Reimagining the Campus Dining Experience

For universities today, food is more than fuel—it’s a reflection of values, identity, and belonging. At a leading academic institution in Amsterdam, known for its innovation and international outlook, this philosophy was central to a shared ambition: to transform the way students interact with their campus dining experience.

InnoVision Hub, in close collaboration with the university community, sought to explore a new kind of engagement—one that moved beyond operational efficiency and into cultural resonance. The challenge wasn’t just about improving meal options. It was about rethinking how service, sustainability, and student identity could come together to shape something more personal, more inclusive, and more responsive.

From Perception to Participation
The initiative emerged in response to a growing disconnect. While students valued convenience, sustainability, and affordability, they often felt that campus dining didn’t fully reflect their needs or lifestyles. Canteen visits were declining, driven by frustrations around pricing, lack of transparency, and a sense of detachment from what was being offered.

This wasn’t a result of disinterest—it was a signal. Students were hungry for something more aligned with their daily lives. And although past attempts had been made to improve service quality, there hadn’t yet been a solution tailored to this specific audience—nor one grounded in the social and cultural dynamics that shape student food choices today.

Designing for Identity and Impact
In partnership with a student group, we launched a deep, insight-driven inquiry into student needs, preferences, and behaviors. Combining different methodologies, the research explored not only what students wanted in their meals—but what they wanted in their experience.

The ambition was never just about features. It was about reflecting a lifestyle: one that balances convenience with control, health with budget, and sustainability with taste. The proposed concept that emerged was designed to meet students where they are, not where systems expect them to be.

Real-time information. Flexibility in choices. Support for dietary diversity. Integration with sustainable behaviors. Each element was rooted in the lived realities of the campus community.

More Than a Product—A Platform for Belonging
What made this approach unique wasn’t the interface—it was the empathy. Grounded in social identity theory, the vision recognized that food choices are deeply personal and socially influenced. A student’s major, cultural background, or commitment to environmental causes could all shape their expectations. Rather than offer a one-size-fits-all experience, the solution sought to mirror that diversity.

The university’s multicultural setting provided the perfect proving ground. Conversations revealed a community that is flexible, budget-conscious, ethically driven, and deeply attuned to the connections between food, health, and values. These insights didn’t just inform design—they became the foundation for a new kind of engagement.

Laying the Groundwork for Change
Though still in development, the initiative has already reshaped the conversation around food on campus. What began as a digital concept has evolved into a cultural blueprint: a way of connecting students more meaningfully to the services that support them.

In doing so, our collaboration have shown that transformation doesn’t always begin with technology. It begins with curiosity. With listening. With asking the right questions.
Because when you build from the values of the people you serve, you don’t just deliver better outcomes—you create stronger connections.