Good Kitchen Story

Summary

The video script narrates a compelling case study of design thinking applied to address the nutritional challenges faced by elderly citizens in Denmark. It details how the municipality of Christo brow, in collaboration with innovation firm Hatch & Blum, transformed the meal service for seniors. Through ethnographic research, they uncovered emotional and functional needs, leading to a reimagined meal service that enhanced quality, flexibility, and choice. Employing tools like journey mapping, co-creation, prototyping, and visualization, they not only improved the menu but also the entire business model, resulting in a 500% increase in meal orders and increased job satisfaction for kitchen staff.

Takeaways

• 🌍 **Global Perspective**: Design thinking is a universal approach that can be applied across different cultures and countries, as illustrated by the Danish case study.
• 👴 **Aging Population Challenge**: The script highlights the global issue of an aging population and the specific challenge of providing adequate nutrition to elderly citizens in Denmark.
• 🍽️ **Rethinking the Problem**: The initial assumption was to improve the menu, but Hatch & Blum's user-centered design approach revealed a broader issue requiring a complete service redesign.
• 🔍 **Ethnographic Research**: The use of journey mapping as an ethnographic tool helped uncover deeper emotional and functional needs of both the elderly and kitchen workers.
• 👥 **Dual Focus**: The project's scope was expanded to include the emotional well-being of kitchen workers, recognizing their crucial role in meal quality.
• 🤝 **Co-creation**: Engaging stakeholders in the creative process through workshops fostered ownership, engagement, and the generation of innovative ideas.
• 💡 **Prototyping and Experimentation**: The iterative process of prototyping and testing with real customers was essential for refining the service and menu design.
• 📈 **Measurable Impact**: The redesign led to a significant increase in meal orders, demonstrating the tangible business impact of design thinking.
• 💖 **Emotional Connection**: The project emphasized the importance of emotional connection, showing that addressing emotional needs can lead to better service and higher satisfaction.
• 🌟 **Transformation Beyond Menu**: The transformation went beyond the menu to innovate the entire business model, enhancing the relationship between kitchen staff and customers.

Q & A

What is the main problem addressed in the story about Denmark?

The main problem addressed is the poor nutrition and quality of life among Denmark's elderly population, particularly the more than 125,000 senior citizens who rely on government-sponsored meals.

Why did the municipality of Christo brow invite Hatch & Blum to work with them?

The municipality of Christo brow invited Hatch & Blum to work with them to improve the nutrition of their elderly population by enhancing the meal service for seniors.

What was the initial assumption of the municipal leadership regarding the project?

The initial assumption was that improving the nutrition of seniors could be achieved by simply enhancing the current menu and asking elderly clients about their menu preferences.

How did Hatch & Blum's approach differ from the municipality's initial assumption?

Hatch & Blum took a user-centered design approach, which led to a completely redesigned meal service offering higher quality, more flexibility, and increased choice, rather than just fixing the menu.

What is journey mapping and how was it used in this project?

Journey mapping is a tool that follows a customer or stakeholder as they receive a product or service, focusing on their functional and emotional experiences. It was used to trace the experience of elderly clients from the meal delivery to consumption, uncovering unarticulated needs.

What emotional needs were identified for both the seniors and kitchen workers?

Both seniors and kitchen workers experienced feelings of disconnection and alienation. Seniors felt a loss of control over their food choices and embarrassment about receiving assistance, while kitchen workers felt demoralized due to the low status of their job.

What is co-creation and how was it utilized in the project?

Co-creation is a design tool that involves stakeholders in the creative process, creating ownership and engagement. It was used in workshops to develop insights, generate ideas, and test prototypes with a diverse group of stakeholders.

How did the use of visualization as a design tool contribute to the project?

Visualization helped make abstract ideas more concrete by using imagery. It allowed participants to see and evaluate different menu options, colors, and presentation styles, making the decision-making process more tangible and effective.

What were some of the significant changes that resulted from the project?

