08 | Escaping the Carbon Tunnel Vision đŸŒ±

Carbon Tunnel Vision by Dr. Jan Konietzko. This graphic visualizes the so called Carbon Tunnel Vision.
Carbon Tunnel Vision by Dr. Jan Konietzko1
  1. Dr. Konietzko, Jan (2022): Moving beyond carbon tunnel vision with a sustainability data strategy.
    URL: https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/insights/insights-blog/moving-beyond-carbon-tunnel-vision-with-a-sustainability-data-strategy-codex7121 ↩

What’s Next? : A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

Looking ahead, the future of multisensory design appears promising, with emerging trends and technologies poised to redefine immersive experiences. Advancements in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and wearable devices are on the horizon, promising even deeper levels of engagement and interactivity. By keeping abreast of these developments, designers can proactively shape the evolving landscape of multisensory design.

The potential of multisensory design is profound, offering designers the opportunity to craft experiences that deeply resonate with users. By delving into user psychology, considering cross-modal associations, ensuring accessibility, and fostering collaboration across disciplines, designers can transcend surface-level interactions and create experiences that captivate and inspire.

However, it’s essential to strike a balance, avoiding overwhelming users with excessive stimuli. The aim is to enhance the experience, not to inundate users with distractions. Each sensory element should serve a distinct purpose, contributing to the overall narrative and usability of the product or service. Regular user testing and feedback collection are crucial to ensuring that multisensory elements positively impact the target audience.

In essence, multisensory design is poised to redefine how users interact with technology and engage with the world around them. By embracing this paradigm shift, designers can create experiences that transcend the ordinary, leaving a lasting impression on users and reshaping industries in the process.

Looking further into the future, the potential applications of digital sensory experiences are vast. Digital malls may offer smell, texture, and even taste to replicate the sensory aspects of physical shopping experiences, revolutionizing online retail. In the food industry, digital taste manipulation could introduce novel taste experiences without health implications. Media and entertainment could undergo a transformation, with films and advertisements offering fully immersive experiences, blurring the lines between reality and virtuality.

Real Life Applications: A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

Digital interfaces, multi-sensory design manifests through tactile feedback on smartphones, such as vibrations confirming user actions. Going beyond, haptic feedback technology simulates real-world sensations like pressing a button or feeling fabric directly on touch screens. Retail spaces leverage multi-sensory design extensively, utilizing music genres, lighting, and textured materials to align with their brand identity. Some even incorporate distinct scents for stronger brand association.

Education is also witnessing strides in multi-sensory design, particularly in interactive learning environments that integrate sight, sound, and touch to convey complex concepts more effectively. Museums, for example, increasingly adopt interactive displays, enriching visitors‘ educational experiences through multi-sensory engagement with exhibits.

Case Studies

Let’s begin with Starbucks, where a strategic redesign of their stores prioritized sensory experiences. They introduced softer lighting, cozy seating, ambient music, and the inviting aroma of coffee. The outcome? Heightened customer satisfaction and increased time spent in-store.

Moving on to Apple, their MacBook Pro showcases innovative sensory design with a touch bar that adapts to the user’s current application. This dynamic tactile interaction enhances user immersion by stimulating multiple senses simultaneously.

Airbnb takes a creative approach by integrating sensory elements into guest experiences. Collaborating with scent specialists, they’ve curated distinct fragrances for various destinations worldwide, each triggering unique emotions and memories associated with those locations.

Design is not only a matter of lines and shapes, but a way to explore new innovative ways to introduce technology into everyday life. As such, Sony’s design team has been exploring new forms of communication that integrate into our lifestyles to develop innovative and enriching experiences transforming functional value and innovation into emotional experiences.

The exhibition is composed of five case study rooms. As you journey through each room, ‘Hidden Senses’ will be gradually revealed; from conceptual interaction into examples of contextual application. Each will showcase different ways in which design is applied to technology, to interact with people, products and spaces and create a perceptual experience; from pure sound experiences to new ways of visualizing information through everyday furniture and lighting. The final area brings all the aspects of the exhibition together, proposing a new and unique life space scenario.

These case studies vividly illustrate how sensory design can profoundly enhance user engagement and satisfaction across diverse industries.

