Sensory design - I perceive, feel, sense

Abstract

Sensory design is a design practice aiming at activating our senses. The human senses are commonly divided into sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Through a systematic increase of sensory richness of products, services, and environments, our encounters can become more immersive, holistic, and feel more meaningful. In the past years sensory design has gained growing attention amongst professionals and experts across different fields.

In my case study I am exploring two dairy brands through a multisensory approach: Valio, the biggest Finnish dairy producer in the domestic market, and Finlandia; Valio’s US based branch. One of the aims of this thesis is to familiarize Valio with the concept of sensorial design and explore how the brands could be developed further in this area.

This thesis can be divided into three parts; theoretical background, field research, and the design process and production of the final pieces. Theoretical background briefly opens up the concept of sensory design, before focusing on the framework for this particular study. Sensory experiences related to food and eating are in the focal point of my research and the design process. Field research focuses on a research trip conducted in the US in March 2018, and cross-modal association tests held in Helsinki, Finland, over the course of two weeks in April 2018. The last part illustrates the design process behind the two final pieces: sensorial identities developed for Valio and Finlandia, and conceptual artwork inspired by the mouthfeel of cheese.