The project resulted in a new menu, new uniforms for staff, a new name 'The Good Kitchen', improved meal descriptions, new communication channels, and a shift in employees' perception of their work, leading to increased satisfaction for both staff and customers.

What was the impact of the changes on meal orders and staff satisfaction?

The changes led to a 500% increase in meal orders in the first week and significantly improved the satisfaction of kitchen workers, which in turn led to happier customers and better food quality.

How does the story of 'The Good Kitchen' relate to business model innovation?

The story illustrates that business model innovation is about more than just developing new products or services; it involves innovating the entire business model to create better value for all stakeholders involved, as seen in the transformation of the meal service for seniors.

Outlines

00:00

🍽️ Design Thinking in Action: The Danish Senior Meal Service Challenge

The video script begins by introducing design thinking through a real-world example in Denmark, where the aging population presents challenges, particularly in serving over 125,000 senior citizens who rely on government-sponsored meals. The municipality of Christo brow sought to improve the nutrition of elderly citizens through a redesign of the meal service. Initially, the project was seen as a simple menu improvement task, but it evolved into a broader initiative to enhance the entire meal service experience. Danish innovation firm Hatch & Blum was invited to collaborate, and they employed a user-centered design approach, starting with ethnographic research and journey mapping to understand the behaviors, needs, and wishes of the elderly. This approach revealed unarticulated emotional needs and the importance of addressing both the seniors and the kitchen staff's perspectives.

05:01

👵🍲 Uncovering Emotional Needs and Co-Creation for Innovation

The second paragraph delves into the emotional needs of both the seniors and the kitchen workers, highlighting feelings of disconnection and alienation. The seniors felt embarrassed by their reliance on government assistance and had a strong desire for control over their food choices. Kitchen workers, constrained by perceived economic and logistical limitations, were found to be demotivated. Hatch & Blum's research revealed seniors' capabilities in the kitchen and their preference for seasonal foods. The team then moved into the 'what-if' stage, engaging a diverse group of stakeholders in a series of workshops to co-create solutions. This process involved brainstorming and using analogies to shift perspectives, leading to innovative ideas such as enhancing menu descriptions and considering the entire meal delivery process from a restaurant service perspective.

10:03

🔍 Prototyping and Experimentation Lead to Transformation

The third paragraph describes the prototyping and testing phase of the project, where Hatch & Blum worked with participants to create and refine menu options, using visualization to make abstract ideas more concrete. They tested different menu presentations, including colors, photos, and illustrations, to gather feedback. The process led to significant changes, such as a new menu, staff uniforms, and a new name for the kitchen service, 'The Good Kitchen.' Communication channels were also established to maintain close contact between kitchen staff and clients. The transformation not only improved meal orders by 500% within the first week but also enhanced job satisfaction among kitchen workers and meal enjoyment for seniors. The story emphasizes the importance of business model innovation, moving beyond product development to innovating the entire service experience.

Keywords

💡Design Thinking

Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding user needs and experiences to create innovative solutions. In the video, it is used to address the challenge of improving meal services for elderly citizens in Denmark. The process involves empathy, experimentation, and iteration to develop a new and better meal service that enhances the quality of life for seniors.

💡Ethnographic Research

Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method that involves observing and interviewing people in their natural environments to understand their behaviors, needs, and cultural practices. In the video, Hatch & Blum used this approach to explore the lives of elderly citizens and kitchen workers, which helped uncover the emotional and functional needs related to meal services.

💡Journey Mapping

Journey mapping is a tool used in design thinking to visualize the entire process a customer or user goes through when interacting with a product or service. It helps identify touchpoints and pain points. In the video, journey mapping was used to trace the experience of elderly citizens receiving meals, from delivery to consumption, revealing unmet emotional needs and opportunities for improvement.

💡Co-creation

Co-creation is a collaborative approach where stakeholders, including users, are involved in the design process to generate ideas and solutions. It fosters ownership and engagement. In the video, co-creation was used in workshops to involve various stakeholders in developing a new meal service, leading to a more inclusive and innovative solution.

