Designing and Refining Diminished Reality to Support Sustainable Food Choices From Concept to Application

Diminished reality is an emerging type of augmented reality technology that reduces the visual salience of real-world objects to guide attention and support decision-making. This study presents the design and refinement of a diminished reality application aimed at promoting sustainable food choices in offline supermarket environments. Using a head-mounted display, the application applies diminished effects including blur, desaturation, hide and simulated complete removal, to de-emphasise unsustainable products. A qualitative interview study with 25 participants explored user experiences and preferences of using diminished reality for food decision-making, and suggestions for improving the current diminished reality application. Findings revealed diverse responses to different diminished effects, emphasising the need for customisation and technical stability. Findings further suggest future directions for advancing diminished reality design and functionality. This study demonstrates the feasibility of translating diminished reality from concept to application and highlights its potential as an immersive, user-centred tool to support sustainable consumer behaviour.