Olfactory is a product based company that focuses on a more personalized approach toward the understanding, selection, and purchasing processes of fragrances. Though the aid of questionnaires, fragrance analytics, and a sample rating system, Olfactory assists users with a better understanding of what scents work the best with each individual consumer.

Consumers are overwhelmed by a over-saturated, fragrance market as perfumes and colognes are catered to masses. Commercial fragrances, created by fashion designers and celebrities, are filled into stores whose sole focus are geared towards selling product quantity rather than product quality. Consumers loose their individuality in this market dynamic between store, fragrance, and consumer—an aspect that is highly valued in today’s digital age.

I conducted a series of user interviews for my target demographic and analyzed their fragrance. From the user interviews, I researched business competitors on all platforms of fragrance purchasing, whether it be in-person, on a website, or through a mobile application. From my research, I analyzed what was the best notion forward for Olfactory and found what was needed for the product in order for it to stand out from its competitors. Once I concluded that the business goals matched with the needs of the audience, I was able to start assessing the nature of the Olfactory product. I then deciphered how users would go about going through their fragrance purchasing to make the product feel as effortless as possible once built out. I then established business goals for the secondary and tertiary stages of what the product would allow in a functional manner. From then, I began to establish the layout of the product by determining the site map, wireframes, and visual display of the product itself. I found what features and functionality would be most helpful to customers by prototyping the product.

After I gathered all that I could through my user research, I decided that the best approach for Olfactory was to to create a mobile based application due to the fact that most users purchasing any items do so on their phones. Olfactory based its app on a questionnaire in which new users can decipher which fragrance is based off of their specific fragrance preferences. These questionnaires would narrow down the top 3 choices for each user, and prompt them to want to learn more or purchase the fragrances suggested to them. The user then chooses the option to sample the suggested fragrance items by setting up an user profile, or have their findings from the questionnaire sent to the user. Once the profile has been set up and the samples have been sent, the user then can look at an assortment of other fragrances that the applications suggests based on more options in the fragrance databased. This creates a person experience catered to the audience that provides specific fragrance needs without the overwhelming and odorous sensation of being within a box store. Taking fragrances into the digital space allows the audience to sample fragrances in a prolonged testing and an odor controlled and environment.