Like they say, “there’s an app for that.” And apparently, if you’re hungry and need recommendations for what to eat, an app can do it for you based on your current mood. “The IPC App” by the IPC Shopping Centre is a mobile app developed in collaboration with Spotify, and it does just that.
Tapping into Spotify’s rich user data, IPC also worked with world-renowned taste psychologist Professor Robin Dando of Cornell University to create “The Mood Menu”—a food-and-mood matching tool. The tool is based on a complex proprietary algorithm of human emotions and the effect on their sense of taste.
According to Prof. Dando’s landmark 2015 study published in the scientific journal Appetite, human moods can inhibit or accentuate, sweet, salty, bitter, sour or umami (savoury) flavours.
Emotional eating? Yes. Some people’s positive emotions can enhance their sweet tooth, for instance. Or negative emotions can heighten perception of sour tastes. I eat regardless.
So, how does the Mood Menu actually work? The Mood Menu in the IPC App analyses your Spotify playback history to track your current mood. Your mood is then matched with suitable flavours and diverse dining delights at the IPC Shopping Centre. The app uses the proprietary Mood Menu algorithm based on taste psychology insights from Prof. Dando.
I’m just wondering what Hip Hop or Grunge would translate to. Probably not fine dining.
Aside from that, the IPC App includes details such as Store Guide, parking information, latest promotions, as well as members-only promotions.
The IPC App is available for download from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
So, what’s for lunch?