Consumer perspective
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What is success? Using design thinking to evaluate plant-based innovations*
KEYWORDS
Plant-based ingredients
Purchasing Habits
DVF Framework
Design Thinking
Innovation
DEI
Immune health
Immune health
Understanding the behaviors and motivations behind consumers’ use of plant-based ingredients is crucial for the success of plant-based innovations. This article explores how industry disruptors can apply IDEO’s DVF framework–desirability, viability, and feasibility–to evaluate business requirements alongside the needs of consumers. By addressing consumer pain points, accessibility obstacles, and future-proofing for impact, the framework provides a comprehensive approach to enhancing product appeal and market adoption. Additionally, this article emphasizes the importance of sensory expectations and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure long term sustainability and widespread acceptance of plant-based ingredients.
*The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated organization, employer, or company.
Introduction
Dietary patterns are extremely complex, making it challenging to evaluate what motivates consumers to not only buy, but actually integrate plant-based ingredients into their meals. Several factors influence food purchases and subsequent usage, spanning from culture, social, or religious reasons to economic, health, or psychological considerations. With such a complicated space, it is hard to project success with plant-based initiatives, or even define what success even looks like. IDEO’s DVF framework is often used in design thinking to evaluate the success of a product innovation (1). DVF stands for desirability, viability, and feasibility. These three core elements are considerations used to gain clarity around business constraints and consumer needs. The DVF framework pushes strategic thinking on creative innovations. Using the DVF framework to evaluate the plant-based space offers a clear guide for identifying opportunities and assessing these products' real value to consumers. Especially for a constantly evolving space like plant-based ingredients, it is important to determine not only what is possible, but also what consumers actually appreciate.
Desirability: Is meat the real motivator?
Understanding what motivates (or hinders) consumers to add plant-based ingredients into their daily lives is a major component in evaluating the desirability of any type of plant-based innovations. The opportunities to increase growth comes from understanding what drives consumers to purchase plant-based ingredients. Are plant-based ingredients helping the consumer with their needs? Do consumers believe plant-based ingredients are meeting their needs? Answering these questions by identifying the pain points within the consumers’ lived experience opens up the opportunity to make meaningful change, and thus create incentive for repeat purchases.
Consumer confusion is a major pain point in the plant-based space. The knowledge gap in the plant-based ingredient space makes it challenging for curious consumers to adopt these meat alternatives. It is not surprising that consumers are reluctant to try these types of products when the ingredients are unfamiliar, thus making it seem like more of a risk to incorporate them into their diets. By using more recognizable ingredients, customers are likely to be more comfortable purchasing the product. Behavioral scientists refer to this as familiarity bias because individuals build preferences towards concepts, items, or topics simply because of previous exposure to it. Ingredients like “broccoli” and “kale” found in Actual Veggie’s Super Greens Burger seem much more palatable compared to Impossible Burger Patties’ ingredient list that includes things like “cultured dextrose” and “glutamic acid”. Consumers trust ingredients they know.
Another major barrier impacting desirability and causing hesitation around plant-based options is taste. While research consistently demonstrates all sensory dimensions contribute to how consumers perceive the plant-based product, consumers note taste as a critical part of buying incentives (2). However, taste perception is multifaceted. Consumers consider factors like meat aroma, flavor, and appearance when evaluating the taste of the product. All of the components that contribute to consumer impressions of taste highlight the importance of packaging. The taste information on the food labels initially set expectations. Aligning consumer expectations with the sensory experience is imperative to ensure both initial and repeat purchases of plant-based products.
Just because the “right” product exists, does not mean that consumers will use it. Growth in this space will only increase if the industry expands and diversifies to better understand the different types of plant-based consumers. Determining consumer segments based on what attracts them to plant-based purchasing can cater innovations to the needs of individuals. For example, those driven by concerns for animal welfare or health concerns may prefer meatless options like legumes or mushrooms over innovations around products that mimic meat with complex
alternatives. Understanding the consumer’s “why” for buying plant-based products will lead to improvements that better resonate with the consumer. Using a consumer-first approach to evaluate desirability reveals the non-negotiables that consumers are missing in their lives.
