Hi! Last semester, my research topic was „Approaching Basic Senses Using Interaction: A Journey Into The Multi-Sensory Experience.“ I gathered extensive information on how and where multi-sensory design is used and its importance.
This semester, I want to continue exploring multi-sensory and experience design. I began with a brainstorming session using the card sorting method, writing down my wishes, inspirations, and questions.
What I want? How I want?
A multi sensory protoype
Immersive experience
Futuristic but not realistic?
Innovative idea
I want to make people FEEL something
Maybe spatial experience? Through various senses/materials
Dive into human interaction with senses
I wanna do something cool!!!! But how tho? đ
Real and Hard Questions
Do I wanna fix a problem, have a goal?
How can I use my skills, my knowledge in this project?
What I wanna experiment with the tools I have?
Do I wanna create an artistic experience?
What I wanna learn in the end?
What is my inso? Do I have any source that I wanna work on?
Do I wanna improve or create, a product or service?
Reflection of Card Sorting
After this exercise, I realized I wanted to create something cool with an artistic approach. Seeing all my questions and concerns together was helpful, even though I didn’t land on a specific idea during the process.
I then placed potential ideas on post-it notes and asked ChatGPT for additional inspiration. Despite this, none of the ideas fully satisfied me, and the wide range of topics left me feeling lost.
Next step
The next step is to continue searching for ideas. I plan to discuss my project with Ms. Bachleri, hoping her feedback will help me find a clear direction.
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.
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, Sonyâs 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, âHidden Sensesâ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 participantsâ 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.
Resources:
Trotta R., Hajas D., Camargo-Molina J., Cobden R., Maggioni E., Obrist M., „Communicating cosmology with multisensory metaphorical experiences“ Journal of Science Communication, 2020
Human interactions with objects revolve the five sensesâsight, hearing, touch, taste, and smellâplaying 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 Sensoriumâa 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.
Resource:
K. Aisling, T. Virginia., âMultisensory Experiences in HCIâ Artful Media.
In previous blog post, I discussed the importance of multi-sensory design in creating immersive user experiences. This post, offers a comprehensive look at sensory appeal, covering its definition, mechanisms, and importance in UX design. Additionally, it provides practical advice on integrating sensory appeal into design processes while addressing associated challenges.
When it comes to UX design, multi-sensory design appeal plays a major role in producing a memorable and engaging user experience. By offering consumers more than simply visual and aural stimulation, it contributes to an improvement in user pleasure and engagement. This can facilitate the development of a more robust emotional bond between consumers and a good, service, or brand.
Different types of Sensory Stimuli
Visual:
Color: Utilizing color to elicit emotions, establish contrast, and enhance visual allure.
Contrast: Employing contrast to heighten visual interest and optimize usability.
Layout: Crafting intuitive and visually coherent layouts to facilitate seamless navigation.
Auditory:
Sound Effects: Integrating auditory cues to provide interactive feedback and enrich user experiences.
Background Music: Utilizing ambient music to set atmospheres and evoke desired emotional responses.
Voiceovers: Incorporating narrations to deliver supplementary information and enhance user guidance.
Olfactory:
Scents: Leveraging aromas to evoke specific emotions or associations, enhancing immersion.
Aromatherapy: Harnessing scents for their therapeutic properties to augment user experiences.
Gustatory:
Flavors: Introducing flavors to enhance sensory engagement and augment product appeal.
Food Presentation: Employing aesthetic food presentations to elevate sensory experiences.
Tactile:
Touch: Incorporating tactile feedback to provide users with tangible interactions.
Texture: Integrating textural elements to enrich sensory perceptions and tactile experiences.
Application in UX Design
Sensory Stimulation: In UX design, sensory appeal operates by delivering multi-dimensional stimuli that transcend mere visual and auditory engagement. This approach cultivates immersive and memorable experiences, fostering deeper connections between users and the subject matter.
Emotional Connectivity: By engaging multiple senses, sensory appeal cultivates emotional resonance, fostering stronger bonds between users and products, services, or brands. This emotional connectivity enhances user engagement and satisfaction, thereby optimizing overall user experiences.
A Few Tips for Incorporating Sensory Appeal in UX Design
Select Relevant Sensory Stimuli:
Before infusing sensory appeal into UX design, it’s crucial to pinpoint the sensory stimuli that best suit the product or service. For instance, a bakery might leverage the aroma of freshly baked cookies, while a gaming app could benefit from immersive sound effects.
Maintain Balance and Consistency:
Incorporate sensory stimuli judiciously and consistently. Overloading users with sensory input can overwhelm them, while insufficient stimulation may lead to a lackluster experience. Strive for a harmonious blend that enriches without overpowering.
Account for User Context:
Consider the context in which users engage with the product or service. Factors like environment and user preferences should inform decisions about sensory elements. For example, users in quiet public spaces may prefer minimal auditory distractions.
Test and Refine Continuously:
Regular testing and refinement are essential to ensure that sensory appeal enhances the user experience effectively. Utilize user feedback and iterative design processes to fine-tune sensory elements and gauge their impact on user engagement.
