them dynamic and memorable, and housed within a freestanding installation with doors and drawers that opened to reveal the different types of food and connected information.
Integrated into the design of the fridge were stimulation points to encourage audiences to share their thoughts and feedback, providing valuable insights for the Imperial team’s research into what motivates and drives the choices people make about food.
Imperial’s Public Engagement team piloted The Future Fridge at the Nourish Hub’s venue in Hammersmith & Fulham over a series of events in May 2023.