Visual Storytelling with Food: Designing New Perspectives
A course by Nicole VindelArtist and Creative Director
A course by Nicole Vindel, Artist and Creative Director
Discover how to use food as a tool to inspire positive change by exploring creative and critical thinking techniques
Critical thinking and food design are at the heart of culinary innovation and awareness. Through her sculptures, photography and designs, artist Nicole Vindel aims to raise awareness to shift narratives about how we eat and our relationship with the environment. She is the founder of Food Design Nation and Random Happiness Art Collective, and has collaborated with institutions like El Celler de Can Roca, Foodcultura, and Tercer Paraíso.
In this course, she guides you through the critical thinking and creative process of reshaping our relationship with food and building a better, more sustainable tomorrow. Discover how to build the framework of a food artifact with a fresh perspective, a sustainable design, and a compelling visual narrative.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 30 downloads
History of Tableware and Food Tools
13 minutes, 6 seconds
Selection and Collection
7 minutes, 56 seconds
Examples
9 minutes, 27 seconds
Mind Map
11 minutes, 10 seconds
Insights
9 minutes, 53 seconds
"How Might We" Questions
6 minutes, 29 seconds
What's included in this course?
Meet Nicole Vindel, artist and creative director, and your teacher for this course. She shares her creative journey that led her to found Food Design Nation as well as Random Happiness Art Collective. Hear about her influences and the sources of inspiration that have motivated her along the way.
Start by getting an overview of the history of tableware and food tools, and explore their form, function and symbolism. Decide on the food artifact you want to develop and collect references of variations and designs. Then Nicole walks you through a case study about food narratives to inspire your artifact design.
Create a mindmap to unleash the potential of your design and build a connection with your object. Delve deeper into the brainstorming process by analyzing your mindmap and extracting relevant insights to further shape your design. Nicole then guides you through asking yourself the right questions to tackle potential design problems.
Develop the transformative narrative of your food artifact by creating an “iteration grid”. Nicole guides you through the process of adding meaning to your ideas by drawing them out. Finalize the narrative behind your piece by exploring writing techniques to help encapsulate the depth of your ideas.
With your ideas and narrative clearly defined, it’s time to develop the prototype of your food artifact. Draw its size, proportions, composition, and details. Nicole then demonstrates how to build your prototypes by first defining its dimensions in detail. She also shares tips on collaborating with an artisan to bring your object to life. Wrap up the course by exploring art direction to capture the essence of your artifact through photography.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Design a piece of tableware or food tool, based on creative and critical thinking, to change perspectives around food.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for artists, designers, inventors, or anyone interested in creating visual narratives through food and design.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of Illustrator is helpful.
To take this course, you need access to a computer with the above-mentioned software, or similar. You will also need drawing tools like pencil and paper, and the ability to think critically about new methods and techniques.
Reviews
- _alessiaPLUS4 years ago
Corso molto interessante, consigliato.
- martaonilssonPLUS4 years ago
Curso super estimulante y especial. Se aprende muchísimo, hace repensar los objetos y momentos cotidianos con mirada curiosa y super creativa y te anima a desarrollar un proyecto de manera que sea toda una experiencia. Muy recomendable!!
She discovered the power food has to generate empathy, awaken critical perspectives on daily actions and choices, and create opportunities to reflect on the unspoken. Nicole has since collaborated with cultural institutions like FoodCultura Foundation, BCD Barcelona Center of Design, and El Tercer Paraíso. She is also the founder of Food Design Nation and Random Happiness Art Collective.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
The Eating Artifact
- History of Tableware and Food Tools
- Selection and Collection
- Examples
- U3
Connecting with Your Object
- Mind Map
- Insights
- "How Might We" Questions
- U4
Narratives
- Customizing Your Iteration Grid
- Drawing Your Ideas
- Defining Your Narrative
- U5
Prototype and Final Piece
- Prototype Drawing
- Prototype Building
- Final Piece (Artisan)
- Art Direction (Bonus)
- FP
Final project
- Visual Storytelling with Food: Designing New Perspectives
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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FAQs
This course explores the creative process of designing narrative-driven food objects, combining history, culture, and hands-on prototyping to create meaningful artifacts that communicate stories and symbolism through food and tableware.
The course is aimed at intermediate learners but is accessible to those with a basic understanding of design thinking or creative processes who want to deepen their skills in food-centered artifact design.
You will learn to analyze food's symbolic roles, create and prototype food artifacts, use mind mapping and iteration grids, collaborate with artisans, and develop narratives that connect food, culture, and design.
You’ll need basic art supplies for prototyping and sketching, a camera or smartphone for documentation, and access to common design software like Illustrator for vector-based exercises.
The course guides you through sketching, material selection, rapid prototyping, and refining food object concepts, culminating in a physical or visual prototype that expresses a narrative or cultural theme.
Mind mapping is used to organize ideas, analyze object characteristics, and uncover insights, helping you visualize connections between food, history, culture, and user context for more meaningful designs.
Yes, the course covers the historical transformation, symbolism, and cultural significance of tableware and utensils, providing context for contemporary food design projects.