World Within Reach

I started by looking into why travel becomes more difficult as we get older and how people can continue experiencing different cultures without leaving home. Through research, interviews with Nonna herself, and exploring different ideas, I landed on the concept of bringing an Italian Sunday Lunch into the home, using familiar ingredients and personal stories to make the experience feel more meaningful.

Bringing the idea to life involved a lot of trial and error! I started with a simple paper prototype before moving into laser cut MDF, testing different layouts, materials and ways of opening the compartments. Alongside the physical design, I worked with Arduino and audio components to bring Nonna’s stories to life whenever an ingredient was revealed.

Once the prototype came together, I wanted to see how people would actually interact with it. Through user testing, I was able to see what felt natural, where people got confused and which parts of the experience stood out most. Their feedback helped me make final refinements to the design and identify what I could explore further to enhance the exhibition experience.