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Follow Your Nose: Experiencing Smell as a Design Material

  • Marianna Obrist
  • , Ceylan Beşevli
  • , Emanuela Maggioni
  • , Mei Kei Lai
  • , Carlos Velasco
  • University College London
  • Hynt Labs Limited
  • BI Norwegian Business School

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Over the past decades, olfactory interfaces have moved from the margins to the forefront of inquiry and design in HCI research and practice. Yet, while technical and interaction-focused work has advanced, there has been limited collective engagement with scent as a design material and its potential to shape multisensory experiences. Building on this growing interest, Follow Your Nose meet-up invites researchers, practitioners, and designers to collaboratively explore scent in this broader, practice-led context. We will draw on the olfactory design space through light, nose-first activities exploring how scents i) shape spatial experience, ii) evoke emotions and memories, iii) unfold over time, iv) reveal chemical contrasts that influence perception, and v) convey recognisable qualities. Through these activities, we will reflect on scent as a medium for interaction and surface emerging questions, opportunities, and directions for research and practice in olfactory and multisensory HCI.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCHI 2026 - Extended Abtracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
EditorsNuria Oliver, David A. Shamma, Heloisa Candello, Pablo Cesar, Pedro Lopes, Valentino Artizzu, Fiona Draxler, Gustavo Lopez, Anke V. Reinschluessel, Xin Tong, Phoebe O. Toups Dugas
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)9798400722813
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Apr 2026
EventExtended Abtracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2026 - Barcelona, Spain
Duration: 13 Apr 202617 Apr 2026

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

ConferenceExtended Abtracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2026
Country/TerritorySpain
CityBarcelona
Period13/04/2617/04/26

Keywords

  • Digital Scent Technology
  • Digital Smell
  • Multisensory Experiences
  • Olfaction
  • Olfactory Interfaces
  • Smell
  • Smell Design
  • Smell Material

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