Dongqiao Zhuang

Visual Communication Design

Theme

[email protected]

The Demystification of the Perfect Table: A Critical Design Intervention Study on Visual Deception in Fine Dining
This project applies critical design to explore and question the growing phenomenon of visual deception in luxury dining, where brands create idealized food images through refined plating, filters and lighting—often misleading consumer perception of real quality.

The work consists of three parts:

  • Lenticular contrast posters: juxtapose ideal food images with real, flawed counterparts to highlight the gap between visual promise and taste.
  • UV interactive menus: reveal hidden information under ultraviolet light, exposing low-cost ingredients or manipulated preparation behind glossy menus.
  • “Problem Banquet” installation: uses non-edible materials like resin and plastic to recreate luxurious dishes, creating sensory conflict that helps visitors realize how easily our perception is shaped.

Rather than making food “look better,” this project uses design to ask critical questions: Does looking good truly mean tasting good? It advocates for honesty, transparency, and visual literacy in food branding.

Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China
The cover centers on a dining table, using contrast between blur and clarity to hint at the gap between what we see and what is real — echoing the theme “beautiful ≠ delicious” and questioning visual deception in fine dining.
Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China 5
The UV interactive menu shows elegant dishes under normal light, but reveals hidden truths under ultraviolet—highlighting the contrast between image and reality.
Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China 4
Under normal lighting, the menus present a refined, unified visual style—simulating the idealized image of fine dining. Beneath the polished surface, they subtly question what truths are hidden behind beautiful visuals.
Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China 3
This is more than an exhibition about food—it’s an exploration of what lies beneath the image. From polished menus and elegant plating to UV-revealed truths and cold, artificial dishes, visitors embark on a sensory journey of contradiction. Behind the beautiful surface, we ask: does looking good truly mean tasting good?
Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China 2
This series of dishes masks their true nature beneath luxurious appearances. By contrasting refined visuals with artificial materials, it reveals the essence of visual deception in fine dining—inviting viewers to feel the rupture of trust between dazzling images and cold reality, and to question whether beauty truly means taste.
Dongqiao Zhuang | ICI China 1
The Demystification of the Perfect Table is a critical design experiment focusing on visual deception in fine dining. Through lenticular posters, UV interactive menus, and the immersive “Problem Banquet” installation, it reveals how brands craft illusions that influence consumer perception. The exhibition challenges the belief that “beautiful means delicious,” inviting reflection on truth, transparency, and trust.
Icon long arrow up ICI China
Icon long arrow left Lin Yaxin | ICI China Chenrui Yang | ICI ChinaIcon long arrow right
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