“What if we designed for all our senses? Suppose, for a moment, that sound, touch, and odor were treated as the equals of sight, and that emotion was as important as cognition. What would our built environment be like if sensory response, sentiment, and memory were critical design factors, more vital even than structure and program?” – JOY MONICE MALNAR & FRANK VODVARKA
product design
“One simply cannot turn up one’s nose these days at the role of scent in design.” – ASHRAF OSMAN, CLAUS NOPPENEY & NADA ENDRISSAT
The ongoing normalization of ambient scent creates a growing need for diffusers. In most cases diffusers convey some distinct atmosphere: it might be somehow esoteric or rather technical. But there are very few products we have seen so far that seem to resonate with current design culture.
The Lucerne School of Art and Design is the oldest college of art and design in German-speaking Switzerland. In fact, it is celebrating the 140th anniversary of its foundation throughout this academic year. Thus, the school reflects on the history and prospects of art and design education and organizes a sequence of keynote lectures titled: Craftsmen and Visionaries: Art and Design Education between Social Responsibility and Freedom. Here is the program: Ringvorlesung Symposium 2015. In this context, Claus Noppeney has been invited to explore olfaction as an innovative field in art and design (education). Being strongly rooted in craftsmanship, traditional perfumery takes a cultural turn. Innovative products and services (see our Scent Culture News) show how the sense of smell steadily becomes a design parameter. Moreover, the olfactory dimension is increasingly part of contemporary artistic practices.
Scent Clock provides a new way to tell time through fragrance. The concept draws on the often less stimulated of human senses to serenely mark significant moments in a day: such as waking, going to bed, praying, and eating.
The French product designer Charline Ronzon-Jaricot wants to train and delight the nose:
Uncovering the smell of the past Révélateur uncovers the smell of the past and adds a contextual layer of information.