  • https://blog.depositphotos.com/multi-sensory-experiences.html
  • https://medium.com/@faria.faria9/the-impact-of-sensory-design-on-user-engagement-and-satisfaction-fdf203409701
  • https://www.dezeen.com/2018/05/02/sony-hidden-senses-exhibition-sensor-technology-milan-design-week/

7 Key Elements for Multi-Sensory: A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

In today’s digital age, crafting multi-sensory experiences is a critical aspect of design across various industries. Integrating sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste can profoundly enhance user engagement and immersion. However, achieving the perfect blend of sensory stimuli requires careful attention to various factors. Let’s delve into seven essential elements that shape the landscape of multi-sensory design.

Here are 7 key elements in crafting for multi-sensory experiences:

1. Balance

Balance is essential for effective multisensory design. All the sensory components should work together harmoniously without overpowering the user. Overstimulation can result in sensory overload, which can be unsettling or confusing. A harmonic experience requires careful balancing of the timing, intensity, and context of sensory inputs by designers.

2. Accessibility

Accessibility concerns are also brought up by designing for all senses. Users may not all receive sensory inputs in the same way; some might be limited in one or more senses, while others may have diseases related to sensory processing. Multisensory design needs to be inclusive, offering many ways for people to interact with the senses to those who would not otherwise be able to.

3. Cultural sensitivity

Different cultures can have quite different sensory impressions. Something that smells good in one culture might be offensive in another. In a similar vein, cultural connections with colors can vary greatly. In order to prevent unfavorable reactions and guarantee a great experience for a wide range of users, multi-sensory design needs to be sensitive to cultural differences and flexible to various groups.

4. Cost and complexity

The cost and complexity of design projects often expand when additional sensory aspects are incorporated. Timeliness and finances may be impacted by the need for more resources, research, and development. The extra cost of developing multi-sensory settings or products needs to be well justified.

5. Technological constraints

Even while technology is developing quickly, there are still limits to the degree to which physical and digital designs can replicate certain sensory experiences. For instance, haptic feedback can somewhat imitate the feel of materials, but it is not able to completely replace the sense of touch. Designers have to work within these limitations or contribute to pushing the limits of what is possible with technology.

6. Sustainability

Multisensory components can affect the surroundings, especially if they incorporate electronics or physical materials. To guarantee that multisensory designs do not unnecessarily harm the environment, sustainability of design materials and product lifecycles must be taken into account.

7. Ethical considerations

Engaging consumers‘ senses has an ethical component. It is the duty of designers to make sure that sensory design is neither misleading nor manipulative. Some unethical techniques include, for example, masking low quality with perfume or masking a lack of functioning with sound.

Crafting multi-sensory experiences is a dynamic endeavor that requires balance, inclusivity, and ethical integrity. By carefully considering factors such as accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and sustainability, designers can create immersive experiences that resonate deeply with diverse audiences. With a commitment to innovation and responsible design, multi-sensory experiences become powerful tools for meaningful engagement and human connection.

  • https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/designing-multisensory-experiences-expanding-the-boundaries-of-user-engagement-f689902c5b47
  • https://blog.depositphotos.com/multi-sensory-experiences.html

Artistic Experiences_2: A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

In a world where dining experiences often focus solely on taste, A 3D Journey Through Time stands out as a groundbreaking exploration of the senses. Nestled in the heart of Sydney’s Shuffle Studio in Brookvale, this immersive dining project takes guests on a multisensory journey like no other.

At its core, A 3D Journey Through Time is a fusion of gastronomy, technology, and storytelling. Spearheaded by SixthSense Agency, known for their innovative approach to projection mapping, and curated by chef Davide, this experience transcends traditional dining norms. As guests step into the studio, they are immediately enveloped in a world where past, present, and future converge. The space is transformed into a canvas of dynamic visuals, with light projections dancing across tables and walls, creating an ever-shifting backdrop for the evening’s narrative.

But visuals are just one aspect of the experience. A key element is the integration of sound, adding another layer to the immersive journey. Through carefully curated audio, guests are transported through time, further enhancing the storytelling aspect of the evening.

However, it’s not just about what you see and hear; taste plays a crucial role as well. Chef Davide’s culinary creations are meticulously crafted to complement the multisensory experience. From sesame-crusted tuna to roasted cauliflower, each dish is a symphony of flavors that tantalizes the taste buds and enhances the overall immersion.

