Carlijn Beerepoot
With this project, the Fortune Cooker is making its first steps towards being a product that offers not only a technical solution to the problem of cooking on woodfire, but also social and user-centered one. In its current form, the Fortune Cooker is a product that functions almost perfectly to its technological needs. However it has never been tested on its actual users before, which makes it hard to predict whether the product will be adopted by its target
group. And thus, whether the Fortune Cooker can actually serve its purpose.
In order to make the Fortune Cooker a product that can be successfully implemented in countries with high rates in cooking on open fire - to start with Morocco - the project team will perform the following activities:
Further analysis of local culture
It is important to understand the local’s habits on food, cooking, communicating, merchandising (trade), the local’s beliefs, morals, ethics, and all other aspects that even have the slightest overlap with the purpose and function of the product.
Test the technical aspects of the product
The Fortune Cooker has been tested several times by the inventors of the product, Maarten Romeijn and Jan Kluiver, but has yet to be tested by people who are less familiar with the product or not at all. Also, the product has not been tested yet in another climate than the Dutch’. The technical aspects will be tested by the project team itself.
Test the user experience of the product
The user experience of the product is one of the most important things to test. After all, the designers are both Dutch and the assumptions made during the design phase can differ even more from the habits and experiences of
the user than is normally the case. By performing in-depth tests, these assumption can be identified and eliminated.
Iterate the product
Aided by the results of the tests and analyses, the product is adapted to a product that better suits the user’s needs. Then the product will be tested again, and adapted again, and so on.
Research implementation of the product into the market
Explore local opportunities for producing the product.
In order to keep the carbon footprint of the product as low as possible and to aid the local economy, we will search for opportunities to produce the final product locally. This is something that will specifically be helpful for future continuation of the product.
Explore local opportunities for selling the product
While we’re there, we aim to find possible channels for distribution of the product. This is something that will specifically be helpful for future continuation of the product as well.
Create local awareness on the risks of cooking on wood
While we’re there, we want to motivate people to switch to (any way of) cleaner cooking by making them aware of the negative effects of cooking on open fire. This can also have a positive effect on the popularity of the Fortune Cooker.
We will not:
Implement the product in a local market
Start a workshop/production area in Morocco