Transforming the Student Dining Experience

Over a decade ago, Project Reflect’s founder, Angie, led an initiative to reimagine and redesign the school food system in San Francisco. The Future Dining Experience was a project by Student Nutrition Services, funded by the Kodama Foundation, with the goal of implementing ten design recommendations into the school meal program. These recommendations emerged from a partnership between IDEO and Student Nutrition Services, shaped by the input and collaboration of over a thousand community members and school district stakeholders.

Description of the original 10 Design Recommendations developed by IDEO for SFUSD.
(screen shot from the book)

For five years, Angie and her team worked alongside the Nutrition Services team, guiding a design process to test and refine these concepts. Together, they focused on making the recommendations feasible within the existing system while driving meaningful change. Their shared efforts ensured these ideas could seamlessly integrate into daily operations, becoming part of the District’s identity. This collaborative process yielded valuable lessons and insights, including the development of the A3C’s of Joyful Design, which were inspired by Angie’s work in the district.

Today, the Nutrition Services team continues to innovate and build on this foundation, transforming the school meal experience for thousands of students across 116 school sites. Their dedication have been central to sustaining and advancing this work.

Recently, the Kodama Foundation, in partnership with San Francisco Unified School District and IDEO, released a book documenting this remarkable journey and highlighting the ongoing efforts of the Nutrition Services team.

To learn more about how design thinking and a committed Nutrition Services team have transformed the school meal experience for thousands of students in SFUSD, check out this inspiring book. If you’d like a printed copy, please reach out via our contact form. Quantities are very limited.