Exploring users interested in 3D food printing and their attitudes: case of the employees of a kitchen appliance company

Abstract

3D Food Printing (3DFP) technology is expected to enter homes in the near future as a kitchen appliance. On the other hand, 3DFP is perceived as a non-domestic technology by potential users and domestic users’ attitudes and everyday habits received less attention in previous 3DFP research. Exploring their perspective is needed to reflect their daily kitchen dynamics on the design process and discover possible new benefits situated in the home kitchen. On this basis, this study focuses on finding potential 3DFP users and explores their attitudes towards using 3DFP technology in their home kitchens through a two-stage study: First, we prioritized potential users based on their relationship with food through a questionnaire and found six factors that positively affect their attitude towards 3DFP: cooking every day, ordering food less than once a month, eating out at least a couple of times a month, having a mini oven, a multicooker, or a kettle, liking to try new foods, thinking that cooking is a fun activity. Second, we conducted semi-structured interviews with seven participants to discuss the possible benefits and drawbacks of 3DFP technology for their daily lives in the kitchen. Results revealed two new benefits that 3DFP at home may provide: risk-free cooking and cooking for self-improvement. We discuss the potential implications of these two benefits for design and HCI research focusing on how to facilitate automation and pleasurable aspects of cooking into future 3DFP devices.