💡Prototyping

Prototyping is the process of creating a preliminary model or representation of a product or service to test its feasibility and gather user feedback. In the video, Hatch & Blum used prototyping to test different menu designs and meal presentations with actual customers, which helped refine the final meal service design.

💡Visualization

Visualization is a design tool that uses imagery to make abstract ideas more concrete and understandable. It helps stakeholders see and interact with potential solutions. In the video, visualization was used to present different menu options to participants, making the decision-making process more tangible and effective.

💡User-Centered Design

User-Centered Design is a design philosophy that prioritizes the user's needs, preferences, and behaviors in the design process. It ensures that the final product or service is tailored to the users. In the video, the user-centered approach led to a dramatic reframing of the meal service problem, focusing on the emotional and functional needs of both the elderly and kitchen workers.

💡Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement is the process of involving individuals or groups who have an interest or stake in a project to ensure their perspectives are considered. In the video, engaging stakeholders like kitchen workers, elderly citizens, and municipal officials was crucial for understanding diverse viewpoints and creating a successful meal service redesign.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of introducing new ideas, methods, or products to improve or create a new service or process. In the video, innovation is not just about creating a new menu but involves rethinking the entire meal service model to address the emotional and functional needs of the elderly and kitchen workers.

💡Business Model Innovation

Business Model Innovation involves creating new or modifying existing business models to deliver value to customers and generate revenue. In the video, the transformation of the meal service for seniors in Denmark is an example of business model innovation, where the entire approach to serving meals was reimagined to improve both the service and the experience.

💡Feedback Mechanisms

Feedback mechanisms are processes or systems that allow for the collection and analysis of user feedback to improve products or services. In the video, new communication channels like newsletters and comment cards were introduced as part of the redesigned meal service to maintain close contact between kitchen staff and customers, enhancing service quality.

Highlights

Design thinking is used to solve a wide range of problems, including addressing the nutritional challenges of elderly citizens in Denmark.

The municipality of Christo brow aimed to improve meal services for seniors by initially focusing on menu improvement.

Hatch & Blum's user-centered design approach led to a complete redesign of the meal service, not just a menu update.

Ethnographic research and journey mapping were used to understand the elderly's behaviors, needs, and wishes.

Kitchen workers in public service kitchens faced low job status and demoralization, affecting meal quality.

The project scope was broadened to address both the elderly's and kitchen workers' emotional needs.

Both seniors and kitchen workers experienced feelings of disconnection and alienation.

Seniors valued control over their food choices, which was a significant factor in their nutrition.

Kitchen workers were found to be capable and wanted to do a good job, contrary to initial assumptions.

Seasonal foods and customization were important to the elderly, indicating a desire for variety and personalization.

Co-creation workshops were held to involve stakeholders in understanding challenges and generating ideas.

Brainstorming and analogies were used to shift mental models and stimulate creative thinking.

Prototyping and visualization were employed to test ideas and make them more tangible.

The project evolved to include new uniforms, a new name 'The Good Kitchen', and improved communication channels.

The redesign led to a 500% increase in meal orders in the first week, demonstrating the success of the approach.

The transformation shifted employees' perception of their work, leading to increased satisfaction and better food quality.

The story illustrates the importance of innovating the entire business model, not just developing new products or services.

