The Curious Matter of Chocolate

What happens when something as familiar as chocolate becomes a territory for design exploration? The Curious Matter of Chocolate is an interdisciplinary exhibition presented by The Design School at Arizona State University in collaboration with Cadbury / Mondelēz International. Bringing together Industrial Design and Graphic Design, the exhibition explores how a new generation of designers can rethink the relationship between chocolate, people, products, packaging, communication, and experience. The exhibition presents selected work created by students through an intensive, industry-engaged design studio. Students moved from research and creative exploration to concept development, prototyping, visual communication, and final execution. The resulting projects demonstrate different approaches to contemporary chocolate experiences through physical prototypes, packaging proposals, visual narratives, storyboards, interactions, and speculative design concepts. Central to the exhibition is the perspective of Gen Z designers themselves. Rather than simply designing for a younger generation, the project gives emerging designers an opportunity to investigate behaviors, expectations, and experiences from within their own generation and translate those observations into new design possibilities. The exhibition is also conceived as a place for exchange. Each day of the exhibition at 5:00 PM, Tea with the Devils will bring invited designers, industry professionals, academics, students, and visitors together for an informal public conversation about design, creativity, innovation, and professional practice. Hosted at the Northampton Square Pavilion, City St George’s, University of London, The Curious Matter of Chocolate creates a meeting point between academia, industry, and the public during the London Design Festival. The exhibition celebrates the launch of ASU London and reflects Arizona State University’s commitment to experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global engagement, while positioning design as a means of questioning the familiar and imagining new possibilities.