Before diving in, I want to shout out the image above—a screen-printed burger by French designer Fannette Mellier. She made it for The Taste of Art exhibition in Cahors, and it got me thinking about how taste isn’t just about design—it’s about how we experience and present the world.
I first discovered Mellier’s work back in university, and I was struck by her mix of Swiss design clarity and screenprinting’s playfulness. Her bold overlays made me want to dive into printmaking myself. But now, this idea of “taste” is coming back to me—not just in design, but in life.
Taste as Currency
I recently watched a video by Better Ideas about how taste becomes a kind of currency in tough times. When the economy’s in a slump, it’s not money or status that matter—it’s how you present yourself. Your style, your choices. How you communicate who you are, when everything else is stripped away.
Is Taste Performative?
But here’s the problem: I’ve started to see how taste can feel performative. In creative spaces, taste can become a mask. We curate ourselves—not to express who we are, but to fit in with what’s cool.
I’ve definitely caught myself doing this. Dressing a certain way or making design choices just to be “on trend.” And that’s when taste starts to feel shallow—more about approval than authenticity.
Taste as Intuition: My Red Shirt
Then I thought about my red shirt. I wear it over white—not because it’s trendy, but because it makes me feel confident. I don’t fully know why, but it works for me.
This is the thing: taste isn’t always rational. It’s often driven by emotions, memories, or things we can’t fully explain. Like the people we’re drawn to or the art we love—it’s not always about what’s objectively “good,” but what resonates with us.
Taste: A Deeper Connection
Taste is often rooted in deeper influences—memories, cultural associations, even past experiences. It’s why certain things just feel right. When taste is authentic, it becomes a form of communication that goes beyond surface-level trends. It shows who you are and what you value.
But taste alone won’t leave a lasting legacy. We don’t remember people for having “amazing taste”—we remember them for how they made us feel. For their energy. Taste can help you stand out, but it won’t shape how people remember you.
Taste and Self-Awareness
Taste matters, but it’s not everything. If it’s not connected to a deeper sense of self, it becomes just a mask. What’s important is understanding why you make the choices you do. When your taste is rooted in self-awareness, it becomes powerful.
The true power of taste isn’t in impressing others. It’s in revealing who you really are.