Osmothèque Installation

Osmothèque Installation

Osmothèque Installation is an innovative sensory-translation laboratory that transforms digital communication into olfactory experiences, specifically designed to bridge the gap between technological messaging and human sensory perception. This groundbreaking installation, created by British designer Jade de Robles Rossdale, consists of two interconnected sections that form a comprehensive experiential space measuring approximately 200 x 50 millimeters. The installation's primary function is to decode WhatsApp messages into corresponding scents, allowing participants to experience digital communication through their sense of smell, thereby adding a new dimension to contemporary technological interactions. The first section enables participants to interpret messages through carefully crafted fragrances accompanied by graphical representations, while the second section empowers users to create personalized scents based on their own digital conversations. This unique approach to communication design, which earned recognition with an Iron A' Design Award in the Fine Arts and Art Installation Design category, is founded on research indicating that traditional communication comprises 7% verbal content, 38% tone, and 55% non-verbal elements. The installation employs four distinct olfactive families developed in collaboration with scent marketing specialists, creating a sophisticated system for emotional interpretation through smell. The project's innovative structure, crafted in partnership with a blacksmith, serves as both a functional framework and an aesthetic element that guides visitors through this unique sensory journey, challenging conventional perspectives on digital communication while promoting active engagement with our often-neglected sense of smell.

olfactory design, sensory installation, digital communication, emotional technology, interactive art, experiential design

— Adam Dawson