The ocular-centric approach predominant in the field of design, particularly textile and spatial design, focuses on visual aesthetics and visually mediated interactions. Whereas the non-visual materialities of a space, such as smells, are ignored in the design process, meaning that interior spaces with homogenously odourless environments lack interactions with the olfactory. However, multi-sensorial experiences are crucial to creating a holistic perception of an environment. The aim of this thesis is to investigate smell as a design material for spatial design. This research has been carried out using experimental design research methods, with the theoretical framework connecting smell as a design material to textiles and spatial and interaction design. Addition, modulation and subtraction of smells through textile surfaces and micro-climatic spatial zones have been investigated. Interactions with smells were explored through different modes of activation and dispersion of smells on two different scales; spatially near to body and far from body. The research findings show that atmospheric parameters play an important role in the detectability of smells, in that air flow carries smells and distributes them in a space. Humidity holds smell molecules in the air, and at higher temperatures smell molecules are extremely volatile and dynamic in their movements. Textiles have demonstrated to be good absorber of smells, and are breathable materials with regard to designing with plants and synthetic micro-encapsulated smells to create an olfactive dimension in spaces.These results have an implication for the design of spatial olfactive diversity and olfactory interactions, in that it is possible to disperse smells that are designed to transition from discrete to ambient, or vice versa. Interior textiles can be designed with the expressions of smells that add an olfactive dimension in addition to colours, patterns, and textures. The research presented in this thesis opens up for further interdisciplinary research with regard to developing the novel material systems proposed in this thesis – smell absorbers, dividers, and reflectors – which are responsive to existing smells and atmospheric parameters. Olfactory interactions have important applications from two perspectives: firstly, in relation to subjective and individual connections to people, places, and events; secondly, with regard to providing information about the near environment that is comprehended through the olfactory, in addition to being perceived by the other senses. Therefore, spatial olfactory interactions are essential to (re)connect human to the environment in which they live and work. These interactions in the real physical world are slow and analogue in nature, in comparison to fast digital lifestyles; smells can improve feelings of social connectedness, improving wellbeing.
This publication describes a workshop-performance that was held during the conference.The workshop involved an improvised performance, with three scenes thatwere acted out by the participants. The props provided were smell-embedded objectssuch as a container filled with rotten garlic, a jar filled with freshly picked moss froma forest, and a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Touch and body movement activatedthe smells in the space, and this was intended to take place using not just thehands but the movements of the whole body. For example, walking on an object mayrequire that the whole body balances, and can involve interacting with a material bydancing and jumping with it or carrying another object. The experiments conductedduring the workshop focused on embodied spatial interactions with smells.
This research paper discusses dimension of smell for designing spatial interactions through textiles. The focus in these design examples is combining the sense of touch to actuate the smells. Sense of touch is explored in terms of different tactile sensations that include pressing, rubbing and movement of the body. Through these tactile interactions smells embedded in the textile objects are released. The temporal textile expressions of smells open up for further investigations for designing spaces, as these design examples bring forward the olfactory expressions and proposes frameworks for future research in potential human-computer interactions through our everyday objects and surroundings. The proposal of textile interactions that engage sense of smell and create slow interactions with objects and situations from our daily lives opens up the opportunity to encourage more social interactions within the physical world. These interactions will include computational things, however, in a discreet manner, helping build deep bonds between human to human and human to environment.
This paper explores design strategies to use smells as a medium of interaction between the body and the space. In a living environment, encounters and experience of smells creates and manifests connections to the space. Along with the other sensory stimuli, smells communicates information about the space. Olfactory interactions can be expressed through its experiential relationship with the body. Design examples as discussed in this paper, express the aesthetics ofinteractionwith smells that are dynamic and temporal.Human perception connects through the patterns and weave the fluid movements across the soft boundaries of smells. Over a range from discrete to ambient presence of smells, this paper discusses tangible and intangible interaction with smells in the design examples. Through active or passive actuation of smells, designing for smell diversity in a living environment would create interactions at many different levels and will add to experiencing spaces in a multisensorial way.