Researchers from Hanze University of Applied Sciences and CMD students are collaborating to create a healthier food environment at festivals. Gronings Feestmaal initiates conversations about the value and appreciation of food, while the research tool Visto allows participants to capture photos and ratings via an app, which researchers then analyze in a dashboard.

During Zwarte Cross, Gronings Feestmaal and Visto tested how visitors could be involved in designing an ideal food selection. Participants took photos of the food on offer, rated them in the app, and discussed their eating habits and wishes. In total, 154 visitors completed the Visto app and 134 visitors spoke with the Gronings Feestmaal team.

The app was used largely independently, although participants sometimes missed that there were multiple questions. More than 80% of the photos were usable, but location data was often not shared, causing images to appear incorrectly on the map. The map visualization was interesting, but it was distracting in some co-creation discussions.

Based on these insights, the app’s design is being improved so participants see all the questions and sharing their location becomes easier. The test setup is also being adjusted, allowing researchers to operate the map themselves and use images more effectively in conversations. Additionally, the protocol for image use is being refined to increase user-friendliness. With these improvements, Gronings Feestmaal and Visto aim to repeat the test and further optimize their collaboration.

In collaboration with: Zwarte Cross, Hanzehogeschool, Visto and Regieorgaan SIA.