Build to Learn - Part I

There’s no question that IDEO knows a thing or two about prototyping

As I began deciding exactly what to prototype, I continually asked myself “What if…” and “What else?” By referring back to my experience map from a few weeks ago, I developed a list of every potential “thing” that might be involved in the ordering and preparation of a gluten-free meal in a restaurant – items both “behind the scenes” and “on the stage.” While this is an attempt to innovate a service, these physical items play a major role in the process, and also provide the playground for the innovation. In using color as a safety mechanism, these are all the things that could be colored and branded GLUTEN-FREE in order to translate into a safer and more enjoyable experience for the customer.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Labels and dedicated storage for incoming gluten-free ingredients. Making sure that all staff are on the same page about the safety of ingredients, and to minimize the potential for cross-contamination, all incoming raw materials should immediately be branded with the gluten-free mark and stored in a color-coded, dedicated storage area.

Prep and service materials. Although many utensils and cookware/dinnerware can be safely used for both regular and gluten-free meal preparation, some items should be dedicated to gluten-free only meals. At a minimum, the following items should be colored and branded to signal gluten-free specific:

Counter and prep area

Grill or griddle

Fryer (and frying oil)

Strainer and colander

Cutting board

Pizza and bread pans

Spoons, spatulas/turners, whisk, knives, and tongs

Apron

Ovenmitt

Dish cloth and dish towel

Gloves

Dinnerware (This is more for the purpose of reminding staff and ensuring the customer that their meal was carefully considered. Technically, dinnerware can be safely shared between gluten-free and regular meals.)

Posted preparation instructions. It is crucial that the restaurant post and adhere to a specific protocol for ensuring the safety of gluten-free meals.

ON THE STAGE

Welcome “gluten sensitive” notification. Letting customers know right away that a restaurant is aware of and understands gluten-sensitivity needs encourages greater dialogue and can be a pleasant surprise for new customers.

Gluten-free menu. This should be a separate menu that is NOT based off the regular menu. Sections like “About our ingredients” and “About our preparation” can help ward off numerous questions for the server/chef and allow the customer to easily decide if the restaurant meets his/her own personal safety needs.

Gluten-free table marker. This item would immediately designate the table or diner as gluten-sensitive and serve as a continual reminder to all restaurant staff of the enhanced safety needs.

Gluten-free order card. To help eliminate potential miscommunications between customer to server and server to chef, gluten-free diners would complete their meal selection on a card that is transferred to every staff member that handles the gluten-free meal. The card would also prevent one server from picking up or modifying another server’s order in a way that may be detrimental to the diner (despite their best intentions to help). The card serves as a constant reminder to all staff and as a signal of compliance and safety to the customer when it is returned to them alongside the meal.

Take-home/online evaluation. This would give the customer ample time to determine if the food was safe or caused sickness.

In addition to this list, the online, mobile, and social media outlets should reflect and reinforce the company’s commitment to gluten-free customers and adhere to the same branding and color-coding.