Modelling visual cognitive mechanisms in digital imagery: a study on enhancing taste experience using visual stimuli

Nowadays, with more than 69% of the world's population having access to the internet, food marketing has progressively adopted online platforms. Ads that include relevant images saw a 94% jump in views, demonstrating the critical role that pictures play in digital marketing. The concept of "visual hunger" has emerged, describing the innate desire to view food images and the ensuing neural, physiological, and behavioural responses triggered by exposure to such visuals. Humans use their senses of taste (taste buds), touch, smell, hearing, and vision to comprehend their environment. When food is viewed through digital food graphics, the vision significantly influences how food tastes. This has caused HCI scholars to expand their study of food taste stimulators. Unfortunately, most taste stimulators are device-based, using chemical or electrical techniques that are unpleasant and difficult to lick or position on the tongue. Therefore, this study motivated the investigation of how the composition of digital food visuals affects the perception of food taste. The research methodology employed the interview technique as a means of gathering data in a qualitative manner. An interview was done with experts from three food-related areas (chef, gastronomy, and professional food photographer) revealed that visual cues such as colour, visibility, variety, and texture help web users perceive food taste. The initial conceptual model, called the digital food taste stimulator (DVTS), was then suggested. Interviews with web users were conducted to learn how taste perception is formed. Recognising the diversity of Malaysian cuisine, this study scope to investigate the two taste dimensions (sweet and spicy) of the traditional Malay food ‘kuih’. A mental model called Users' Food Visual Taste Perception (U-FVTP) has been proposed as part of the DVTS model. Participatory design was implemented to develop a website for food stakeholders, both familiar and unfamiliar, to validate the proposed DVTS model. This is followed with the model verification process which affirmed the effectiveness of the Digital Visual Food Taste Stimulator (DVTS) model in capturing and differentiating taste sensations through digital food imagery.