Design as a means of exploring the emotional component of scent

This paper demonstrates how industrial designers can generate engaging solutions by applying new technology to the area of scent-delivery through the use of practice-based research. It discusses works by Jason Morenikeji, Nick Rhodes and other designers contrasting these with developments in the scent and nano-technology industries. The paper also presents a series of designs by industrial designer Ben Hughes, namely ‘Fontenay aux Roses.’ It also includes a collection of wearable, smart interactive scent delivery devices designed for Jenny Tillotson’s e-Scent research project at CSM.

'Fontenay aux Roses 1' is a wearable bag-type device that houses a battery and pump unit to deliver three types of scent, controllable by the user. The prototype was made by award-winning bag designer Ann Chui.

Fontenay is a brooch -type device that attaches to a garment with a magnetic snap-fastening. Three different snap-on covers show how the device might be customised by the user, branded by the scent manufacturer, or added to by a third-party. In both its design and its co-engineering by Murray Tidmarsh and Ben Hughes, it is an exploration of the use of rapid-manufacturing technology for this type of object.

This work has evolved to incorporate devices for insect repellent under the title “E.Mos”, two of which Ben Hughes designed and created the prototype for.

Ben Hughes

Research Interests

Product design/development, concept, image and its relationship to function. Design against crime, anti-theft bag prototypes. As a director of DTG (Design Transformation Group) I have instigated, designed, curated + organised several events incuding workshops, conference papers, exhibitions. Forthcoming events under the "claystation" series include the Jerwood prize "My Chair" at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, July 2005, Designersblock Frankfurt August 2005, Block Architecture Festival at the Lighthouse, Glasgow October 2005 and Designersblock, London September 2005.

Current Research

All the research is incorporated into the development and design of the cited projects. These have primarily been large commercial products which have involved the development of concept, image and its relation ship to function. The most recent research and product development has been undertaken in the context of the 'Design Against Crime' project in this case applied to the design of a anti-theft bag concepts and prototypes. The results of this research have been exhibited in the UK and more recently in Milan.

Jenny Tillotson

Research Interests

Applying novel ways to create fashion, textiles and interactive structures, by introducing responsive effects that changes the experience of fragrance to a more intimate communication of identity, using the olfaction as a communication tool, with a focus on the relationship between Aromachology and wellbeing.

Current Research

Interdisciplinary Sensory Designer working with our most primitive sense (olfaction). Researching a new wave of sensory systems that identifies a new method of aroma delivery, by bridging the gap between imagineering and implementation, and seeking to better understand and evaluate the opportunities for enhancing the human condition, opened up by the advancement of technology.

Senior Research Fellow at Central Saint Martins (CSM), in the field of fashion, textiles, wellbeing and sustainability, leading the ‘Scentsory Design®’ initiative, with a strong design awareness to meet peoples needs, stemming from work experience in the healthcare sector (geriatric, psychiatric care and people living with HIV and AIDS), and developing design-led wearable technologies, wireless sensor networks and microfluidic devices for fragrance delivery and therapeutic applications in emotional, functional clothing and jewellery.

Significant contributor to the field of ‘Scentsory’ design-led wearable technologies, as a new vehicle for the delivery of treatment from psychological conditions, but also to help understand our emotions (75% of the emotions that we generate on a daily basis are affected by smell) and the art behind the science.

Leadership experience at the cutting edge of aroma and healthcare, by converging emerging technologies with the ancient art of perfumery, to create a new sustainable platform that breaks the tradition of fragrance delivery (via precisely metered responsive fragrance and targeted delivery and release which replaces the relatively crude, unmetered technology of the twentieth century).

Fashion communicator combining applied theories about human wellbeing with multi-sensory design, to create experimental strategies to improve self and social confidence for individuals suffering from depressive illnesses. The range of methodologies employed extend beyond the academic realm of fashion and design, to areas such as neuroscience, gerontology, human sensory systems and affective states, psychiatry, entomology, wireless communications, chemistry and the growing trend of Complementary Medicine (CAM).

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