Short answer
Designers and marketers must move beyond a purely product-centric view and embrace a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that consumer behaviour is embedded within a complex web of social, cultural, and environmental influences.
- Field
- Innovation & Markets
- Source
- Heliyon (2024)
- Method
- Systematic review of reviews
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Understanding consumer food choices requires a holistic approach that considers individual psychology, social influences, cultural norms, and the broader physical and informational environment. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2024 study published in Heliyon. Using Systematic review of reviews, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers and marketers must move beyond a purely product-centric view and embrace a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that consumer behaviour is embedded within a complex web of social, cultural, and environmental influences.
Consumer food choices are complex, influenced by a socioecological web of factors beyond price and taste.
Understanding consumer food choices requires a holistic approach that considers individual psychology, social influences, cultural norms, and the broader physical and informational environment.
Heliyon · 2024
Key Findings
- 01Food choice is influenced by product attributes, information, price, context, personal/group influences, and sensory perceptions.
- 02A socioecological model effectively integrates influences from the physical food environment, social/community level, interpersonal relations, and individual characteristics.
- 03Behavioural patterns, shaped by informal institutions like culture and norms, are resistant to change, posing a challenge for shifting towards sustainable food behaviours.
- 04More interdisciplinary research in real-life settings is needed to understand the complexity of food choice.
Application
Design takeaway
Designers and marketers must move beyond a purely product-centric view and embrace a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that consumer behaviour is embedded within a complex web of social, cultural, and environmental influences.
How to apply
When designing new food products or campaigns, map out all potential influencing factors using a socioecological framework. Consider how to leverage social norms, cultural relevance, and environmental context to encourage desired behaviours.
Project actions
- 01When researching user needs, go beyond asking about preferences and explore social influences, cultural background, and environmental context.
- 02Consider how your design might interact with or influence social norms and cultural practices.
- 03Think about how to make sustainable choices the easiest and most socially accepted choices.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Systematic review of reviews provides a broad overview of existing knowledge.
- +Application of the socioecological model offers a structured framework for understanding complex influences.
Limitations
It can be challenging to isolate and measure the impact of each socioecological factor in a real-world design project. Cultural norms can be difficult to fully grasp without extensive ethnographic research.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings depends on the quality and consistency of the reviews synthesized. Validity is enhanced by the systematic approach to selecting and analyzing reviews, but the complexity of the topic means that definitive causal links for all factors may be difficult to establish.
Think critically
How can designers effectively intervene in deeply ingrained cultural norms or social behaviours to promote more sustainable consumption patterns, given the resistance identified in this review?
Design Principles
"Design interventions for behaviour change must be multi-layered, addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants."
For designers and marketers, this means that product development and communication strategies must go beyond basic functional or sensory attributes. Addressing deeply ingrained behavioural patterns and cultural contexts is crucial for driving adoption of new products, especially those aiming for sustainability.
What This Means for Your Design
What people choose to eat is not just about what tastes good or is cheap; it's also about what their friends and family eat, what's normal in their culture, and what's easily available around them.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the socioecological model to structure your research into user needs and behaviours, ensuring you explore multiple levels of influence.
- 2.Cite this review when discussing the complexity of consumer behaviour and the challenges of behaviour change.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that consumer food choices are not driven by isolated factors but are embedded within a complex socioecological system. Influences range from individual sensory perceptions and psychological factors to interpersonal relationships, community norms, and the broader physical and cultural environment. Consequently, designing for behaviour change, particularly towards sustainability, requires a nuanced understanding of these interconnected determinants, acknowledging that deeply ingrained cultural and social patterns can present significant barriers to adoption.
Source
Questions About This Research
- What does the research say about consumer food choices are complex, influenced by a socioecological web of factors beyond price and taste?
- Designers and marketers must move beyond a purely product-centric view and embrace a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that consumer behaviour is embedded within a complex web of social, cultural, and environmental influences. Evidence: Heliyon (2024).
- Why does "Consumer food choices are complex, influenced by a socioecological web of factors beyond price and taste." matter for design?
- For designers and marketers, this means that product development and communication strategies must go beyond basic functional or sensory attributes. Addressing deeply ingrained behavioural patterns and cultural contexts is crucial for driving adoption of new products, especially those aiming for sustainability.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Designers and marketers must move beyond a purely product-centric view and embrace a systems-thinking approach, recognizing that consumer behaviour is embedded within a complex web of social, cultural, and environmental influences.
- What were the main findings?
- Food choice is influenced by product attributes, information, price, context, personal/group influences, and sensory perceptions.. A socioecological model effectively integrates influences from the physical food environment, social/community level, interpersonal relations, and individual characteristics.. Behavioural patterns, shaped by informal institutions like culture and norms, are resistant to change, posing a challenge for shifting towards sustainable food behaviours.. More interdisciplinary research in real-life settings is needed to understand the complexity of food choice.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic review of reviews.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2024 journal from Heliyon.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing new food products or campaigns, map out all potential influencing factors using a socioecological framework. Consider how to leverage social norms, cultural relevance, and environmental context to encourage desired behaviours.
- What are the limitations?
- The review synthesizes existing reviews, so its findings are dependent on the quality and scope of the original studies. The focus on reviews published between 2017-2021 may miss very recent developments.