Scent Suite
Overview
The open-ended prompt for this 12-week project was to design for the future of hotel experience.
The Scent Suite is an experience room that partners with hotel brands to enhance guest experiences and create memorable stays through crafting personalized fragrances.
Credits
Noah Posner (Professor), Cognizant (Sponsor), Cynthia Li, Suzie Kwan, Shao Kaye Chan
Time
February 2024 - May 2024
Skills
Fusion 360, KeyShot 2023, Figma, Procreate
Meet the Team
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Cynthia Li
USER RESEARCH CO-LEAD
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Suzie Kwan
USER RESEARCH CO-LEAD
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Shao Kaye Chan
UI/GRAPHICS LEAD
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Brian Tran
CAD/RENDER LEAD
Well…
How many hotels do you remember?
The Problem…
Hotels are an essential part of any trip, but few are memorable and they tend to blend together.
Well…
What makes a memory?
Unlike our other sensory systems, scent information moves directly to the limbic system. This is the region of the brain that controls memory and emotions and this bypass makes scent and memory deeply connected
Enter…
Scent Marketing
Scent marketing is the theory that scent can create immediate and memorable connections between brands and consumers.
But, the current state of scent marketing is often subconscious. And within hotels, the scent is almost only showcased in the bathroom through bath products.
Design Criteria
Creates shared stories
Fosters authentic connections
Molds tailored experiences
Scent Suite
Enhancing hotel guest experiences through custom fragrances
Layout
Discovery Lab
The Discovery Lab is the initial experience level that allows guests to freely explore on their own time and learn about the scents of the brand and region while crafting their own scent cards.
Each station has a table for guests to explore as well as a screen that helps to guide the experience and educate about each note and fragrance combination.
Experimental Table
On the Experimental Table, Scent Capsules are organized by the Signature Base that is selected by the hotel brand, Regional scents that vary by location, and a collection of popular perfume notes for guests to add their own personality and preference into the fragrance.
Information Screen
When a Scent Capsule is placed into the perfume mix slot, the screen will show information about the note such as note details, pairing recommendations and scent profile.
Scent Capsules
The design of the scent capsule was refined through user testing to enhance simplicity. Capsules gain more ridges with each step, aiding users in slotting the sample notes correctly when mixing and streamlining the process.
Scent Card
Once guests are happy with their blend, they can print a Scent Card that mixes the notes together so that they can experience the combined fragrance.
Similar to scratch and sniff samples, the ink is sealed in a thin coating and releases more scent when rubbed.
User Validation
From our user testing, we found that Scent Cards were well loved by guests and served as a souvenir that connected the two halves of the Scent Suite experience.
Perfume Bottle
The overall silhouette of the bottle is based on our Card Sort findings which highlighted the importance of shapes with cohesive variations to give users a sense of elegance and refinement.
Flower Diffuser
The paper diffuser is designed to resemble the regional flower of the location allowing guests to collect various regional notes and paper flowers as they visit different hotels that have partnered with the Scent Suite.
The flower is made from an absorbent paper and has a foldable design to make it collapsible for packaging and for easy assembly when you want to use it as a diffuser.
THE PROCESS
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THE PROCESS /
Observations & Interviews
In order to survey the current state of hotels and hospitality, our team went out to observe 7 hotels (all within a 4 to 5 star class) and conducted 20 interviews with hotel staff and guests.
Affinity Map
Insights
Following our observations and interviews with 11 hotel staff, 3 business travelers, and 6 leisure travelers, we affinity mapped to group our findings and pull out 3 primary insights into what hotel guests are looking for: shared stories, authentic connections, and tailored experiences.
Insight 1 / Shared Stories
Insight 2 / Authentic Connection
Insight 3 / Tailored Experiences
Concept Exploration
Our team ideated and created thumbnail sketches for different sectors we identified within hotels such as the lobby, guest rooms, and amenities. We flagged our strongest ideas to develop 8 concepts. Given our feedback, we decided that the most compelling concept to move forward with was “Aromatherapy Personalization”.
Initial Concept
Our concept, Scent Suite, imagines the future of hospitality where scent marketing goes beyond bath products and, instead, journeys from check-in, to the scent bar, to the guest’s room, and ends at the guest’s home.
User Testing
To test our concept, our team created full scale artifacts within an enclosed area from users to walkthrough. We utilized print outs, digital screens, and essential oils to fully emulate the experience of the Scent Suite.
Feedback / Experimental Table
Feedback / Information Screen
Feedback / Take Home Survey
Feedback / Card Sort
