Design as a Means of Exploring the Emotional Component of Scent

As more is being discovered about the physiological and psychological mechanisms that govern our relationship with odour, designers are starting to experiment with technologies that might deliver scent in more meaningful ways. This paper explores this forgotten sense through the documentation of a number of research projects that look at scent in relation to the body, fashion, ritual and emotion. Whilst engagement with the visual remains the most significant area for designers, some of the most notable design incorporates a sensitivity to its impact on more neglected sensory stimuli. Tactile interfaces, which have long been explored in design research and education, are finally getting the attention they deserve through developments in wearable technology and the increasing willingness of textile and fashion designers to explore their potential. Similarly, the importance of sound in interface and interaction is becoming a more familiar area of investigation. Evidence suggests that exploring the link between smell and emotion might be an even more fruitful area of development, given its significant role in the triggering of emotional responses. Despite this, the sense of smell has only recently become a respectable subject of serious study, and has received only the most transitory mention in the proceedings of the Design & Emotion Conferences to date. Odours drive our emotions, warn us of danger, influence our body chemistry and steep us in luxury. Since smell signals have a direct access to the emotional centres of the brain, the emotional shading of our lives are influenced by the smells around us.

In this paper the authors discuss new forms of aroma delivery that go beyond passive microencapsulated techniques to incorporate microfluidic delivery systems that dispense a selection of fragrances to trigger human emotions, convey information and enhance wellbeing through olfaction stimulation of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, a number of design proposals are presented which demonstrate how designers are able to envision completely new modes of interaction with scent- producing devices. These range from objects that exploit the performative component of scent application to the creation of an individual, smart, interactive “scent-bubble” around the user that can be constantly modified according to mood, environment or time of day.