designing for the senses

Designing for the Senses is an interdisciplinary course that focuses on designing products and environments that interact with our perceptual faculties. The course introduces students to the principles and practices of sensory design, engaging in a detailed study of vision, hearing, haptics, proprioception, olfaction and gustation. In this undertaking, students explore the relationship between the senses and human behaviour and learn how to use this knowledge to design products and spaces as sensory encounters.

The students are asked to become familiar with different aspects of sensory phenomena and its perception, through the development of a theoretical and historical understanding of sensorial concepts and identifying scientists and artists who have applied this knowledge in specific ways. These studies then inform the development of a series of experiments that physically demonstrate specific sensory effects.

Ultimately the students are asked to create immersive and interactive experiences that engage multiple senses simultaneously. In doing this they explore the intricate relationship between perception, technology, and human experience. By leveraging design principles, innovative technologies, and a deep understanding of human sensory perception, the goal of the course is to imbue students with a refined sensibility and a deep appreciation of the potentials that become possible when they approach design as a cross-modal shaping of the physical world.