PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project explores interaction with a non-human presence through something you can’t see, but can feel and smell. I’m developing a concept for luxury perfumes made for ghosts, where scent becomes the ghost’s way of existing in a space and communicating with the living.
The interaction is designed to be subtle and sensory rather than visual. A ghost enters an empty room, selects a fragrance, wears it, and disappears, leaving behind a lingering signature that unsettles the human when they return. By blending storytelling, luxury branding, and atmospheric visual design, I’m creating a premium product world that makes the “invisible presence” feel real, memorable, and slightly unsettling.
WHY THIS PROJECT?
I picked this project because I'm really intrigued by how people react to non-human presences and how design can make those presences feel real without using visuals. The brief got me thinking outside the usual user-object interactions, so I decided to focus on scent as an “invisible interface.” It’s something you can sense, remember, and connect with emotionally.
This idea lets me mix sensory storytelling with luxury branding, creating a high-end world where non-human elements leave a real mark on the human experience. It's a chance to dive into themes of fear, curiosity, and atmosphere through a product experience, turning an unseen character (a ghost) into something you can genuinely interact with.
USER PROFILE
GHOST
Species Profile
CHARACTERSTICS
NEEDS
BEHAVIOURS
A ghost that slips through spaces unnoticed, yet still manages to change the vibe around it. It can drop the temperature, stir the air, and most intriguingly, leave behind scent trails. This spirit doesn’t handle things as we do; instead, it leaves subtle clues for people to find later.
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Exists as a presence, not a body.
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Communicates through residue: scent, cold spots, subtle disturbances
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Drawn to familiar places.
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Identity expressed through signature fragrance rather than appearance
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A safe and empty moment to enter a space unnoticed.
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A way to mark presence without being seen.
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An environment that supports diffusion.
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A “ritual object” (perfume bottle/charm) acting like a totem/anchor
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Enters quietly → checks occupancy
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Selects scent by “mood”
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Applies perfume using minimal
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Drifts through fabrics and corners to embed scent in space
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Leaves before detection → avoids direct confrontation
PEOPLE
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Primary: The Ghost — wants presence + identity without visibility
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Secondary: Resident/visitor — interprets scent as “someone was here.”
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Tertiary stakeholders: Perfumer/designer, paranormal hobbyists
CONTEXT
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Physical: empty room/house, low light, soft furnishings, still air zones
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Social/cultural: human scepticism vs belief; scent triggers memory + paranoia
PACT ANALYSIS
ACTIVITIES
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Ghost: enter → assess → choose fragrance → apply → roam → imprint → vanish
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Human: return → smell anomaly → search source → fear/confusion → attempt to rationalise
TECHNOLOGIES
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Core artefact: luxury perfume bottle + atomiser + charm/talisman
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Environmental tech (affects outcome): HVAC/vents, air fresheners, diffusers, air purifiers
SPECULATIVE USER JOURNEY
ROUGH/LO-FI SKETCHES
FINAL SKETCHES
RESIDUAL
LINGERING
PASSING THROUGH
UNFINISHED
MOCKUPS
A mischievous ghost floats into an empty house, declaring it his playground for the night. With a cheeky grin, he slips through the doorway and breezes from room to room, making sure the coast is clear. No one’s there to feel the playful chill or catch a glimpse of his translucent mischief. Satisfied, he opens his secret stash of perfumes, picking a bottle with flair: "Lingering." One dramatic spritz, and the scent wraps around him like his own personal branding.
He swoops through the house like a phantom interior designer, brushing against curtains, corners, and cozy cushions, leaving a fragrant trail in his wake. Then, just as stealthily as he arrived, he vanishes into the night.
Later, the unsuspecting human returns. Everything looks normal, too normal but the air carries a playful twist. The scent is unmistakable, intentionally out of place, like a ghostly calling card. They hunt for its source, but find nothing just the lingering aroma, testimony to a supernatural visitor. Baffled, a little spooked, and definitely intrigued, they're left with one burning question: if no one was home... who left the scent?