Challenges and Limitations of Incorporating Sensory Appeal into UX Design
Technical Limitations:
Some devices may lack the capability to support certain sensory stimuli, such as smell or taste. Designers must navigate these constraints creatively to deliver compelling sensory experiences within technical boundaries.
User Preference and Accessibility:
User preferences vary, and certain sensory elements may not be universally appealing or accessible. Designers should consider inclusivity and accommodate diverse user needs, ensuring that sensory appeal enhances rather than hinders usability.
Cost Considerations:
Implementing sensory appeal, particularly advanced features like haptic feedback or virtual reality, can incur significant costs. Companies must assess the cost-effectiveness of integrating sensory elements against potential benefits to justify investment in UX enhancement.
In summary, sensory appeal is a cornerstone of effective UX design, enriching user experiences beyond visual and auditory realms. When integrated thoughtfully, sensory stimuli foster emotional connections, bolster brand recognition, and differentiate products in competitive markets. However, designers must navigate technical constraints, accommodate user diversity, and manage costs to leverage sensory appeal successfully. By striking a balance, considering user context, iteratively refining designs, and addressing challenges, companies can create immersive, engaging, and memorable user experiences that elevate their brand presence and competitive edge.
In the user experience (UX) design field, the recent focus on Multi-Sensory UX Design reveals a critical insight that designers often dismiss. Traditional design approaches that focus on visual and auditory elements fall short of taking advantage of the profound impact on emotions and memories that can take when engaging multiple senses simultaneously.
What is Sensory Design?
The intentional consideration and manipulation of sensory elements, like sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, in order to induce specific responses or emotions in users is known as sensory design. Sensory design in UX aims to create a holistic experience that goes beyond the visual and combines various senses to engage and captivate users. Every user interaction with a product is a sensory experience. Sensory design wants to make sense of engagement deeper and more multifaceted.
What is Multi-Sensory Design?
The multi-sensory design increases sensory design by seamlessly integrating multiple senses into the user experience. It emphasizes that users interact with digital products through various visual, auditory, tactile, and even olfactory channels. Multi-sensory design enhances the general impression and memorability of a product or service. Multi-sensory design is the practice of creating an experience that is more than just visuals. To make it more meaningful, it plays with feelings, connects with sounds and smells, communicates with the environment, and builds a physical space.
What is the impact of Multi-Sensory Design on UX?
The multi-sensory design has an important effect on user engagement and satisfaction. Designers can create more memorable and emotionally compelling interactions by appealing to a wider variety of sensory experiences. This deeper involvement can lead to higher retention of users, stronger brand loyalty, and a distinct competitive advantage in the market.
Considering the emotional impact that a beautiful sunset, a nostalgic piece of music, or a familiar fragrance can have. Multi-Sensory UX uses the connection between our senses and emotions to build powerful and long-lasting memories in the digital world.
Why is Multi-sensory design is important?
Participation and Memorability:
It increases memory retention with various sensory stimuli.
It stimulates multiple senses, creating a captivating user experience.
Accessibility and Emotional Connection:
It benefits users with various sensory needs by increasing accessibility.
It evokes emotions by creating a stronger connection between users and products or services.
Feedback, Usability and Brand Differentiation:
It improves navigation and usability by providing reassuring sensory feedback.
It enables brands to stand out with different and memorable experiences.
Cross-Model Redundancy and Reduced Cognitive Load:
It improves comprehension by presenting information through multiple senses.
It reduces cognitive tension by distributing information efficiently.
Innovation and creativity:
It encourages creative exploration by encouraging innovative solutions in UX design.
Multi-sensory design has become a game changer when it comes to improving user experiences. It goes beyond what we see and hear in order to create interactive and memorable connections. This increases satisfaction and makes it easier to use websites or apps. It helps remember a brand by providing unique and unforgettable experiences. Standing out in a marketplace full of competitors is essential, and multi-sensory design gives brands an advantage by making them unique and easy to remember.
Multisensory design is a new technique that extends beyond the typical focus on sight and sound to encompass all five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. It aims to develop places, products and experiences that engage users on a deeper level by stimulating various senses simultaneously. This technique is not limited to one sector; it can be applied to architecture, product design, marketing, user experience design and other fields.
Industrial designer Jinsop Lee believed that great design appeals to all five senses. This was called by him the Five Senses Theory. Jinsop also gave a Ted talk on the subject years ago. He believes that all experiences can be rated using all five senses. For example, eating noodles can be rated by sight, smell, touch, taste and sound.
5 Senses Graph, created by Jinsop Lee
He continues to discuss his theory by evaluating the different experiences he has had in his life in terms of the five senses and applying this to the ‚The 5 Senses Graph‘ he made.
This is how the perfect experience would look like on the 5 Senses Graph â a horizontal line along the top. In the years of gathering data, Jinsop Lee says that the only experience managed to come close to being the perfect one is sex.
Jinsop Lee mentiones that many designers, including himself, focus on making things look beautiful and somehow tactile, while ignoring the other three senses. He is trying to change that completely. Lee wants to apply his theory to future designs and hopes to inspire others to do the same, making designs that engage all our senses.
The five senses theory is a very helpful way of evaluating various life experiences and then hopefully incorporating those best experiences into any form of design.