Viability: The cost of accessibility
Within the DVF framework, viability focuses on the cost of the innovation and if it is sustainable long term. Evaluating the budget and projected profit margins during this phase is vital when assessing viability, and the plant-based space has a lot of untapped opportunity areas for growth. In order to scale, this industry must become more accessible. The plant-based ingredient space caters to a niche audience made up predominantly of white, upper middle- class professionals with higher income (3). To create longevity and make the expense of innovation worthwhile, the plant-based space must have attractive and available options inclusive of underserved or overlooked groups.
Availability in the market impacts use of any type of product. While having places like Whole Foods emphasize plant-based initiatives is valuable, local grocery stores must stock shelves with affordable plant-based options to even have a chance at widespread adoption. Consumers that feel confident in their ability to purchase plant-based items are more likely to do so (2). To ensure consumer confidence, companies must account for factors like ease of purchase and cost when rolling out new types of plant-based innovations. Further, to increase interest in plant-based ingredients, diversity in options will only help to increase accessibility and make a meaningful impact. Having accessibility in terms of options for mixed-meats (e.g., ground meat combined with mushrooms), meatless products (e.g., lentils), and meat substitutes (e.g., plant-based substitutes like the Impossible burger) allows the consumer to explore their level of comfort with a range of products rather feeling forced into one option that may not be appealing to them. Building viability through accessibility is the process of creating an inclusive reference network of individuals to slowly normalize plant- based ingredients as a satisfactory alternative.
Feasibility: Being future-forward
Any innovation needs to account for feasibility, or the functionality of the product in the foreseeable future. Plant-based innovations are extremely technical in nature. There is a clear need for specialists within fields such as sensory science, chemistry, food science, consumer psychology, behavioral science, and marketing to collaborate in order to achieve a product worth buying. Being successful in this space requires a deep understanding of everything from plant- based proteins to the social norms impacting food decisions. A team of subject-matter experts needs to determine what is required, what is possible, and whether it can be accomplished economically. Additionally, consumers need a reason to believe in the plant-based product so much so that it is more attractive than their default option. Feasibility is not just about having the technology to create the product, but outweighing competitors for it to be successful.
Implications of success must be evaluated in this phase. For example, if a specific crop becomes mass produced because there is an uptick in this specific plant-based ingredient, what are the system-wide effects on the agricultural community? Evaluating the plant-based industry using the DVF framework spotlights the larger influence of these types of interventions. This framework balances human-centered design with the realities and challenging obstacles that exist in long term success. This type of impact is described in behavioral science as the ripple effect. The ripple effect explains how behavioral initiatives, like adjusting dietary habits to increase the use of plant-based ingredients, creates a chain reaction of change on local network groups, as well as society at large. It is critical that the interdisciplinary teams working on plant- based innovations create predictions regarding its widespread impact and have ideas to support the ramifications of system shifts if needed. Thinking proactively about these implications is valuable for both the success of individual companies and the overall plant-based industry. For an innovation to be successful, it requires feasibility in both the initial ramp up, as well as in a situation for sustained demand.
Conclusion
Food is an integral part of consumer lives. By evaluating the desirability, viability, and feasibility of plant-based innovations, companies can better understand the target audience and their wants and needs. This framework also questions potential solutions to ensure that it truly satisfies these needs. As this market continues to expand, it is important for the plant-based industry to be considerate of nutrition, costs, messaging, and long term sustainability when developing these types of products. By keeping the consumer expectations and experience top of mind, the plant-based initiatives may be adopted on a larger scale and build greater consumer awareness of the implications around these food choices.
Parents understand that the maintenance of their child’s health and wellness is their responsibility; however, many parents face various challenges when trying to do so. FMCG Gurus findings highlight that sugar is the ingredient that parents are most conscious about in food and drink products, with 74% of consumers concerned by sugar content in products. As children are typically drawn to sugary indulgences, parents are concerned by the link between obesity and diabetes and the hidden sugars in products.
Many parents believe that the complex labeling used by brands disguises ingredients. As a result, brands should ensure that nutritional labeling is made clear and simple for parents so that they are able to unpick the nutritional profile of products within seconds.
References and notes
1.IDEO design thinking. IDEO. (2024). IDEO Design Thinking | IDEO | Design Thinking
2. Appiani, M., Cattaneo, C., & Laureati, M. (2023). Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of plant-based meat, dairy, fish and eggs analogs: a systematic review. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, 1268068. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1268068/full
3. Flood, E. (2023, September 11). Taste trumps all in plant-based consumption, study finds. Food Dive. https://www.fooddive.com/news/taste-trumps-plant-based-consumption-study-finds/693180/