Transcripts

to illustrate the design thinking

process that we've been talking about

I'd like to tell you a story about

design thinking in action as we go

through that story I will know different

tools and approaches that are being used

then at the end of this session I'll

tell you about some additional resources

we have available so that you can learn

more about them now you can use design

thinking to solve all sorts of problems

let's walk through one example to

illustrate what it looks like in the

real world to do so we're going to

travel to Denmark a country long

recognized for its distinctive attention

to design the Danes like citizens in

most developed countries recognize that

the aging of their population presents

many challenges one of these is serving

the more than 125,000 senior citizens

who rely on government sponsored meals

Danish municipalities deliver subsidized

meals to people who suffer from a

reduced ability to function whether that

is due to illness age or other

conditions many of these seniors have

nutritional challenges and a poor

quality of life because they simply do

not eat enough an estimated 60 percent

of elders living in assisted living have

poor nutrition an estimated 20% are

actually malnourished in response to

this growing social problem the

municipality of Christo brow decided to

dedicate their efforts to improve meal

service for seniors and they invited

Danish innovation firm hatch & Blum to

work with them to figure out how to

improve the nutrition of their elderly

population municipal leadership saw the

project initially as straightforward in

order to get seniors to eat more the

current menu just needed improving and

they wanted Hatchin bloom to ask elderly

clients about their menu preferences

this is a great example of how to narrow

a definition of the problem to be solved

can drive a lot of innovation right out

the window before you even get started

the opportunity turned out to be much

greater

and what Hatchin Blum ultimately

produced was much more than just a new

menu it was a completely redesigned meal

service that offered higher quality more

flexibility and increased choice this

dramatic reframing of the opportunity

emerged from the user centered design

approach that Hatchin Blum brought to

the process in which they discovered

that nearly fixing the menu wouldn't

solve the nutrition problem let's look

at some specifics about how they did it

they began by exploring what is digging

deep into seniors behaviors needs and

wishes using observation and

interviewing to identify their elderly

clients living situation and try and get

at their unarticulated needs the

approach they chose to use was

ethnographic the specific tool they used

was journey mapping the journey mapping

tool follows a customer or stakeholder

as they receive a product or service or

go through a process it pays attention

to what designers called the job to be

done in some ways journey mapping is not

that different than the kind of

flowcharts or supply chains we might use

in business but there are some crucial

differences journey mapping recognizes

that most of us are trying to do jobs

that are both functional and emotional a

lot of the unarticulated needs turn out

to be on the emotional side making this

tool very valuable for uncovering hidden

opportunities to create better value for

people Hatchin Blum used journey mapping

to trace the experience of the elderly

from beginning to end

they rode with food service employees

who delivered the meal they accompanied

them into the homes they watched as

clients prepared the food added

ingredients set the table and then

finally ate the meal they also

interviewed the supervisor of the food

preparation process in her workplace and

what they saw in the kitchen surprised

them

working in a public service kitchen was

a low status job in Denmark and kitchen

employees seemed demoralized and

unmotivated it was not going to be

enough to focus on the needs of the

elderly team members realized they would

need to address the problems of the

employees producing the meals as well

and so the team decided it was important

to broaden the scope of the project

beyond just improving the menu and they

helped the municipal officials

understand why this was necessary from

this dual focus on the people preparing

the meals and on the seniors receiving

them a set of interesting insights began

to emerge they discovered that both the

seniors and the kitchen workers had

important emotional needs that were not

being met

they were both experiencing feelings of

disconnection and alienation the social

stigma of even having to receive such

assistance weighed heavily on the

clients they were embarrassed help for

cleaning was considered acceptable in

Danish culture but helped for more

personal needs was much less so it also

mattered who was providing the help in

Denmark a senior hope to receive

assistance from a relative or friend if

that was not possible perhaps one could

hire someone but it was a last resort to

receive assistance from the government

also painful to seniors was the loss of

control over their food choices we

discovered that deciding what kind of

food they put in their mouths was the

second most important thing for the

elderly after taking care of their

personal hygiene the head of the hatch

and Blum team told us and they hated

eating alone because it reminded them

that their families were no longer

around

all of these factors contributed

directly to the nutrition problem and

put it in a broader context the less

they enjoyed their situation the smaller

their appetites

the kitchen workers Hatchin Blum learned

we're making the same boring low-cost

meals over and over not because they

lack skills or because they just didn't

care but because of the perceived

economic and logistical constraints that