What truly sets A 3D Journey Through Time apart is its ability to challenge perceptions and ignite curiosity. By blurring the lines between reality and illusion, guests are encouraged to question their senses and explore the boundaries of perception.

But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this project is its inclusivity. With options for curated wine pairings, bottomless prosecco, or inventive cocktails, there’s something for everyone to enjoy, regardless of their preferences.

As guests leave the studio, they are left with more than just a full stomach; they depart with a newfound appreciation for the power of multisensory experiences. A Journey Through Time is not just a meal; it’s a journey of discovery, a celebration of innovation, and a testament to the limitless possibilities of blending technology with tradition.

  • https://www.sixthsenseexperiences.com/
  • https://secretsydney.com/immersive-dining-experience/
  • https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-3d-journey-through-time

Artistic Experiences: A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

The Dark Matter project was a unique collaboration between physicists and Human-Computer Interaction experts, aimed at creating an immersive, multisensory metaphorical experience of an otherwise imperceptible physical phenomenon – dark matter. The project was designed to explore and evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory approach to communicating complex scientific concepts to the public.

The process of designing the multisensory experience involved creating a narrative that would take participants on a metaphorically and scientifically accurate journey through our galaxy after being transformed into dark matter detectors by a mysterious pill. The journey was presented through timed visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory stimuli within a planetarium. The experience started on Earth, then took the travelers to the outskirts of our galaxy and back, to finish by falling into the supermassive black hole at its center. The journey was accompanied by a voiceover that guided the participants along their metaphorical journey through our galaxy, while coordinated auditory, tactile, and olfactory stimuli represented the dark matter wind and dark matter density along the journey.

Multisensory elements to our dark matter experience. (a) Fluorescent body outline
indicating where the participant needs to lie (b) Haptics box with fluorescent hand outline
(c) Aquarius dark matter simulation projection (d) Wireless noise-cancelling headphones (e)
Box containing popping candy pills (f) Haptics board for mid-air skin stimulation (g) Scent
release device.

The multisensory design used in the project included haptic and olfactory technology, wireless noise-cancelling headphones, a box containing popping candy pills, a haptics board for mid-air skin stimulation, and a scent release device. The multisensory elements were used to create darkness when other sensory stimulation kicked in, in order to re-direct the participants‘ attention.

Dr José Eliel Camargo-Molina (centre) engaging the public at the event. The planetarium
can be seen in the back.

The findings of the project showed that a multisensory experience generates a stronger and longer-lasting sense of engagement with the concept, and a metaphorical approach to expressing cosmological ideas leads to a higher perception of relevance and increased curiosity about the phenomenon. The survey results showed that „Curiosity on multi-sensory aspects“ was the second-highest reason for participating in the event, almost as important as „Desire to learn.“

The word cloud created from participants’ of the experience. The word cloud
displays the word frequency varying font size, with more frequently occurring words in
proportionally larger font.

Overall, the Dark Matter project demonstrated the potential of multisensory experiences to make abstract concepts in cosmology and astrophysics more accessible and inclusive. The project also highlighted the importance of collaboration between experts from different fields to create innovative and effective ways of communicating complex scientific concepts to the public.

  • Trotta R., Hajas D., Camargo-Molina J., Cobden R., Maggioni E., Obrist M., „Communicating cosmology with multisensory metaphorical experiences“ Journal of Science Communication, 2020
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKRsjGqz5Ls

Multi-Sensory in HCI: A Journey into to the Multi-Sensory Experience

Human interactions with objects revolve the five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—playing a essential role in perception. With the digital age in full swing, multisensory design is gaining significance. However, the most unforgettable experiences are usually multi-sensory based.This approach, considering senses and their interrelations, transforms experiences, opening up possibilities in product design, immersive storytelling, and user engagement. Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), insights from contemporary artists highlight the potential of blending sensory research with biometric sensors for interactions through mobile, sensor, and wearable technologies.

