Dessert Thinking: Using Design Thinking to Craft New Desserts

A former baker dives into the process of crafting new desserts using the design thinking process.

Thinking of new desserts is effectively user experience design but in the form of a sweet treat. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out. Whether a classic apple pie 🥧, a fancy layered masterpiece 🍰, or an elegant website 🖥, the process is the same. So much so that I’ve decided to lay it out following the design thinking process.

EMPATHIZE

To start the process, I conduct a bit of research to make sure I cover all the bases before deciding on the flavors, textures, and composition of a dessert. Empathizing with the current situation is key to starting on the right foot (or… with the right ingredient? lol).

• What’s in season?
• What’s coming off the menu? What’s staying?
• What were popular flavor combos or dessert montages from past years?
• What do other bakeries offer this time of the year?

Even if I have an idea of what I’d like to put on the menu, I still reference a variety of sources for inspiration and motivation to push my creative limit.

* not affiliated — just think everyone should have this awesomeness on their shelf.

Google knows everything.

I also explore other bakeries to garner ideas and discover what attracts customers. Both online and in person are equally as helpful.

Getting inspiration from the father of French pastry is always a good way to start.

This also includes checking out Cédric Grolet’s iconic delights during tea time in Paris. *I was fan-girling so hard when I realized Alain Ducasse sitting less than 50 feet away.

DEFINE

Using all that research, I start narrowing down my options to define what desserts I want to put on the menu.

For each dessert I take off the menu (due to change of season 🍂 or desire to just switch it up), I usually need another to add in the line-up. Normally I’ll sub one-for-one but if there’s a plethora of fruits in season, I’ll opt for bringing on more desserts, or vice versa.

I make lists of what flavors are on their way out, what flavors I want to explore, and also what composition to play around with (tart, cake, mousse dome, choux pastry, etc).

IDEATE

Keeping those parameters in mind, my creative juices start to flow and I can begin to ideate. 💡 The possibilities are endless when I consider the combinations of texture, flavor, and construction.

It’s a bit of a wild ride during this part of the process since I lay out all possible options on the table before even combining them to make up a dessert. I usually start with the flavors depending on the season and what is available, before I move on to the textures and composition.

So many options!

With a multitude of options available, my mind races through a series of questions.

What would complement the current menu? What are the possible components? How would each layer affect those around it? Am I striving to evoke specific emotions?

I strive for a variety in the display case from flavors and textures to the appearance as well. The shape, color, height, and decor all contribute to a dessert’s visual appeal.

Discussing all these options with my teammates during this time is vital. 🗣👥 We contribute different ideas to the table and usually our first iteration is the product of our collaborative brainstorming.

By sketching out our ideas, I have a rough view of what the dessert will look like. ✏️

Sketch of a Mixed Berry Vanilla Macaron dessert

PROTOTYPE + TEST

With the preliminary idea on the table, I move forward in creating the first prototype. To be honest, making small batches of recipes just for one test is comparable to a ripped bag of flour (i.e. it sucks 😫), so sometimes I’ll test a few ideas at a time and only change the construction while using the same components.

A variation of the original version with pieces of fresh fruit and a berry compote inside.

Conducting usability (taste) testing is invaluable after constructing the prototype. Due to the nature of the bakery, I don’t recruit actual customers, so I test with my teammates. Not only do I get to literally taste new flavor/texture combinations with my peers, but they provide solid feedback on how to improve the dessert. Maybe there’s too much of one component and not enough of another, or perhaps the flavor is too bland.

Anything and everything is acceptable and with those suggestions, I can make some adjustments.

ITERATE

This process continues and I iterate until the perfect dessert is ready for our customers to experience the magic. ✨

Thanks for making it this far, and sorry if you’re now craving something sweet! 🤪 If you’d like to learn more about me, please check out my portfolio.

Want to learn more?

If you’d like to become an expert in UX Design, Design Thinking, UI Design, or another related design topic, then consider to take an online UX course from the Interaction Design Foundation. For example, Design Thinking, Become a UX Designer from Scratch, Conducting Usability Testing or User Research — Methods and Best Practices. Good luck on your learning journey!