Keywords
- Scent Aesthetics (气味美学): Emphasizes the importance of scent in culture, art, and daily life.
- Perfume Creative Designer (香水创意设计师): Distinct from perfumers, focusing on the overall concept and visual presentation of perfumes.
- Mood Board (情绪版): A tool for communicating perfume concepts, bridging visual and olfactory elements.
- Enfleurage (融脂法): An ancient method of extracting essential oils, particularly suited for delicate flowers like jasmine.
- Proust Effect (普鲁斯特效应): The phenomenon where scents trigger profound memories and emotions.
Summary
This episode of The Peace of Boredom features perfume creative designer Della Zhuang Huijia, exploring the mysteries of scent aesthetics. Della shares her daily work as a perfume creative designer, revealing that perfume design goes beyond blending scents to crafting a complete story and emotional experience. The episode delves into the perfume-making process, the use of mood boards, and traditional techniques like enfleurage. The guests also share personal scent-related memories, highlighting the Proust effect. The discussion emphasizes the significance of scent in life and how curiosity and keen observation can enhance scent perception, enriching life experiences.
Insights
The podcast offers practical significance and value in the following ways:
Enhancing Quality of Life: By focusing on scents, individuals can sharpen their perception of the world, improving quality of life and happiness. Sparking Creative Thinking: As a unique sensory experience, scent can inspire designers, artists, and other creatives. Promoting Cultural Exchange: Different cultures have unique scent preferences and expressions, and understanding scent culture can foster cross-cultural communication. Market Trends: With growing consumer demand for personalization and emotional experiences, niche and customized fragrance markets are poised for significant growth.
Opinions
01「Perfume Design Is More Than Blending Scents」
A perfume creative designer’s work extends beyond mixing scents to crafting a cohesive concept and story, integrating visual, tactile, and other sensory elements to embody the perfume’s soul.
02 「Scent Is the Key to Memory」
Scents can unlock deeply buried memories and emotions; consciously cultivating scent perception can create richer life experiences.
03 「Curiosity Drives Scent Exploration」
Maintaining curiosity about scents and closely observing them in daily life is key to enhancing olfactory sensitivity and discovering the beauty of scent.
In-Depth
Scent Museum: Unveiling the Behind-the-Scenes Story of Perfume Creative Design
Introduction: Have you ever wondered how a bottle of perfume is created? What distinguishes a perfume creative designer from a perfumer? How do scents leave lasting imprints in our memories? In this episode of The Peace of Boredom, perfume creative designer Della Zhuang Huijia guides us into the world of scent, revealing the behind-the-scenes story of perfume creative design.
Perfume Creative Designer: The Director of Scent
Della Zhuang Huijia, a seasoned perfume creative designer with a strong design background, likens her role to that of a film director. She conceptualizes the entire narrative of a perfume, translating it into a multisensory experience involving visual, tactile, and olfactory elements. Unlike perfumers, who focus on blending scents, perfume creative designers prioritize the perfume’s overarching concept and market positioning.
Della explains that the creative process often begins with a mood board, a visual tool incorporating images, colors, and textures to convey the perfume’s concept and emotion. The mood board facilitates communication with marketing teams, perfumers, and other stakeholders, ensuring the final product aligns with the envisioned design.
Perfume Creation: A Blend of Tradition and Modernity
Perfume creation merges traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. Della details the enfleurage method, an ancient technique where flower petals are laid on animal fat to absorb their fragrance, which is then extracted using alcohol. This method is ideal for delicate flowers like jasmine, preserving their natural aroma to the fullest.
Beyond traditional techniques, modern perfume-making relies on scientific advancements. Perfumers use gas chromatography to analyze natural fragrance components and create synthetic scent molecules. These synthetics expand the range of fragrance notes and offer designers greater creative freedom.
Scent and Memory: The Magic of the Proust Effect
Scent shares a mysterious bond with memory, known as the Proust effect. When a scent is tied to a past moment or emotion, encountering it can instantly revive those memories and feelings.
In the episode, the guests share personal scent-related memories. One recalls the smell of star anise-scented water sprinkled on tatami mats at home, while another remembers the mix of cucumber, eggs, and instant noodles on green-skinned trains. These scents are more than sensory experiences; they carry nostalgia and emotional connections to bygone times.
Scent Aesthetics: The Key to Enhancing Quality of Life
Della emphasizes that scent plays a vital role in life but is often overlooked. By paying attention to scents, we can heighten our awareness of the world, boosting quality of life and well-being.
Della suggests cultivating curiosity and keen observation to improve scent perception. For instance, try describing a scent’s characteristics or recalling memories tied to specific smells. Engaging with diverse scents—perfumes, essential oils, herbs—can further enrich olfactory experiences.
Market Trends: The Rise of Personalized Fragrances
As consumers seek personalization and emotional resonance, niche perfumes and customized fragrances are gaining traction. Many are no longer satisfied with mass-market products, instead desiring unique scents that reflect their individuality and emotions.
Della believes the future perfume market will prioritize personalization and customization. Brands must deeply understand consumer needs and preferences, offering flexible, tailored products and services. For example, bespoke fragrance services could involve consumers in the creation process, crafting truly unique scents.
Forward-Looking Insights: The Future of Scent Technology
Beyond traditional perfumes, scent technology is advancing. Scent players can digitally simulate various smells, creating immersive experiences. Scent sensors are also being developed for applications like environmental monitoring and disease diagnosis.
As technology progresses, scent will play an increasingly significant role in daily life. Scent technology will not only transform sensory experiences but also open new opportunities across industries.
Conclusion: Scent is a captivating world that awakens memories, stirs emotions, and enhances quality of life. Let’s open our noses, embrace the beauty of scent, and explore its boundless possibilities.