Metamorphosis in a Box: A Media-driven Approach to Overcoming Entomophagy Resistance in Western Culture

In the pursuit to foster a more sustainable dietary landscape, this study delves into design strategies addressing cultural resistance to entomophagy in the West. With Gen Z identified as a pivotal demographic influencing the food sector, the research examines the challenges encountered by implemented interventions to enhance insect-based food acceptability including educational programs, cooking workshops, and tastings. To comprehensively understand these, the study conducts a literature review spanning diverse fields such as food science, community and environmental sociology, and economics. The research introduces a Product-Service System (PSS) positioned at the convergence of media ecologies and object orientation. PSS favours media-driven interactions as a food box delivery service, allowing users to customize boxes based on food intolerances and individual and local community taste preferences through an accompanying app. Leveraging media ecologies, the PSS transcends cultural resistance by integrating insect-based ingredients into curated food boxes, fostering a positive and participatory culinary exploration. The app extends this narrative, providing an immersive platform for taste matching, feedback sharing and environmental impact analysis, creating a holistic educational culinary experience. Object orientation is evident in tangible and intangible PSS elements. Food boxes facilitate hands-on exploration with insect-based ingredients, while the app serves as a digital guide through a dynamic food literacy journey. The research supports the integration of media ecologies and object orientation, enhancing the design of interventions for entomophagy acceptability. The proposed PSS reshapes the narrative by promoting domestic culinary exploration and participatory literacy toward sustainable and culturally attuned food choices through engaging user-centred experiences.