Scents in Interior Design : Enhance working environments by influencing the sense of smell
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2021
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MACHINE-GENERATED SUMMARY NOTE : "We see only when there is light enough, taste only when we put things into our mouths, touch only when we make contact with someone or something, hear only sounds that are loud enough. But we smell always and with every breath. "(Ackerman 1990, 6) How humans perceive and understand space is mostly directed by the five main senses sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch (Bradford 2017). The first impression and general atmosphere in interior design is shaped through visual perception, which is why it receives most dedication during the design process. The other four main senses often come secondary, but can still be included, some easier than others, to shape the impression and experience a space provides. Smell can be as important as sight since it triggers an immediate response in how we evaluate a space, an object, or a person and is always present (Ackerman 1990, 6). The aim of the thesis is to explore and discuss how scent can be used in interior design to improve wellbeing in working and learning environments, while simultaneously looking at the different ways of representing it. It is also highlighting the effect of smell stimuli in relation to interior design, as the topic is not widely explored, although the great effects on the human psychology are scientifically proven. Common mental health problems caused by workplaces are burnout through overworking, and associated with it, depression and anxiety (Koutsimani, Montgomery, and Georganta 2019). A study shows that 76% of surveyed employees, in the US, experience burnout on the job at least sometimes (Gallup 2020, 2). Most common symptoms are fatigue, sleep disorder, reduced performance, and concentration and memory problems (Schoen Clinic 2020). In another study, the number of surveyed students experiencing academic burnout hovers around the same number, at over 80% (Critchfield 2019)