Designers who work with the subject of food are often called “food designers.” But according to Marije Vogelzang, food is already perfectly and beautifully designed by nature. Inspired by the origin, preparation, etiquette, history and the culture of food, Vogelzang designs from the verb “to eat” and calls herself an “eating designer.” Designers who work with food often only design and style the shape of the food on a plate—Vogelzang wonders if there even is a plate. Her aim is to look at the content and background of the food; the shape is just a tool to tell its story. Vogelzang discusses the exploration and potency of a new approach on the act of eating (or is it a new approach on design?).
Marije Vogelzang is a pioneer in the field of eating design. After graduating from the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2000, Vogelzang was determined to move beyond traditional food styling and create a new direction in the field of design. She developed her vision to create designs based on the verb “to eat” and became an “eating designer.” She started a catering business (now a restaurant, called Proef) in 2004 in Rotterdam and expanded to Amsterdam in 2006. In 2010 she started Studio Marije Vogelzang, a small firm that works with the food industry to create eating-based art installations, designs and develops restaurant concepts, long-term medical projects for hospitals and various social projects for clients around the world. Vogelzang frequently lectures internationally about her work and vision, showing the potential of a new approach to the act of eating and a new approach to design.