Please switch to light mode for a better experience.

Intro

Sensation is designed to improve the dining experience for solo diners and small groups.

Many people experience loneliness when eating alone or awkward silence when dining with friends.
This project explores how digital interaction, entertainment, and virtual environments could make dining more engaging.

With Sensation, diners can:

• order food through a digital menu
• listen to music
• watch short videos
• explore a virtual world while waiting for food

Background & Inspiration

Solo dining is common

Nearly 50% of adults in the U.S. are single, and solo dining is becoming increasingly common.

On social media platforms like Instagram, thousands of posts already use the #solodining hashtag.

China

In 2021:

• 68.1% of singles said eating alone was common
• 32.9% often ate alone even in their spare time

Convenience is the most important factor when choosing solo dining.

Small groups — Lack of conversation topics

While dining out, I observed couples or friends who spent long periods in silence.

People want good conversation during meals, yet often run out of topics.

Restaurants competing for attention

Restaurants increasingly collaborate with other brands to attract customers.

For example, miHoYo and KFC collaborated on a Genshin Impact event, attracting large crowds of fans.

These trends show that:

• restaurants benefit from interactive experiences
• customers are willing to participate in engaging events

Design Concept

Device and Technical Preparation

User Journey

Interface and Features

Ordering with a tablet

Order confirmation

Emotion-driven interaction

Users can express their feelings and receive content recommendations.

Virtual world interaction

Users receive a card with their order, activating a random character in a virtual world.

This creates a playful experience while waiting for food.

Entertainment panel

Users can interact with entertainment features while dining.

Order management

Membership system

Users can view personal information and redeem gifts using credits.

Music recommendation

Songs are recommended according to the user’s emotional state.

Short video recommendation

Virtual world exploration

Users can explore checkpoints, collect characters, and receive coupons or rewards.

Implementation with AR

Characters can be activated through AR scanning using the mobile app.

Technology used:

• Blender for 3D modelling
• Unity for application development
• Vuforia for AR tracking

Mobile Application

The mobile app allows users to access the virtual world anytime.

Users can:

• meet other users
• explore the world
• collect characters
• take photos and share on social media

Graphical Assets