​We are pleased to host Simon Niedenthal as part of the KUAR Seminars series*.

​The exploration of olfaction—the sense of smell—is currently experiencing a remarkable resurgence. In the post-COVID-19 era, heightened public awareness of smell loss, the rise of teen perfume reviewers on TikTok, and the rapid growth of essential oil markets have together reshaped the cultural landscape around scent. At the same time, emerging scientific research continues to challenge long-held assumptions about human olfaction and opens up new application areas for scent.

​In this talk, Simon Niedenthal will share how his research group employs play-centric, user-centred, and speculative design frameworks to investigate olfactory experiences across physical, digital, and interactive environments. Approaching olfaction as a direct, embodied chemical sense, the group:

• ​designs and prototypes novel olfactory technologies,

• ​develops and playtests scent-enabled games,

• ​applies participatory and speculative design methods,

• ​and explores social innovation opportunities connected to scent materials and vulnerable forestry resources.

​The talk will highlight new directions for the educational, rehabilitative, playful, and aesthetic uses of scent, and reflect on what designing with smell can contribute to interactive systems and experience design.

​We look forward to welcoming you to this KUAR Seminars session.

_____

*The seminar will be in-person, virtual participation is not available.