Research
Ask (interviews)
Interviewee #1: Darby & Avery
Darby and Avery are two boys that my roommate babysits every morning. I selected them to interview, because they are young, active boys. Darby is 7 years old and Avery is 10.
How do you feel about snacks and why?
Avery: I like snacks because then we don’t have to absolutely starve until lunchtime.
Darby: I love snack mostly because we get a break during school and we don’t have to use our brains for a little bit really.
Can you think of a time when you didn’t like snack time?
Avery: Nope!
Darby: I always love snack!
What is your favorite snack?
Avery: Dill pickle Doritos
Darby: The biggest ice cream cone in the world
Why?
Avery: I love the taste of Doritos and the dill pickle makes it extra delicious. I like chips, a lot. But mom usually doesn’t let us have them. We can’t have fast food really either. Except when we are at our Dad’s we can have fast food.
Darby: Because I LOVE ICE CREAM!!!!!
What makes snack time extra fun?
Avery: Actually it’s NOT fun anymore because 5th grade took it away.
Darby: When you have a good snack. When you can play with it.
Key Notes: Avery and Darby like snack time because it gives them a break in their day at school. So, it’s not just snack, it’s a breath of fresh air during their monotonous school day. Also, Avery is sad 5th grade too snack away. They like junk food because their mom doesn’t usually let them have it. Darby likes playing with his food.
Interviewee #2: Matthew
Matthew is a program director at a summer camp and has spent several years working with children. The camp provides snacks for the campers twice a day. He has tons of knowledge about child’s play, creativity, and snack time!
What is a memorable experience you have had with a snack?
Matthew: Basically, when snack is better than what I would hope for — cheese curds, cheese and crackers, big boppers…. way better than ants on a log or granola bars. Anytime that there is interaction with the snack, too. Like when it goes along with a story or a theme of the day or something.
What is your favorite / go-to snack that never fails you?
Matthew: Cheese and crackers.
What is a memorable experience you have had with children and snacks?
Matthew: Letting them make their own — frosting cookies, for example. Also, when we have evening games that involve a story line where the kids have to work to find the snack… i.e. a “dinosaur egg hunt” around camp that is really just a scavenger hunt to find watermelons that we slice up for evening snack.
Do you have an idea off the top of your head for a new snack or way to present children’s snacks?
Matthew: Graham Crackers and Frosting is a snack children seem to love — but I don’t really see it packaged together — perhaps graham crackers with various colors of frosting (or a random/surprise color in each package.)
How important do you think snack time is to children?
Matthew: Very important. Kids look forward to snack and sometimes it can be a complete mood changer — because it is a fun time and also it gives them energy to continue their day. And children can be authentically crabby when the snack is a disappointment or let-down.
Key Points: The most memorable snack times are when there is a game or activity correlated with it. He thinks it would be fun to have graham crackers with colored frosting. Snacks are very important to children.
Interviewee #3: Andrew
Andrew is a highly creative, humorous individual, who has spent many of his summers as a manny (man-nanny). He is also an avid snacker himself.
What is your most memorable experience with snacking?
Andrew: One time I got lemon flavored shaved ice at Whistling Straights in 2004. That was a good snack.
What made it so good?
Andrew: It was really hot, and it tasted good and was cold. I was at the PGA Championship, so I was already in a good mood.
What is your most memorable snack-time experience while babysitting?
Andrew: We ate Pirate’s Booty a lot… those are like organic white cheddar rice and corn puffs. Their mom didn’t put anything in the house that wasn’t organic. Those things were pretty good, though.
Do you ever play with your food?
Andrew: Yeah.
Care to expand on that?
Andrew: Actually, I don’t have time. I just eat it right away. The time between the food being on my plate and the food being gone from my plate is next to none.
Off the top of your head can you think of a good idea for a new children’s snack that would make them happy?
Andrew: Maybe, like, fruits snack but they are circles, and on the bottom there are little cones. So it looks like mini ice cream cones. For mice. Wait, that’s a bad idea. I think we have actually reached the peak of children’s snack innovation with Veggie Straws. I ate a lot of Veggie Straws when I mannied too. When I was little, my mom bought me these straws that had cocoa in them. And then you sucked milk with em and the milk turned to chocolate milk. And at the end you ate the straw. It was really good, I don’t know, it was cool. Tasted good.
Key Points: Andrew mentioned that snacks are most memorable when you are doing something fun in the first place — for him it was the PGA tour. Also he talked about how organic food can be good. And he remembered cocoa straws from his childhood.
Observation or Focus Group
A.K.A. Big-girl After School Snacking
I chose to observe my roommates in their most natural habitat: home from class and work responsibilities, and headed straight for the snacks. I think that as college students, we rarely have time to pack ourselves full meals for the day time. In my house it isn’t uncommon for people to be gone from 9 AM to 10 PM between class, jobs, and meetings. It was fun (for me at least) to bombard my roommates and capture their raw moments of snack-therapy after a long Wednesday.
Experience
Don’t worry, I too took part in this snack-fest. I particularly am a procrastinator, and I am usually rushing to get out the door. I don’t like cooking, either. All of these characteristics lead me to be an expert snacker. Throughout years of research, I have found a favorite snack in particular: pretzels with nutella. I think this is similar to frosting with graham crackers or any dessert-like dipping thing. In my opinion, this category of snack is a grand-slam. Completely satisfying me — and in both the salty and sweet realms at the same time, too!
Storyboard
Major Insights
- Adults really look forward to snack times, too. So much so, that it is the first thing they do when they walk in the door — grab food.
- Some of the most memorable snacks are accompanied by activities and interaction.
- For instance, doing an activity to find the snack as a reward. Or playing with your food.
- Junk food snacks are more desirable when you normally are not allowed to eat junk food.
- Organic food can taste good!!!
- Salty and sweet are a good combination.
- Dipping stuff is fun and interactive.
- People bond over snacking — it is a social time.
- Snacks can make or break your mood in the middle of the day.
Problem Statements
- Children and adults need filling, tasty, fun snacks to get them through their school and work days, because days are long and boring sometimes and food breaks can fix it.
- Children need snacks that are organic and fun to play with, because even though we know that organic snacks can taste good, not many are on the market — especially ones that can be played with.
- There needs to be a snack that can be enjoyed with friends, because snacking is totally a bonding thing in the middle of school and work days and having a snack that would enhance this experience would be awesome.
