Developing a mobile food printing prototype: A design inquiry of potential applications in professional kitchens

3D printing technologies have set the ground for the evolution of 3D food printing (3DFP) technology. However, a technology-oriented development may overlook situated food practices and experiences that 3DFP technology could enrich. To explore potential new device designs for 3DFP technology, we created the Mobile Food Printer (MFP) prototype. We collected insights from novice chefs for this prototype in the restaurant context through four online focus group sessions ( N = 12). Results revealed four learnings on how the MFP can be designed to adapt kitchen routines and introduce novel dining experiences. Using these learnings, in an ideation workshop with designers and engineers ( N = 6), we reached conceptual design proposals. We conclude this work by discussing three potential design opportunities for future human–food interaction artefact designs, focusing on (1) situated restaurant practices, (2) mediating food-related communication and (3) mobility across objects, boundaries and spatial infrastructure. Our findings demonstrate how mobility may be designed in 3DFP to reconfigure spatial organization, streamline labour practices and enrich dining experiences. Moreover, by grounding emerging capabilities in situated practices and experiential values, we demonstrate an example of how to implement new features for novel human–food interaction artefacts.