Multi-Sensory in Action

Multisensory design transforms society and consumer markets, shaping product experiences and immersive storytelling. Examples in contemporary art, like Jenny Tillotson’s interactive scent outfit, blending biometric sensors with sensory research. Challenges arise in using smell in media, as seen in Iron Man 3 screenings. Museums benefit from multisensory design; Mark Harvey’s research highlights its influence on visitor engagement, while the Jorvik Viking Centre immerses visitors in York’s Viking history through touch, taste, smell, and sound.

The SCHI Lab’s involvement in the Tate Sensorium exhibition underscores their expertise in multisensory design, enhancing user experiences through lighting, soundscapes, haptic feedback, scents, and taste. A study with 2,500 participants revealed the positive reception of sensory-enhanced art, with interesting nuances in visual liking based on gender.

The tactile experience usingmid-air haptic technology was iteratively designed and tested in the SCHI Lab before it was integrated into the Tate Sensorium—a six-weekmultisensory art exhibition at the Tate Britain art gallery in London. Each user was presented with tactile sensations on the hand while looking at a painting (a poster printout for the lab testing) and listening to synchronized sound.

Challenges in HCI

In HCI, despite significant advances in knowledge of sensory systems and devices in recent years, understanding of multisensory experiences is still incomplete. The goal is to leverage this method to improve human-technology interactions by creating more immersive and meaningful experiences. There are specific actions take to meet this challenge:

Design Sensory Experiences: Identify which senses can be intentionally designed and how to stimulate them effectively in tech interactions.

Build on Existing Models: Use current multisensory design frameworks, while also innovating and introducing new ones for more comprehensive user experiences.

Integrate Senses: Create interfaces that recognize and accommodate interactions between different senses, potentially combining taste and smell for richer digital experiences.

Manage Multisensory Info: Explore challenges of users monitoring information from multiple senses simultaneously. Find solutions to enhance the usability of interfaces using diverse sensory modalities.


Exploring New Senses in HCI

Studying touch, taste, and smell, as chemical senses, is a challenging task compared to physical senses like sight and hearing. The SCHI Lab is developing a device that uses touch to communicate emotions in real time, using ultrasound mid-air haptic stimulation and temperature and vibration patterns. This understanding is crucial for creating effective HCI interfaces and immersive media experiences.

The SCHI Lab aims to develop guidelines for creating scent delivery technologies and classifying smell experiences, focusing on the interactions between smell and other senses. This knowledge-based advancement will be relevant in various contexts, including entertainment, rehabilitation, and virtual reality, enabling designers to fully exploit our sense of smell. SCHI Lab’s study suggests a design framework for taste experiences, focusing on temporality, affective reactions, and embodiment. This could be useful for improving LOLLio, a taste-based game device. The framework allows designers to adjust tastes to create different affective reactions and a sense of agency, highlighting the importance of understanding the interactions between taste and other senses in human-computer interaction.

Exploring the communication of emotions through a haptic system that uses tactile
stimulation in mid-air.6 The study focused on specific design implications based on the spatial, directional, and haptic parameters of the created haptic descriptions and illustrated the design potential for HCI.

In conclusion, multisensory design is revolutionizing human experiences, especially in Human-Computer Interaction. Moving forward, the key next steps involve intentional design, innovation, integration of senses, and addressing challenges in managing multisensory information. These actions will contribute to creating more immersive and meaningful interactions between humans and technology.

  • K. Aisling, T. Virginia., “Multisensory Experiences in HCI” Artful Media.

10 | Exploring Early Environmental Education

Since my research so far has been very broad and I have not pursued a very clear goal, it is important for me to sharpen my topic a little in my further research and to do more research in a specific direction. To this end, I would like to find out to what extent it would make sense to teach sustainability topics at a young age.
When looking at the various facets of sustainability, it became clear that this is not just a topic for adults.
Especially the interview with my friend led to the realization/assumption that a lot of knowledge can be imparted at an early age.

It is a dialog that needs to be initiated at a young age, as many habits and values are already established in this early phase of life. The earlier people become aware of the effects of their actions, the more profound and lasting the impact.

Sustainability does not have to be limited to textbooks and classroom lectures. It is a lifestyle, a way of thinking that influences every part of our lives. So the question is: how can this be seamlessly integrated into children’s lives? How can the topic become a part of their daily routine, their family discussions and their community interactions?

