The RCA's School of Design collaborated with Sodexo, the global leader in sustainable food services and valued experiences, to present a new studio project: Eats and Algorithms.
At a glance
Led by senior RCA School of Design academics and nine interdisciplinary teams consisting of Masters students from different programmes (MA Service Design, MA Textiles, MDes Design Futures, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering and MA Design Products), students took part in seminars and workshops centred around three core themes:
- Food experience and new societal and lifestyle innovation. Delivering a top-tier consumer experience that focuses on food in a hybrid-working environment and considers social, societal and environmental impacts.
- Sustainability by design. Developing sustainable design solutions to reduce environmental footprints, such as cutting carbon emissions, promoting local and responsible food choices, and reducing food waste.
- Technological, digital and AI transformation. Creating new digital and AI-driven services that enhance consumer experiences with food in the workplace while promoting the well-being and health of communities.
“Eats and Algorithms is the perfect example of how industry and creative higher education can work together to innovate and demonstrate the impact our students can have in practice outside of the RCA. It's wonderful to see how the teams have embraced interdisciplinary working in their responses to the brief, and developed inspiring solutions.”
Dean of the School of Communication at the Royal College of Art & Interim Dean of the School of Design
Key details
More information
RCA Partner
Founded in 1966, Sodexo is now the global leader in sustainable food. It provides food services, facilities management, and other support services to clients across various sectors, including businesses, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and government agencies, with a focus on creating environments that support wellbeing and improve the quality of life for millions.
The challenge
The 'Eats and Algorithms' project sought interdisciplinary design solutions that have the potential to be implemented into Sodexo’s operations within two – five years.
This innovative collaboration provided students with the opportunity to design new experiences and sustainable solutions for digitising food in an industry context, creating real-world change.
Our approach
Over the course of the project, student groups received mentorship and feedback from expert speakers and professionals in the fields of AI in Design, Sustainability by Design, and Consumer Behaviour in Food, before presenting their final projects to leaders from Sodexo and the RCA.
In preparation for competition day, the groups had to submit a presentation, three-minute video summary and a two-page written document, offering a technical deep dive into the project.
The final event of the project took place in May 2025 at the Hangar Space, RCA Battersea Campus. The day celebrated the culmination of months of interdisciplinary work, showcasing innovative design solutions for the future of food services.
Outcomes
Out of the eight final projects presented, six received specific commendation from the Sodexo team for their relevance, originality, and alignment with real-world service contexts. These acknowledged projects were identified as strong candidates for further development.
As a result, discussions have commenced with InnovationRCA, the Royal College of Art’s commercialisation and entrepreneurship hub. Selected teams have been encouraged to explore potential pathways to refine and scale their concepts, ranging from pilot opportunities within Sodexo’s service ecosystem to funding and mentoring for broader commercial or research-based development.
This final stage marked not just the conclusion of a successful competition, but also the beginning of possible industry collaborations for several student teams.
The winning projects were:
1st Prize (£5,000) – Interlude
Interlude directly addresses an identified and pressing need, within modern professional and academic settings, for improved micro-food solutions within time-constrained modern settings. By integrating thoughtfully-designed micro-food items with an intelligent, semi-automated dispensing system and a personalised mobile application, Interlude presents a robust and compelling value proposition. The project underscores the principle that convenient eating can also be intelligent and satisfying.
Team: Matthew Lee (MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering), Wigy Ramadhan (MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering), Hanna Park (MDes Design Futures), Yuki Abe (MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering).
2nd Prize (£3,000) – Sous Chef
Sous Chef is a smart, AI-powered meal companion designed to elevate Sodexo’s food services by seamlessly integrating into the daily lives of employees, both at home and at the office. It supports personalised, data-driven meal planning while enhancing employee wellbeing and workplace culture through social food experiences. As the workforce evolves, so must the systems that support it. Sous Chef reimagines food not just as sustenance, but as a shared value system - a way to feel good, work better, and connect meaningfully.
Team: Sanyukta Mathure (MDes Design Futures), Neha Parekh (MA Service Design), Simran Kad (MA Service Design), Kan Yen Chen (MA Design Products).
3rd Prize (£2,000) – Smataste
Smataste is an Al-centric platform that uses algorithms for connecting a Smart Taste Index with a user’s personal health and taste preferences, enhancing wellbeing, and flexibility in the Gen Z workplace food experience. This approach provides the business with a Societal Dietary Trend tool for forecasting an ingredients management, whilst providing the Gen Z user with Personalised Dining Solutions and dynamic health support through a nutritionist-approved meal.
Team: Zixiang Feng (MDes Design Futures), Fangzhou Wu (MDes Design Futures), Yutong Zhu (MDes Design Futures), Wenjinhan Chen (MDes Design Futures).
