So we first began ideating alone and later we met up to consolidate all of our ideas.

The followings are our raw form of ideation:

Lin Han

• Table with an ordering system
• Conveyor belt along tables to deliver food and to collect trays
• Segmenting areas for individual stalls
• Table reservation systems
• Availability alert system for tables
• Autonomous tray collection robots
• Receipt assigning tables to go to
• Central Food collection point
• Order food online

Ranveer

• Pre-purchased food coupons to be redeemed at the stalls
• Excursions or preparatory lessons about food
• Cooking CCA
• Pop Up travel food fair with food vendors that educate visitors
• Blind tasting module? Maybe sensory deprivation module while eating
• Pot Luck day (People come together and talk about their food)
• Sushi train but instead it is like mini tasting dishes from around the world
• Ever-changing menus at a stall that allowed for proper pre-packed meals (Like those food counters at a catered event)
• Sharing of food experiences in a google folder where people can share their experiences (good and bad). Anyone can go in to read the content
• Thematic restaurants that allowed for new cultures and cuisines to be enjoyed with friends

Rei

• Mood restaurant. (course are named after moods and the foods selected are like curated to the mood)
• Surprise company restaurant (have a divider where the person eats alone and then the divider opens to reveal another person)
• Movie screening space (turn NS into an open canteen space and have popular movie screening, encourage bonding over similar interest)
• ADM rooftop dining area, aka picnic in the stars
• Put your god darn handphone away restaurant (somehow make them surrender their handphone for a discount to encourage face to face interaction
• Campus bus dining ( dine while you get from NS to SS)
• Build your own food (let the students make their own food restaurant, imagine pizza, that would be simple)
• Mix the school slang into the restaurant menu (aka if ADM had a cafe:  include art history names or puns into the menu items, Instagram worthy stuff,  maybe like  “GOD DARN IT’S SUBMISSION WEEK I NEED MORE COFFEE” coffee
• Let’s have a live band for fun too 🙂

When we met up we transcribe all of our ideas onto Post-it notes. The yellow Post-its in the purple marker are done by Rei and they contain the feeling part of our ideation. The Pink Post-its are done by Ranveer and they also contain the feeling part of our ideation. Lastly, the Yellow Post-its in black marker are done by Lin Han and they contain the convenience part of our ideation.

We begin combining and redefining our ideas together. We decided to group multiple ideas of the same concept together to strengthen our ideas.

Idea 1: Cooking Class

we wanted to have a cooking class, this would encourage bonding between friends and increase the student’s appreciation for food.

Feedback: 0 votes

Our classmates didn’t like this idea and pointed out they didn’t have the time nor the energy to participate in these activities. Some also pointed out that this is currently carried out in Tanjong halls. The limited space available only allowed a small number of students to sign up at one time. This would be rather exclusive.

Idea 2: Encouraging Face to Face interactions

This was inspired by the toilets availability system in Taiwan and China. we wanted to have a tv screen displaying what seats are available and this would work through a sensor on the table. if the sensor is uncovered the tv would display the table as empty and vice versa. The students will have to place their phones over the sensors to indicate that the table is taken. There would be an additional app that would register the sensor and clock how long the phone is covering the sensor. through the time accumulated, the students can exchange them for discount vouchers on campus. We also wanted Automated tray collection machines in NTU, to help facilitate tray collection while improving the cleanliness of the canteens.

Through this, we hope to be able to encourage face to face interaction, during meal times.

Feedback: 0 votes

Idea 3:  Resturant that allows for tasting and learning about food from different cultures:

This idea was inspired by the Japanese conveyer belt system. we wanted to serve food signature to different parts in mini portions on conveyor belts. through these, the students can experience and better understand different culture and heritage through food. By having a conveyer belt system, we are able to reduce manpower. The store owners will then be able to put more time into food preparation thus reducing the wait time.

Feedback: 2 votes

Idea 4:  Pop up event space

we wanted to have a fun night out idea. we originally aimed to transform the open space outside prime into a movie restaurant. Since there already is a screen, we wanted to project movies and transform the place into an open seating area where students can dine while relaxing. We also wanted to involve the students in the cooking process and hence included the potluck elements. it would be a buffet style, similar to BYOB~.

Feedback: 0 votes

Idea 5:  Campus ridder dinning 

This idea centred around convenience itself. Since students spend so much time travelling and even do have enough time to eat, why not bring food to them on the go. This bus would have the same route as Campus Blue and Campus Red, but with a dining twist.  All food preparation will be done outside the bus and only the food distribution will be done on the bus. The kitchen on board works as a central distribution point. They only serve one dish a day, with the menu rotating every day. By doing so its more efficient and minimise confusion. upon entering the bus there would be a counter where the student will pay 5 dollars to obtain a lunch box. they would then be able to take this lunch box to their next destination and eat it there.

Feedback: 6 votes

Many of our classmates loved the idea of combining food on the go, but it still lacked the portion of the feeling and the experience.

 

Idea 6:  Mood Resturant 

For this idea, I was inspired after watching a drama. The female lead held an ice cream pity party with her girlfriends after her breakup. The concept of food being able to alter one’s feelings struck me. we wanted to create a mood restaurant, where the food was served base on one’s mood. An example of connecting food to experience and feelings is dark chocolate may embodying the bittersweet feeling of one’s first love.

Feedback: 3 votes

Many students are keen on this idea and would love for us to develop it further.

 

Conclusion:

We decided to go with the mood restaurant as a concept and try to apply this idea to both a physical restaurant and a vending machine that can be found at all campus rider bus stops.