Children are curious creatures by nature. They question the world around them and soak up information like sponges. Harnessing this innate curiosity could be important and useful. Early sustainability education tends not to be about bombarding them with facts, but about nurturing their sense of sustainable action and encouraging them to explore and question the world they live in.

Static lessons and theoretical knowledge are probably not enough in this context. To make a real impact, sustainability education for young people needs to be dynamic, interactive and connectable. It’s about making learning a fun, engaging experience that sparks genuine interest. Whether through games, hands-on activities or simple experiments, the goal must be to make sustainability a part of their everyday lives.

At what age does it make sense to start sustainability education?
Is there a perfect age, or is it a gradual process? I want to address these questions by researching, perhaps talking to parents or teachers or interviewing experts to find out more about the receptivity of children at different ages.
It’s not just about teaching, but also about understanding children’s particular needs in relation to sustainability. What appeals to them? How can we ensure that the message is not lost in the teaching?

When researching this area in depth, I want to take a realistic approach. It’s not about realizing an ideal, but about tangible, practical steps. What inspires children to learn about sustainability? Can it be as simple as a fascinating story, an engaging game or a hands-on project?

Shifting the focus to sustainability education at an early age seems to be a valid approach at the moment. Within this process, I hope to find out what resonates with young people in order to lay the foundations for a future where sustainability is not just a concept, but an integral part of the collective consciousness.
However, I do not rule out also moving a little in other directions and, if necessary, taking a closer look at the problems and needs of other potential target groups.

07 | Navigating Web Sustainability Standards đŸŒ±

  1. Frick, Tim (2016): Designing for Sustainability. A Guide to building greener digital products & services. ↩

09 | Neuroscientific impact of sustainability in CSR videos on millenials

During a university workshop where we were able to try out EEG devices for measuring brain waves, I came across an interesting study that looked at how various corporate social responsibility (CSR) videos affect the brain waves of millennials.
The study delved deep into the world of sustainability-focused corporate messaging. The exploration aims not only to unravel the reactions these videos trigger but, more importantly, to extract meaningful insights that will guide the path towards convincing individuals of the criticality of sustainable actions.

The Quest for Millennial Engagement in CSR Narratives

Intriguingly, the study’s findings unveiled a fascinating challenge: millennials‘ brains don’t engage as seamlessly as one might expect with CSR videos. Despite a prevailing consensus that this demographic places immense importance on corporate responsibility, especially regarding the environment, the current state of CSR communication seems to fall short in capturing their full attention. This realization shows that the way in which sustainability should be presented and communicated to this particular audience should be reconsidered.

Likability

Out of the seven CSR videos dissected, only a mere two succeeded in generating positive emotional responses. While females exhibited a more favorable disposition, males showcased fewer positive emotions but demonstrated a higher level of willingness to engage. This divergence in responses emphasizes the need for a nuanced approach that transcends initial negative reactions, tapping into the potential for long-term engagement.

Unraveling the Complexity of Information Processing

Peeling back the layers of brain activity, the study uncovered a significant mental effort required to grasp the messages embedded in CSR videos. The implications are profound; if viewers struggle to comprehend the content due to excessive cognitive load, the risk of message rejection looms large. This realization propels the imperative of simplifying CSR communication, making information more digestible for the millennial mind.

Navigating the Landscape of CSR Communication

In the larger context of CSR communication, these insights reverberate as a call for a new era—commonly referred to as CSR 2.0. The key lies not just in delivering information but in doing so through a lens that not only resonates emotionally but is also scientifically tailored to the audience. To convince the audience of the imperative of sustainable actions, the message must be more than just understandable; it needs to forge an emotional connection and be easily digestible.

For me these findings are important, to get a sense for how sustainability communication should work. Understanding that sustainability communication is not a one-size-fits-all paradigm, especially among millennials, emphasizes the need for tailored, neuro-aware strategies.
The study underscores the paramount importance of not just communicating but doing so in a manner that seeps into the essence of how millennials perceive and process information. With these insights, I am better equipped to decipher the subtleties of convincing people of the urgent need for sustainable action.

Janić, M., Ćirović, M., Dimitriadis, N., Jovanović Dimitriadis, N., & Alevizou, P. (2022). Neuroscience and CSR: Using EEG for Assessing the Effectiveness of Branded Videos Related to Environmental Issues. Sustainability, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031347