Making Sense of (Playful) Human-Food Interaction

Activity in Human-Food Interaction (HFI) research is skyrocketing across a broad range of disciplinary interests and concerns. The dynamic and heterogeneous nature of this emerging field presents a challenge to scholars wishing to critically engage with prior work, identify gaps and ensure impact. It also challenges the formation of community. We conducted a Systematic Mapping Study of HFI research and developed an online data visualisation tool, the HFI Lit Review app, to respond to these issues. The tool allows researchers to engage in new ways with the HFI literature, propose modifications and additions to the review, and thereby actively engage in communitymaking. Our contribution is threefold: (1) we characterize the state of HFI, reporting trends, challenges and opportunities; (2) we provide a taxonomy and tool for diffractive reading of the literature; and (3) we offer our approach for adaptation by research fields facing similar challenges, positing value of the tool and approach beyond HFI. This project was led by Ferran Altarriba Bertran and Danielle Wilde (University of Southern Denmark), and co-authored with Samvid Jhaveri, Rosa Lutz, and Katherine Isbister. Following, we did a systematic review of a subset of HFI works that we call Playful HFI—interventions that use game- or play-inspired mechanisms to add value to foodrelated experiences. To support our review, we offer a conceptual model of Playful HFI informed by: (i) the 34 publications in our dataset; (ii) theories of play, games and HFI; and (iii) previous reviews of play-related HCI. Our conceptual model and review characterise the current state of Playful HFI, highlight resemblances and differences with the broader field of HFI as a whole and surface challenges and opportunities in this new and exciting design space. Our contribution will help HFI scholars to explore new and increasingly playful avenues for the future of food technology and will empower the HFI community to better position (and critically reflect on) future research at the intersection of play, technology and food. This project was led by Ferran Altarriba Bertran and Danielle Wilde (University of Southern Denmark), and co-authored with Ernö Berezvay (Open University) and Katherine Isbister.