Human-Food Interaction Framework: Understanding Student-Athletes’ Extreme Food Needs

The food and kitchen technology industry is quickly growing and changing as user lifestyle preferences shift. This shift is arguably occurring most rapidly in Silicon Valley. There has been tremendous growth in every aspect of the food process, from food delivery services to cooking robots and automation to the ingredients themselves. However, are such food and kitchen technologies addressing the future needs of users? To understand the future needs of Silicon Valley users, we decided to look at extreme users: student athletes. By interviewing six athletes at Stanford University with extreme food needs, we gained insights on the broader future of food. To analyze the needs, we developed a preliminary Human-Food Interaction (HFI) Framework, which allowed us to understand the overall user journey and the specific user needs in each step of this journey (ex. delivery, storage). After analyzing needs, we categorized Silicon Valley food tech services into the different steps in HFI framework. As a result, we found that there is a significant gap between extreme user needs, which are indicative of future needs, and the services currently available in the market.