Domestic kitchens are the heart of modern households, a space that embraces social gatherings and most importantly, where pleasures associated with interacting with food arise while cooking and eating. Nevertheless, the way technology is being introduced in this context moves away from this ritual aspect of kitchens as it focuses on a rather rational side, focused on efficiency and functionality to fix undesired problems.

The goal of this project has been approaching the introduction of autonomous agents in domestic kitchens in a celebratory way, emphasising the positive aspects of Human-Food interaction with a special focus on culinary creativity. Speculative design has served as a means to set the mindset in the near future and design according to a scenario where kitchen appliances will be smarter and capable of gathering more information from the cooking process. The project has been executed with a strong focus on research, both on a theoretical and user-context level, resulting in the design of a concept that conveys a potential solution for the above-mentioned challenge.

Sous, the cooking assistant designed in this thesis responds to the following Design Goal “Gaggenau users should feel like Home Chefs when cooking in their kitchens”. Feeling like a Home Chef involves being the leader of the (domestic) kitchen, feeling in control, exploring creative opportunities, and having a certain level of culinary knowledge. The design revolves around celebratory technologies based on principles of autonomy and embodied interactions, the theoretical background from this project. Sous is a wearable that allows Home Chefs to have a deeper understanding of the preparations being cooked by providing real-time feedback about doneness or sensory aspects among other information. With this, the aim is that Home Chefs would be able to enjoy more the cooking process while ensuring the best result for the dishes they cook.

The collaboration that is created when Home Chefs cook with Sous aims to maximise human capacities while maximising the possibilities of technology in a way that ensures both entities’ autonomy and richness of interactions.

The consumption of a solo meal is often subject to negative associations. Studies indicate that solo diners use information and communication technology (ICT) devices such as smartphones, to mitigate negative experiences such as boredom and loneliness, especially when dining in a public context. However, we know less about the motivation to use such devices and consequent meal experiences in a private context. For this exploratory qualitative study, we asked participants to fill out a cultural probe kit to capture their dining experience and use of ICT devices over a period of seven days. Once completed, the content was discussed with participants during a semi-structured interview. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis in a deductive and inductive form leading to four themes: (1) The experience of eating with others; (2) The use of electronic devices while eating; (3) The meaning of food; and (4) Relaxing features and influences. Participants indicated that eating alone can be a pleasurable experience that people enjoy and perceive as relaxing. ICT devices were named to play an essential part in the dining experience. The entertainment that devices provide can mitigate feelings of loneliness and uncomfortable silence when eating by oneself. We reflect on the findings and point out potential design avenues for future studies.