This project investigates how smell, the often-overlooked sense, can be meaningfully integrated into design to enrich human experience, evoke emotion, and trigger memory. The sense of smell has immense potential in storytelling, spatial design, and emotional expression, yet it remains underused in most design practices due to its invisible, subjective, and technically challenging nature. Through a combination of theoretical research, user-centered methods, and experimental prototyping, this thesis explores how we perceive scents, how they influence us, and how designers can work with them more intentionally. The result is Lynoa, a modular scent diffusion system designed to pair with musical input, an example of what it could look like when we design with scent, not around it.
Why Smell?
In most design disciplines, vision dominates. Yet smell is one of our most powerful senses, capable of instantly transporting us to past memories, shifting our mood, or shaping how we feel in a space. But why is it so rarely used in design?
This question sparked the thesis. Initially, the assumption was that people simply don’t care about smell. But research revealed the opposite: people are deeply aware of how scent affects their mood, memory, and comfort, it’s just that design hasn’t given them the tools to use it meaningfully. That became the aim of the thesis: to understand how designers can work with smell as a deliberate, expressive medium.
The Process of the Senses
To design for the senses, it’s essential to understand how sensory input becomes experience. It begins when stimuli from the world, such as sound, light, or scent, are detected by our sensory organs and transmitted through the nervous system. These inputs are filtered, prioritized, and sometimes briefly held in sensory memory before being interpreted.
Next comes perception, where the brain organizes and gives meaning to the input. This process is shaped by context, memory, and past experiences; we don’t just sense the world, we interpret it.
Memory plays a key role, especially with smell, which is strongly connected to emotional and autobiographical memories. A single scent can instantly bring back forgotten moments.
We typically react in three ways to sensory stimuli:
Emotional reactions, like a sudden feeling of comfort or disgust;
Cognitive responses, such as recognition or attention;
And behavioral reactions, actions triggered by what we perceive.
Finally, our senses rarely work alone. We experience the world through multisensory integration, where sound, sight, smell, and touch combine into a single, seamless experience.
By understanding this process, designers can create more immersive, intuitive, and emotionally engaging experiences.
The Sense of Smell
The Sense of Smell
Smell is unlike any other sense. While most sensory inputs are processed through the thalamus (the brain’s “sensory switchboard”), olfactory signals take a direct route to the brain’s emotional and memory centers, the amygdala and hippocampus. This direct path explains why smell is so powerful in triggering emotions and memories, often before we’re even aware of it.
But despite its deep impact, smell has been historically overlooked. In philosophy, psychology, and even design, sight and sound have dominated. Smell has often been considered too subjective, too hard to measure, or simply less important. This bias has limited how we use it in creative fields.
In everyday life, however, smell plays a critical role. It helps us form impressions of spaces, people, and moments. It shapes how we feel, from calm and comfort to disgust or alertness, and even influences behavior and decision-making. Losing the sense of smell (as seen in conditions like anosmia) can deeply affect mood, memory, and social connection.
Smell also contributes to spatial perception, helping us detect freshness, danger, or atmosphere in a room. Yet because it’s invisible and hard to describe, it’s rarely used intentionally in design, a missed opportunity, especially considering its deep emotional potential.
In short, smell is a powerful, emotional, and immersive sense, one that deserves a central role in design, not a secondary one.
Sensory Design and the Role of Smell in Sensory Design
Our experiences are multisensory. Sensory design invites us to consider how sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell can be intentionally integrated to craft richer, more engaging experiences. Rather than designing just for function or appearance, sensory design pays attention to how something feels, sounds, or smells, and how those elements influence perception, emotion, and memory.
At its core, sensory experience design is about carefully shaping the overall experience someone has with a product, space, or interaction by orchestrating multiple sensory elements. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about mood, behavior, and atmosphere. The goal is to go beyond usability and create emotional resonance.
Designers have used light and sound in emotional and atmospheric ways for decades, but smell is still rarely included, despite its strong influence on mood, memory, and behavior. Scents can frame an experience, build connection, or evoke entire environments. In product design, scent can be used not only to signal freshness or function, but to create a sensory identity.
However, designing with scent is not straightforward. Scents are invisible, hard to control, and even harder to describe. There are also cultural and personal variations in how we perceive them. That said, there’s growing interest in overcoming these challenges by building scent vocabularies, studying user reactions, and pairing smells with other sensory cues in congruent or contrasting ways.
