SoFD students study trip to Karol Bagh

Foundation year students from the School of Fashion & Design (SoFD) G D Goenka University visited Karol Bagh market on the 24th of March 2017 to experience, study and research the different aspects of Delhi street food.This primary research is an enquiry initiated by Dr. Rossana Gaddi, a Professor from Politecnico De Milano, visiting SoFD to conduct a 2 week module on ‘Street Food Packaging Design for Food Systems’.

With the aim of creating a street food packaging system to enjoy Indian street food the students visited Karol Bagh, a prominent market place of Delhi. The variety of street food available, from aloo-chaat, bhel-puri, gol-gappas, samosa-kachoris, fruit-chaat, south Indian, Chinese and desserts like kulfis, jalebis, gulab jamuns there is something to satisfy every persons’ taste buds. Professor Rossana and a few international students were particularly excited to see such a huge variety.

This sensorial experience gave the students an opportunity to observe and understand how street food is prepared, served and eaten. They also spoke to a few customers who were relishing the variety of street food available.

The students enjoyed trying out various cuisines while figuring out how the entire food packaging design and space can be improved for take-away or easy eating formats. From baked to boiled to fried and fresh cut fruits, each system could be re-designed to provide better quality and efficient management.

Professor Rossana Gaddi suggested building an identity for street vendors in terms of branding and packaging which can make a lot of difference to everyday business for a vendor. International tourists could benefit from information about the ingredients to help avoid the Delhi-belly syndrome. Some important changes are required in order to maintain hygiene and good distribution system.

Such projects are an integral part of the learning experience at SoFD. The practical hands on approach enables the students with a better understanding of the endless possibilities and scope of design to improve efficiency, aesthetics and the entire experience of Indian street food. The young designers at GD Goenka SoFD will be the game-changers of tomorrow.