prevented them from doing something more

interesting the team also found positive

things however they discovered that the

generation of seniors they studied was

very responsible and capable in the

kitchen and had a keen sense of the

seasons and positive associations with

seasonal foods such as apples in the

fall and strawberries in the summer they

also often tried to customize their

meals by adding spices or using their

own potatoes or vegetables the Hatchin

Blum team also discovered that the

kitchen workers really did care and

wanted to do a good job once team

members had finished their ethnographic

research they moved into the what-if

stage for this they wanted to enlist a

broader group of stakeholders in

understanding the nature of the

challenges and participating in creating

a new and better meal service they

wanted to co-create with their important

stakeholders to accomplish this they had

a series of workshops that brought

together a diverse set of stakeholders

it included public officials volunteers

experts and elderly issues kitchen

workers and employees of residential

care facilities together they reviewed

the ethnographic research and developed

insights and design criteria to form

idea generation this kind of co-creation

is another important design tool

inviting stakeholders into the creative

process creates ownership and engagement

as well as producing better ideas

the co-creation tool will turn out to be

useful in every one of the four

questions as you'll see later in the

second question

Hatchin Blum used a brainstorming

process in which facilitators used

analogies as trigger questions to help

shift participants mental models of food

service as they generated ideas the

facilitators asked participants to think

of the kitchen as a restaurant

triggering a creative rush the kitchen

workers they assumed then must be the

chef's and if they were the chef's who

were the waiters this began to bring

ideas like the condition of the vehicles

used for meal delivery into the

discussion they continued to work with

the restaurant analogy as they

considered the food itself until that

point the menus had been minimalist

factual descriptions of the food perhaps

detailing how it was prepared for

instance one item red liver potatoes and

sauce that's not exactly a description

that will make your mouth water is it

but now participants in the workshop

started to wonder maybe we should look

at actual restaurant menus maybe we

should describe our meals in a

completely different more enticing way

the third workshop move them into the

what Wow stage and continue to emphasize

the design tool of co-creation

but this time co-creation was used to

test ideas rather than generate them

this third workshop was much more

hands-on and involved prototyping at

least in a rough way the solutions

coming out of the what-if workshops for

example hatch and bloom work with

participants on three different versions

of the menu

asking them which they liked and how

they felt about various aspects such as

the colors they favored and whether they

preferred photos or illustrations they

used a design tool called visualization

to make these different options feel

more real to participants

visualization is one of the essential

design tools it's not about drawing a

skill that many of us don't have it's

about using imagery to make an abstract

idea more public and more concrete so

that it will be more visible clear and

understandable to others

Hatchin bloom didn't talk to people

about the different options they showed

them the different options they then

moved into what works testing prototypes

with different combinations and ways of

presenting the food with actual

customers the learning from this initial

set of experiments resulted in a second

project with some quick packaging design

changes that allowed for more modular

Mills where components were separated

instead of being mixed together the

process also yielded new uniforms for

employees and a new name the good

kitchen that reflected everybody's

aspirations it also included new

communication channels using newsletters

and comment cards to keep clients in the

kitchen staff in close touch with each

other and so a process that began with a

simple mandate fix the menu evolved into

something much more significant as it

moved through the four questions using

design tools like journey mapping

co-creation prototyping and

experimentation that process yielded a

host of dramatic changes a new menu new

uniforms for staff new feedback

mechanisms but equally important it made

everyone involved cognizant of the real

people they were serving or being served

by today poster brows seniors know who

is shaping their meatballs and preparing

the gravy in the kitchen and this

relationship between the kitchen staff

and the customers which is now both

personal and professional has increased

greatly the satisfaction of both

the results speak for themselves

reorganizing the menu and improving the

descriptions of the meals drove a 500%

increase in meal orders in the first

week alone but the results were much

more about the number of meals served

one of the most important elements of

the transformation was the shift in

employees perception of themselves in

their work the kitchen workers are now

much more satisfied in motivate as a

result customers are happier with their

food if you have professional pride

you'll also cook good food and marie

nielsen the director of the good kitchen

told us good food has to come from the

heart what we are talking about in the

good kitchen story is about more than

just developing new products or services

we're talking about innovating the

entire business model I'd like you to

spend a few minutes now listening to

Jeremy Alexis a professor at the Chicago

Institute of design as he shares his

views on the importance of business

model innovation