Great is the role of the designer in designing for social change. Design has the power to connect, engage and deeply affect human emotion as well as improve lifestyles, systems and workflows. This project offers the opportunity to delve into the designs that precede social change. Niki Nakayama began her career at the renowned Takao restaurant in Brentwood. Committed to exploring new techniques, Niki embarked on a three-year working tour throughout Japan, sampling her way through different regional flavors and immersing herself in the essentials of Japanese cuisine, both traditional and cutting-edge. While working at Shirakawa-Ya Ryokan, (Japanese inn owned by relatives) Niki trained under chef Masa Sato in the art of kaiseki the traditional Japanese culinary practice that emphasizes the balance and seasonality of a dish. In n/naka, Niki's ambitious second venture, functioned as a gourmet Japanese take-out by day and an intimate eight-course chef's table by night. Focusing on tasting menus allowed Niki to do what she enjoys - and thrives in - most: creating a thoughtful and cohesive series of dishes that provides a personal experience for each diner. n/naka has been ten years in the making and is the expansion of Niki's previous endeavors, applying the artistic and technical notions of kaiseki to create an ever-evolving seasonal narrative within each meal. N/naka is known for serving 13 course meals, in which all the dishes have a natural flow and progression to them, and uses highly seasonal ingredients, some of which come from Nakayama's own home garden which provides plenty of vegetables and herbs.[7] Her "menu emphasizes seasonality, and the courses are structured to showcase ingredients using a sequence of preparations: A raw dish is followed by a grilled dish, then a braised or steamed dish, then a fried dish and so on, from light to heavy to light again. Designed to accompany tea ceremonies in monasteries, kaiseki began in 16th-century Japan as beautifully presented yet austere vegetarian fare. Over the centuries, the cuisine evolved to encompass a nearly opposite concept: food as luxury, a feast for a crowd Gastronomy has long departed from the utilitarian need to just fill the empty stomach. Chefs constantly push the boundaries from what is permissible at the dinner table to expressing what can be considered an avant-garde art form. The act of dining can be seen as an extremely intimate ritual as well as a socially celebrated affair.