Olfactory
A speculative design project imagining a near-future where human scent is lost due to toxic air, proposing a system for collecting, storing, and sharing memories through alternative sensory means.
Client: Parsons School of Design
Year: 2020
Roles: Designer & Researcher
Olfactory, 2020
Olfactory imagines a near-future in which human scent is lost due to toxic air, and proposes a system for collecting, storing, and sharing memories through alternative sensory means.
Concept
The project explores a speculative scenario where environmental toxicity has eliminated the human sense of smell. In this world, the project proposes new systems for preserving and sharing the memories and experiences that were traditionally tied to scent.
Research Questions
- How do we preserve scent-based memories when scent itself becomes inaccessible?
- What new technologies might emerge to capture and store olfactory experiences?
- How does the loss of a fundamental sense change our relationship with memory and connection?
Speculative Framework
As a critical design project, Olfactory uses design fiction to explore:
- The implications of environmental degradation on human experience
- Alternative technologies for memory preservation
- The social and personal impacts of losing fundamental sensory experiences
Video
Tags
Speculative Design, Sensory Studies, Memory, Environmental futures, Design Fiction