Sensory design is designing things by considering the total experience related to the human senses of vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The term also extends to designing things by considering sensations that extend from senses such as temperature, vibration and pressure. The following are illustrative examples of sensory design.
Architecture
An architect aims to design the night architecture of a building to invoke emotions and ideas.
Vehicles
The designers of a luxury vehicle aim to make seats feel plush with the right amount of support. When the seats are adjusted the designers aim for a smooth, flowing and stable movement with a slight pleasant sound.
Electronics
Engineers consider the pleasantness of the smell produced by an air purifier.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Formulations of organic toothpaste are compared according to factors such as appearance, taste, smell and feel on your teeth. For example, one formulation may feel too abrasive on the teeth and another may taste too minty.
Furniture
A designer of a chaise lounge considers the sound the chair makes when you sit in it.
Services
A hotel experiments and finds that customers prefer a warmer interior on bitterly cold days and a colder interior on hot days.
Fashion
A fashion designer considers a large number of sensory factors such as the feel of a material or the way that light reflects from a button.
Stationery
A pen that is easy to grip or paper that has a crisp feel to it.
Entertainment
The design of an attraction at a theme park that makes use of smell to provide a more stimulative experience.
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