Construction and Empirical Research for User Demand-Oriented Food Product Design Pathway

With the globalization accelerates rapidly and consumer cultures become increasingly diverse, food design has shifted from a focus on functionality to prioritizing cultural value, emotional connection, and personalized experiences. In particular, within the realm of cultural and creative foods, the central challenge lies in integrating local culture with contemporary craftsmanship to meet the varied demands of consumers. Dali, a city rich in historical and cultural heritage, provides abundant inspiration for designing cultural and creative ice creams. However, existing designs largely rely on surface-level cultural symbols, failing to meet consumer expectations for interactivity, emotional engagement, and innovation, and neglecting the exploration of deeper cultural meanings. This shortcoming limits both the market appeal and the cultural dissemination potential of Dali's cultural ice cream.This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and proposes a food design framework based on the F-KANO-AD-TOPSIS integrated model. The research first collects and analyzes the preferences of 26 tourists through surveys and in-depth interviews. Using the KJ method, the study identifies four major preference categories for Dali's cultural ice cream design: functionality, enjoyment, ease of use, and emotional connection. From these, 20 key user needs were distilled. The F-Kano model questionnaire was then employed to classify the demand attributes, distributing 387 questionnaires and receiving 371 valid responses. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.781 indicated the reliability of the data. Based on the prioritization of these demand attributes, 10 significant user needs were identified: a refreshing and pleasant experience, comfortable taste, color harmony, a sense of ritual and participation, brand identity, convenient and safe consumption, diverse flavors, aesthetic appeal, social engagement, and entertainment value.The study then applies AD theory to translate these user needs into functional requirements, mapping them onto 10 design parameters: improved craftsmanship, optimized formulations, color coordination, creation of immersive consumption experiences, establishment of a distinctive brand image, use of healthy ingredients, flavor enhancement, aesthetic design improvements, integration of local cultural elements, and increased enjoyment. These parameters provide a structured approach to designing cultural ice cream. Finally, the TOPSIS method was used for a multi-criteria evaluation of three design proposals. Proposal 1 emphasizes brand identity; Proposal 2 integrates brand identity with diversified aesthetics; and Proposal 3 focuses on experiential consumption methods to increase enjoyment. The results show that Proposal 2 (a diversified design centered on the cultural IP of local attractions) performs best in terms of functionality, emotional appeal, and enjoyment, with a relative closeness score of 0.931, significantly outperforming the other proposals and existing market products.The findings demonstrate that the food design framework presented in this study is both scientifically sound and practical. It not only enhances consumer satisfaction with cultural ice creams but also boosts cultural transmission and market competitiveness. This research extends the theoretical framework of cultural and creative food design and provides valuable guidance for companies in the development of cultural food products, offering a significant reference for future research and applications in this field.