Smell can enhance atmosphere, intensify emotion, and bring a layer of immersion that is otherwise missing. As sensory design expands, scent deserves a seat at the table, treated not as an add-on, but as a designable material in its own right.
Brainstorming
At this stage, I began thinking about experiences that lack the sense of smell or could be elevated by it. I casually observed, talked to people, and sketched and wrote down ideas. The idea of pairing smell with another sense slowly emerged, since our senses don’t work in isolation, combining smell with something like sound, touch, or light felt like a natural way to create more immersive experiences.
From this process, four concepts were developed:
The Scent of Media – A diffuser that syncs scent with media like movies or video games using scent cartridges triggered at specific moments. This aimed to bring emotional depth to storytelling and normalize smell in audiovisual experiences.
Scent Recorder – A device that captures and stores smells using scent sensors, creating a personal scent library. It could be used professionally or personally, and even linked with videos to recreate memories more vividly.
Scented Light – A product line that combines lighting and scent to influence mood. Different types of lights (e.g., desk, nightstand, café) would use infused materials or dry diffusion to release specific scents tied to lighting behavior and context.
Scented Notes – The final chosen concept, based on the idea of smelling music. Inspired by synesthesia and Piesse’s scent harmonies, it envisions a system where each musical note or chord can trigger a scent. The goal is to allow users to compose scent–music experiences using a customizable diffuser and software interface.
Scent and Music: A Natural Multisensory Pairing
Scent and music both engage our emotions and memories in deep, immediate ways. Unlike senses that are first processed rationally, smell and sound go straight to the brain’s emotional and memory centers, like the amygdala and hippocampus, making them powerful triggers for mood and memory.
The two senses share more than just impact, they share language. Terms like notes, harmonies, and layers are used in both music and perfumery. This overlap is more than poetic; it reflects how both forms unfold over time and evoke complex emotional responses. In fact, 19th-century perfumer Septimus Piesse proposed that smells could be arranged like musical notes to form scent harmonies.
Modern research supports this idea. Studies show that scents can influence how we perceive music and vice versa. For instance, citrusy smells may enhance the liveliness of fast, high-pitched music, while deeper scents like musk or wood pair naturally with slower, bass-heavy tracks. When combined, scent and music create experiences that are more immersive, memorable, and emotionally layered than either sense alone.
Their pairing holds practical potential, supporting learning, enhancing therapy, and deepening emotional impact in design. Yet, they are rarely designed together. This project aims to change that.
Final Testing
Throughout the thesis process, several research methods were used to understand how people perceive and relate to scent, surveys, interviews, and small experiments all contributed to shaping the direction of the project. These earlier findings highlighted the emotional and associative power of scent, people’s curiosity about its potential in design, and the idea that pairing it with music could feel natural and meaningful.
Based on those insights, a final user test was developed to explore how people experience scent–music combinations in a more structured way. The test involved four participants and was divided into several parts. First, participants were introduced to the idea of scent and sound pairing. Then they were asked to smell a set of scented oils and assign each one to a musical note, played using a digital piano. Later, they were asked to recreate the pairing to test recall.
The test also included a comparison of different types of musical triggersindividual notes vs. chords, to see which worked better with scent. Finally, a piano track was played once without any scent, and then again while the participant smelled a specific scent. This helped explore how scent can alter the emotional perception of music.
Design Goals and Criteria
The project aims to make the connection between scent and music accessible, emotional, and part of everyday life, not just a feature in exclusive installations. Unlike previous attempts that kept scent–music experiences limited to controlled settings, this system is designed for anyone who listens to or plays music: at home, in cafés, or during small events.
Research and testing revealed that the relationship between scent and music is deeply personal and emotionally driven. Participants often sought harmony between the two, with scents triggering vivid memories, imagery, and emotional responses. These insights shaped the project’s goal: to let users intuitively assign scents to chords or sequences, adjusting intensity and timing to create expressive, customized experiences.
Another important goal is to support learning and memory. Test participants were better able to recall music through scent associations, pointing to the potential for educational use and memory reinforcement.
The system also encourages sharing and community. Users can save, organize, and share their scent–music presets, fostering cultural exchange and collaborative creativity.
Several design criteria were set to guide development:
Accessibility: The device must be easy to use, compact, and fit naturally into everyday environments without requiring technical knowledge.
Customizability: Users should control which scents are triggered by which notes or sequences, as well as scent intensity, timing, and transitions.
