The retail perfume industry often lacks the multi-sensory engagement needed to frame the perception of a fragrance and thus facilitate the fragrance selection process. Scent is very ambiguous and needs cues from other senses to better place a scent (Pierzchajlo et al., 2024). This project, conducted in collaboration with the Dutch perfume brand Fugazzi, explores how cross-modal sensory correspondences, combining scent with visual, auditory, and tactile cues—can create immersive and intuitive experiences. Through a series of exploration sprints, associations between fragrances and sensory modalities such as color, texture, shape, and sound were investigated. These findings were later applied to develop a concept in two deepening sprints. These sprints build on each other, and the concept is iterated through these sprints.

Findings revealed that multi-sensory integration can influence customer perception of fragrances and align their expectations with the olfactory experience. These insights were applied to the chosen design direction: d’Accord, a display enabling customers to select preferred fragrance accords and receive suggestions that correlate with the chosen accord. The user receives sensorial stimuli that frame the perception of a scent. The found associations between scent and color, shape and context are used in this concept.

Cross-modal correspondences between smell and vision can be used to frame the perception of a fragrance. Visual stimuli could make the perception of a fragrance less ambiguous. D’Accord had the highest effect on the pleasure scale, making the perception of fragrances with a less defined emotion profile less ambiguous.

This thesis presents a design project that explores the role of visual perception in fostering empathy and addressing affective polarization. The research builds on insights from EyeSeeDifferent, a lighting installation developed for Highlight Delft, which demonstrated how lighting conditions influence perception. Expanding on this concept, the graduation project investigates how altering perception can enhance empathy within polarized societal contexts.
Affective polarization is increasingly prevalent, catalyzed by media coverage societal divisions. This project applies a polarization framework that identifies four distinct roles, with a particular focus on the Silent Middle and the Pushers. The Pushers contribute to polarization by reinforcing division, while the Silent Middle resists choosing a side despite experiencing pressure to do so.
Countering affective polarization requires enhancing empathy among the Pushers toward the Silent Middle.
Empathy is a dynamic and malleable concept, which can be enhanced through perspective-taking tasks. Research indicates that both visual and emotional perspective-taking activate the same brain regions, suggesting that engaging in a structured visual perspective-taking task may also stimulate empathy.
The primary design objective is to develop an installation that challenges polarization by emphasizing the value of the Silent Middle. The resulting installation, Hidden in Plain Sight (dutch: Ik zie wat jij niet ziet), was developed through two major design iterations and two user tests. The experience assigns participants to two roles: the Pushers, who have a limited visual perspective, and the Silent Middle, who integrate these fragmented perspectives to form a complete understanding. The Pushers shine red or blue filtered light through windows, creating opposing, partial views of a masked word due to a depth perception effect. The Silent Middle, located inside, can see both perspectives and decipher the full word: STILLE MIDDEN (English: Silent Middle). As a result, the Pushers leaves the interaction with a sense of dissatisfaction, while the Silent Middle experiences a sense of accomplishment and understanding. A debriefing session follows, where all visitors use a scale model and keyrings to further explore the installation from all perspectives. This step is designed to give meaning to the experienced interaction by connecting it to the polarization framework.
Prototyping and user testing provided critical insights that informed iterative refinements. The findings confirm that the intended emotional differences between roles are successfully conveyed. However, the connection between the interactive experience and the polarization framework requires further refinement.
This research contributes to the development of design strategies that can help reduce affective polarization by highlighting the value of the Silent Middle. By offering a tangible, interactive experience, the project demonstrates the potential of visual perception as a tool for promoting empathy in a divided society.

This thesis presents the development of a novel smart lighting system designed to enhance the well-being, mood, and productivity of individuals in indoor environments, particularly desk workers. The project was inspired by the increasing awareness of light's impact on human health and the need for human-centric lighting solutions in office settings, with a specific focus on addressing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the lack of effective lighting in typical workspaces.

Grounded in the principles of salutogenic, biophilic, and human-centric design, the system aims to go beyond traditional functional lighting by integrating with natural circadian rhythms to support psychological and physiological well-being. The development process involved in-depth analysis, concept exploration, and multiple design iterations—culminating in a high-fidelity prototype that provides customizable, adaptive lighting to suit users' changing needs throughout the day.

The final design is a modular lighting system that offers both optimal light intensity and meaningful biophilic animations, enhancing concentration, mood, and overall health. It provides a unique blend of functional and aesthetic benefits, addressing not only the technical requirements of lighting but also offering nature-inspired visual effects that foster a sense of calm and connection to the natural world.

In conclusion, this project demonstrates the potential of smart lighting systems to transform indoor environments into healthier, more adaptive spaces. Future work will explore scalability, integration with other smart building technologies, and extended user testing to further validate the system's effectiveness across diverse environments.