I was able to see how much my project has changed since I first proposed it thanks to this instruction. Initially, my concept was centered on the Micro-Comfort Zone, in which participants used aroma, familiar objects, and soft materials to create a small, secure area in their rooms. The training helped me realize that this concept was still quite comparable to existing sensory comfort or sensory regulation rooms, even if the intervention shown that participants found these places helpful for relaxation. Although I had tested the intervention’s effectiveness for my subjects, I had not made it apparent how my method differed.
The addition of mobility and olfactory experience was the most significant turning point in my research. I started to realize that homesickness does not only occur when a person is by themselves at home thanks to my second intervention, the Mobile Sensory Companion. Additionally, it may manifest when traveling, dining alone, studying, commuting, or interacting with strangers. My perspective shifted from building a physical “comfort corner” to a movable psychological safe zone as a result. The idea that fragrance could establish an imperceptible personal barrier between a user and an unfamiliar environment piqued my interest.
The tutor’s comments also caused me to reevaluate my perfume selection. Through perfume workshops, hotels, tea gardens, museums, and traditional fragrance objects, I investigated many culturally identifiable materials and scents during my field research in China. I now understand, though, that I shouldn’t presume that a single fragrance can symbolize “home” for every Chinese person. Personal memories and sensory preferences are still highly unique, while cultural memory is somewhat common.
As a result, I should make my next intervention more interactive. Rather than distributing a single scent that I have chosen, I may offer multiple scent profiles and let participants select the one that most closely relates to comfort, safety, or home. I may then learn which sensory attributes need more development based on their selections and comments. Instead of framing me as the designer who determines what comfort should smell like, this would shift the project toward co-design.
Strengthening my scholarly references, especially in relation to multisensory settings, multisensory items, and olfactory design, was another crucial takeaway from the session. This will enable me to explain my project’s unique contribution and place it more clearly in connection to current practices.
Ultimately, the comments altered my perspective on documentation. Throughout my fieldwork, I have gathered a large number of photos, which are not limited to serving as proof of my travels. I may turn them into a visual journal that depicts the individuals, locations, supplies, smells, and choices that progressively influenced the project.
Overall, this lesson made it clear to me that creating a cozy scented object is no longer the only aspect of my project. It is evolving into an inquiry into the ways in which involvement, touch, scent, and cultural memory might assist individuals in creating a transportable sense of identity.
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