Emotional Resonance: The system must enhance the emotional atmosphere of the music through scent, whether by reinforcing mood, creating contrast, or triggering memory.
Quiet and Clean Functionality: Diffusion must be silent, fast, and residue-free to avoid disrupting the environment.
Modularity: The device should support multiple cartridges, allowing for scent swapping, blending, and experimentation.
Preset Sharing: Users can share their scent–music combinations locally or online, expanding the system’s reach and creative possibilities.
At its core, this project advocates for the inclusion of smell in mainstream design, reclaiming it as a rich, emotional medium rather than an overlooked afterthought.
Concept Overview
This project introduces a modular scent diffusion system designed to pair with music in personal, emotional, and customizable ways. Unlike past attempts limited to art installations, this system is meant for everyday life. It enables users to explore how scent can enrich musical experiences, enhance memory, and deepen emotional connection.
The system combines scent-diffusing hardware with a software interface that allows users to link specific scents to musical elements, whether individual notes, full tracks, or live performances. It is designed for three distinct user groups: casual music listeners, musicians, and learners. Each group is offered a version of the device tailored to their needs, whether for mood setting, creative exploration, or educational support. Altogether, the project offers a new way to experience music through the underused but powerful sense of smell.
Target Users and Device Variants
The system is designed with three user groups in mind, each with its own diffuser model and interaction style:
1. Casual Listeners
People who enjoy music at home, while relaxing, working, or socializing. For them, scent enhances the atmosphere and emotion of the music.
Devices:
• 4-Cartridge Diffuser – a compact model for everyday use.
• 6-Cartridge Diffuser – for users who want more variety and scent layering.
Features:
• Controlled via mobile app.
• Assign scents to sections of a song (e.g., intro, chorus).
• Create personal mixes or choose from a cloud library of shared scent–music presets.
• Adjust scent intensity, timing, and transitions.
2. Musicians and Performers
Artists and composers are interested in scent as a creative or performative tool.
Device:
• Modular system – one or more units combined as needed.
Features:
• Controlled via professional desktop software.
• Map scents to notes, chords, instruments, or musical gestures.
• Enable real-time scent output during live performances.
• Save and share scent “scores” for multisensory compositions.
• Ideal for concerts, installations, or sound experimentation.
3. Learners and Music Students
Beginners or students using scent to support music recognition and memorization.
Device:
• Same modular system as musicians.
Features:
• Desktop software with a simplified learning interface.
• Pair scents with notes or scales to reinforce memory.
• Practice modes using repetition and scent recall.
• Store and replay personal scent–note associations.
• Supports cross-modal strategies in music education.
System Architecture
At the core of this project is a modular scent diffusion system designed to be intuitive, adaptable, and responsive to music. Every technical decision was made to support an experience that is smooth, expressive, and easy to integrate into everyday environments.
Dry Diffusion Technology
After comparing various scent diffusion methods, including ultrasonic, heat-based, and nebulizing systems, dry diffusion was selected. This method utilizes small fans to circulate air through scented materials, such as beads or gel. It doesn’t use water or heat, which means no mist, no residue, and minimal sound. Most importantly, it allows for quick scent transitions, essential when scents need to change in sync with musical elements.
Cartridge System
The diffuser uses custom scent cartridges that are inserted from the top. A simple push-to-fix mechanism lets users press to lock the cartridge into place, and press again to release it. The design keeps the surface clean while ensuring ease of use and maintenance.
Cartridge Recognition
Each cartridge has two copper rings at its base. When inserted, they make contact with metal points in the diffuser. This electrical connection lets the system know which cartridges are active and ready to be used.
Control of Intensity and Timing
Each fan can be controlled independently, allowing the device to diffuse one scent at a time or layer multiple scents together. Users can fine-tune the scent output, setting duration, transitions, fade effects, or loops to align with specific parts of a musical piece.
Scent Lifespan and Replacement
Based on market research, each cartridge is expected to last 30–60 days with regular use. Instead of using complex sensors, the system tracks usage time and fan activity to estimate when a cartridge is running low, and then alerts the user.
Final Design
With the system architecture defined, the next step was to design a physical product that brings the concept to life. The final design introduces two main diffuser models, tailored for different users: casual music listeners and musicians or learners.
Two Models for Different Users
For casual listeners, the diffuser comes in two versions—one with four scent outlets and another with six, offering options for different scent layering preferences. These models are simple to use and designed to blend into everyday spaces.
