Enhancing Mental Well-Being Through Personalised Aromatherapy
Scentsory is an interactive scent experience designed to regulate young adults' emotional states, enhance well-being, and connect with the Melbourne environment by combining aromatherapy, essential oil extraction, and interactive technology.
Scentsory explores Melbourne's spring produce, categorising scents into calming, focusing, and energising profiles based on their mental wellness benefits. The system includes a portable inhaler and a home-use diffuser, both responsive to real-time heart rate data. The portable inhaler rotates its scent chamber to release a suitable aroma, while the home-use diffuser activates scent-specific humidifiers and lighting to create an immersive sensory experience.
This individual project was developed as the Major Project for the Master of Design Innovation and Technology program at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia under the supervision of Dr. Courtney Coombs and Dr. Michelle Woulahan.
🎨 Product Design
📱 Experience Design
🛠️ Prototyping
🔍 Design Research
⚡ Interactive Technology Design
✨ Branding & Packaging Design
The research began with a broad focus on health and well-being, emphasising the mind-body connection through thoughts, emotions, and physical functions. Mental health is a global issue, and among the five senses, smell stands out as an invisible yet powerful tool for shaping emotions and memory, leading to my focus on sensory design.
In Victoria, 26.9% of young adults report high psychological distress (NWMPHN, 2022), yet traditional mental health solutions often lack personalisation. Since scent directly influences the limbic system, aromatherapy holds untapped potential for emotional regulation. This project explores how interactive technology can enhance aromatherapy for tailored well-being support.
My personal experience with aromatherapy began as a way to regulate a high heart rate using a Thai herb inhaler. The blend of menthol, Borneol, camphor, and eucalyptus helped manage stress and maintain focus, leading me to question whether scents could be tailored to different emotional needs throughout the day.
The project addresses the gap in personalised emotional regulation tools for young adults facing high stress. While aromatherapy has proven benefits, existing solutions remain static. By integrating biometric data, such as heart rate, this project reimagines aromatherapy as a dynamic, responsive experience tailored to individual needs.
Using a user-centered research approach, I explored the relationship between scents and emotions. Key findings reveal that lavender and basil promote calmness, while lemongrass enhances focus and mental clarity. Additionally, biometric data, such as heart rate, offers real-time insights into emotional states. To align with sustainability and cultural relevance, I incorporated locally sourced citrus and herbs to create meaningful scent profiles.
This project aims to create a sensory experience that regulates emotional states, enhances personal well-being, and strengthens the connection to the local environment by combining Aromatherapy practices, Essential Oil Extraction and Interactive Technology.
I began by researching the connections between specific scents and emotions, focusing on how particular aromas can influence emotional states, such as reducing anxiety or enhancing mood. This research provided a foundation for selecting essential oils that support emotional well-being. For suitable produce, I visited Queen Victoria Market, focusing on seasonal spring fruits, vegetables, and herbs. By using locally available produce, I aimed to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation while also creating scents that are connected to Melbourne’s local environment. During the exploration phase, I smelled, documented, and evaluated each product’s sensory qualities, using a scent-based customised colour chart to create charts for various types of produce to guide my selection of items for essential oil extraction.
I organised the scents into three categories: calming, focusing, and energising. Each category features three selected products, chosen based on a combination of research findings and hands-on exploration. The research on each produce’s scent and its impact on mental well-being highlights how these scents influence emotions and psychological responses. After evaluation process, I began the initial visualisation of each distinct variety based on my documentation. These visual designs are intended to be incorporated into the packaging of essential oils and used as a scent guide, allowing users to create personalised experiences.
Through experimentation, I found fractionated coconut oil to be the best carrier for its mild scent, which preserved essential oil aromas without overpowering them. Using the cold infusion method, I adjusted the standard 1:5 plant-to-oil ratio to 1:2 for a stronger aroma and 1:1 for subtler scents like rosemary and mint, achieving more balanced and concentrated extractions.
The design outcome features a portable inhaler for daytime use, which can be connected to a stand to function as a home-use diffuser.Technically, the device will incorporate a pulse sensor to monitor heart rate, providing the input for the aromatherapy experience. The output will be selected scents tailored to the user's current emotional state, with heart rate ranges mapped to specific scents: calming, uplifting, and energising, extracted from Melbourne's local produce.
The device activates when the user touches the built-in pulse sensor, which detects their heart rate. Based on the detected heart rate range, the inhaler automatically selects the most appropriate scent tailored to the user's physiological state. The user then inhales the selected scent through their nose, experiencing the calming or energising effects based on their real-time needs, enhancing their well-being in a personalised way.
When the portable inhaler connects to the home diffuser, it utilises the same pulse sensor to monitor the user's heart rate. The device automatically switches to home mode using a reed switch and magnet. In this mode, the home diffuser provides a personalised aromatherapy experience by adjusting the light features based on the user's physiological state. All three humidifiers operate simultaneously, enabling users to either blend essential oils or use a single scent across all three humidifiers for their customised experience.
Technologically, the design intention for the devices is to connect the inhaler and diffuser using the same microcontroller housed within the portable inhaler to control both devices seamlessly.
In the final technology prototype, separate power sources are required for each device. The light feature is responsive to the microcontroller, which uses real-time heart rate data to activate different lighting effects (warm, natural, cool white light) based on specific heart rate ranges.
Additionally, all three humidifiers in the diffuser can operate simultaneously, allowing users to personalise their scent experience by either combining multiple essential oils across the humidifiers or using a single scent throughout. This setup provides a flexible, customised aromatherapy experience.
Scentsory enhances mental well-being by exploring the link between smell and physiological responses, focusing on heart rate regulation. Using interactive technology and essential oils from Melbourne’s seasonal produce, it supports calming, focus, and energy balance while fostering a connection to the local environment. Developed within time and resource constraints, this project is an initial exploration of well-being design, approached with creativity and care to ensure both functionality and aesthetics.
Through this project, I discovered my potential in multidisciplinary design and explored how design can address global issues. Challenging myself with new skills like 3D printing, circuit soldering, and sensory design, I learned to balance ambition with practical constraints. Embracing trial and error, I gained valuable insights from professors and peers, making this an inspiring and transformative experience. The lessons learned will shape my future career and design approach.
