Good Taste

MASTER’S THESIS
Identity Design
Packaging Design
Strategy & Research

Cultural tastes in food and design vary and evolve across communities. Graphic designers who aim to decolonize their research and ideation process need to understand this diverse and complex heritage. By examining culinary traditions like ingredients, religious or spiritual practices, and eating customs, designers can gain a perspective on multifaceted audiences that allows for more empathetic design solutions. Good Taste is the name of my approach to this process.

I chose Moroccan cuisine as a first case study to test out the Good Taste process. I wanted to create a physical artifact that was both about and inspired by this culture. This case study is called “tagine”, after the iconic cookware used to create the dish of the same name.










Research Process

I did physical research, including a cooking class, where I gathered insights and observations to apply directly to my final product. Based on these key insights, I created physical objects for the “tagine” artifact. I translated observations directly into visual choices in order to capture cultural values in an aesthetic sense. This process was very hands-on, tactile, layered, and experimental.









Tagine Artifact

I created a packaging experience to take the viewer through a visual Moroccan meal. My experiments in textures, color, and finish led to discoveries and innovations that manifested in visuals that went outside my comfort zone.













Research Book 

I created a book containing 200+ pages of research, including interviews, writing, and readings that I completed over the 9 months of my thesis project. In it, I trace how the final visuals of my project evolved from specific findings in my research, and why it’s important to make informed decisions.



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