For musicians and learners, a modular model was developed. Each unit can connect magnetically to others, allowing users to expand their setup, building larger systems with six, nine, or even twelve scent cartridges. This flexibility supports creative needs, performances, or educational use.
Moodboard and Aesthetic Direction
To guide the visual language, a moodboard was created. It drew inspiration from soft, organic forms like flowers and scent plumes—shapes that feel natural, subtle, and calm. The color palette stayed neutral (black, grey, beige, white), so the product wouldn’t distract from the sensory experience it creates. Musical elements like waveforms and note shapes also influenced the form direction, reinforcing the concept’s multisensory nature.
Ideation and Sketching Process
The design process began with rough sketches, exploring simple forms that could house key components, air inlets, scent cartridges, and outlets. Over time, the forms were refined to balance function with expression.
Model 1: For Musicians and Learners
This version focused on modularity and airflow. The units were designed to avoid premature scent mixing by angling the outlets away from each other. Magnetic connections make it easy to combine multiple units. Grooves and bumps help with alignment, so users can expand or reduce the setup as needed without losing cohesion.
Model 2: For Casual Listeners
Shaped like an opening flower, this version reflects the symbolic link to scent and softness. Its design is clean and minimal, with easy cartridge access and airflow that prevents scent overlap. The form was refined for elegance and simplicity, making it suitable for home or relaxed environments.
Final Form and Function
To bring the concept to life, I modeled the final product using Autodesk Inventor and rendered it in Keyshot, carefully refining proportions, materiality, structure, and interactions to reflect the intended emotional and functional experience. The product’s name, Lynoa, evokes both the softness of musical notes and the elegance of scent, capturing the lyrical, sensory essence of the system.
The main goal was to create a system that’s expressive yet flexible. Lynoa Pro (Model 1), designed for musicians and learners, is fully modular. Each diffuser unit can function independently or connect magnetically with others, allowing users to build a system that matches their creative needs. Cartridges are inserted from the top using a push-to-lock/release mechanism, making it easy to swap scents without cluttering the design. Multiple units connect via Wi-Fi for reliable, synchronized performance, especially important for live setups.
Each unit includes an internal rechargeable battery and USB-C connectivity for both charging and direct power. Internally, the diffuser is composed of two parts: a plastic outer shell and an aluminum die-cast base housing the core components (fan, battery, controller). Scent cartridge detection is handled through a contact-based system that automatically activates or disables scent channels, helping conserve power and avoid misfires.
Lynoa for casual listeners model variants
1. Lynoa Six (Model 2, Version 1):
Designed for casual listeners, this model offers six scent channels in a compact, flower-inspired form. It uses Bluetooth for control and maintains the same intuitive interaction—just insert cartridges and power it on. The design minimizes distraction, letting scent subtly enrich the music.
2. Lynoa Four (Model 2, Version 2):
A smaller version of the Six, with four scent outlets but the same structure, function, and user experience. Ideal for those who want a minimal yet immersive setup.
All three models, Lynoa Pro, Lynoa Six, and Lynoa Four, share a unified design language and interaction logic. While the Pro emphasizes creative control and expandability, the Six and Four prioritize simplicity and atmosphere, forming a cohesive product family that adapts to a range of user needs and settings.
Conclusion
This project began with a simple question: Why is the sense of smell so often left out of design? What started as a curiosity turned into a full journey, one that combined research, user insights, experiments, and design.
At first, I assumed smell was ignored because people didn’t value it. But through literature, surveys, interviews, and field testing, I discovered the opposite. People do care deeply. Smell affects how we feel, how we remember, and how we connect with spaces and moments. The real issue isn’t public interest, but the lack of tools and systems in design that let us work with smell easily and meaningfully.
The research showed just how powerful and emotional smell is. Unlike other senses, it bypasses logic and speaks directly to memory and emotion. Yet it’s still underused in design, mostly because it’s hard to control, describe, and standardize.
This project took that insight and turned it into action. By focusing on the pairing of scent and music, two emotional, time-based experiences, I designed a modular scent diffusion system that lets users link scents to notes, chords, and moments in music. It’s not just a concept, it’s a proposal rooted in real findings. It considers the subjective nature of smell, the need for flexibility, and the emotional power of combining scent with sound.
In the end, this thesis contributes to the field of sensory design by showing how smell can be treated as a core design material, not an afterthought. It lays the foundation for future development and encourages designers to embrace the full range of human senses, especially the ones we often take for granted.
