by bensu.kaya -

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.

Resources:

  • 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/
by bensu.kaya -

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.

Resource:

  • K. Aisling, T. Virginia., “Multisensory Experiences in HCI” Artful Media.
by bensu.kaya -

Multi-Sensory in UX_2: A Journey into to the Multi-Sensory Experience

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

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Resources:

  • https://www.front-commerce.com/sensory-ux-in-the-digital-era/#:~:text=and%20channels%20themselves.-,What%20is%20sensory%20UX,of%20a%20product%20or%20service.
  • https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/sensory-appeal-in-ux-design-the-secret-to-enhancing-user-experience-ac46755eae3f
  • https://medium.com/syfte-blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-sensory-design-f4d02f4633ce
by bensu.kaya -

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

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.

Resources:

  • https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/sensory-design
  • https://www.front-commerce.com/sensory-ux-in-the-digital-era/
  • https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/sensory-appeal-in-ux-design-the-secret-to-enhancing-user-experience-ac46755eae3f
  • https://www.yellowslice.in/bed/why-multisensory-designs-create-memorable-experiences-for-users/
by bensu.kaya -

Approaching Basic Senses Using Interaction: A Journey Into To The Multi-Sensory Experience

In real life, humans interact with objects using their senses. The five basic senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell – play an essential role when perceiving the world. Multi-sensory design is becoming increasingly important in this age of digital interactions. However, the most unforgettable experiences are usually multi-sensory based. I will discuss exploring the multi-sensory design case studies and artworks during my research. I will analyse how to interact with multiple senses in designing products or in an artistic way and in which ways it is possible.

An example of fully multi-sensory experience can be food! Food is about more than just taste; it is also about the way it looks, smells, feels, and sounds. Combining these sensory inputs results in a unique and memorable experience that everyone can enjoy. Actually, multi-sensory food experiences are growing in popularity, with many food and beverage companies developing innovative products that appeal to multiple senses.

Food is a complete multi-sensory experience.

Another example of multi-sensory design is from Volkswagen. In 2009, Volkswagen undertook a unique project in Sweden by transforming an ordinary subway staircase into a giant piano. Their idea was to get people to abandon the escalator and head for the stairs. Each step became a musical note, and soon everyone was jamming on the stairs. It wasn’t just about the music; It was about feeling and having fun. The project showed that making everyday things like stairs more enjoyable can actually make people choose healthier options. It’s a great example of how using multi-sensory design can turn ordinary things into exciting experiences.

To continue with my research questions, these are the questions that I will work on during my research;

Central Research Questions:

  • How to approach basic senses with using interaction design?
  • How can we transfer real-life analog multi-sensory interaction to the digital?

Sub-questions:

  • What is sensory design?
  • How do you create a sensory experience?
  • What is multisensory design?
  • What is the role of sensory design in making user experience more effective?

Revelance for Design Fields:

The relevance of multi-sensory design is quite wide in design fields. Most of the time, we can associate any design in which the senses are used with sensory design. First, in user experience design, it is about how users establish connections between senses and products, in what ways they interact and possible scenarios. On the other hand, from an artistic point of view, it is possible to see multi-sensory design in different, even multi-sensory forms in installations and artistic works.

Approaches to Solve Issues/Questions:

To adress the research questions, I will work on various approaches;

  • Analyzing case studies of successful sensory interaction design projects
  • Collaborating/Interview with experts in fields such as psychology or design to better understand sensory perception and the role in design.
  • Collecting data on which different areas and how sensory design is used in UX/Design fields.
  • Exploring the development of new technologies and devices that appeal to sensory experiences.

Challenges in Research:

  • Minimizing the subject that has wide and diverse areas.
  • Finding reliable and up-to-date research in this evolving field.

Personal Motivation:

I’m really interested in learning about multi-sensory design, especially how products can connect with our senses. Also I’m excited to examine case studies to understand how designs can go beyond just being useful and actually make us feel something. Looking at artworks in this area inspires and helps me think outside the box when it comes to design. I also wonder how our emotions and behaviors are affected by what we see, hear, and feel. Mixing things like textures, colors, sounds and smells seems like a fun way to get creative with design; creating products that not only work well, but also make people feel something special.

Relevant Institutions:

  • Interaction Design Foundation
  • MIT Media Lab
  • NN Group
  • Research Gate

Preview of Upcoming Research Phase:

Projected steps in the research process

Projected steps in the research process

In the following blogs I will talk about explaning multi-sensory design and the role, delve deeper into the principles of multi-sensory interaction design, analysing successful case studies, and hopefully collaborating with experts in the field.