Find what smells best for you.

Whiff is a mobile app concept designed to reimagine how people discover, understand, and shop for fragrance online. The project explores how digital experiences can translate something deeply sensory and emotional—scent—into an intuitive, expressive, and confidence-building interface. Whiff helps users articulate their preferences, discover perfumes aligned with their identity, and navigate fragrance without intimidation.

the brief

Fragrance discovery is highly personal, yet most digital shopping experiences rely on vague notes, overwhelming terminology, or generic recommendations. Users often feel uncertain, excluded, or dependent on in-store testing, making online fragrance shopping intimidating and inaccessible—especially for beginners.

  1. Make fragrance discovery approachable and intuitive

  2. Translate scent into emotional and experiential language

  3. Reduce intimidation around perfume expertise and jargon

  4. Support confident purchasing decisions online

  5. Design a sensorial-feeling experience within a digital interface

Key Features

  1. Scent Profile Builder: An onboarding experience that captures mood, memory, and preference rather than technical notes

  2. Mood-Based Discovery: Browse fragrances by feeling, atmosphere, or occasion

  3. Scent Stories: Narrative descriptions that frame perfumes emotionally instead of chemically

  4. Recommendation Engine: Curated suggestions based on user input and evolving preferences

Research

Research focused on understanding how users currently discover and talk about fragrance, what makes online perfume shopping intimidating, and how people emotionally connect scent to identity, memory, and mood. The goal was to identify opportunities to translate an inherently sensory experience into a digital-first product without relying on technical expertise.

Research sought to understand how users naturally describe and emotionally connect with fragrance, what makes online perfume shopping feel intimidating, and which signals help users feel confident committing to a scent. Particular focus was placed on the role of mood, memory, and identity in fragrance preference, as well as how users navigate choice overload and technical language. Competitive analysis of existing fragrance e-commerce platforms and a review of scent-related language across beauty and editorial spaces helped identify gaps in how scent is currently communicated digitally.

  1. Users describe fragrance through feelings, memories, and atmosphere, not ingredient lists

  2. Technical scent notes often create anxiety rather than clarity for non-expert users

  3. Confidence in fragrance selection increases when users feel seen rather than tested

  4. Mood and occasion are stronger decision drivers than brand loyalty

  5. Overwhelming choice leads to decision paralysis in fragrance shopping

Research Insights

Conclusion

Whiff demonstrates how digital product design can humanize complex, sensory-driven industries. By shifting fragrance discovery from expertise-based to emotion-based, the project creates a more inclusive and expressive way for users to explore scent. Whiff positions fragrance not as a luxury reserved for insiders, but as a personal tool for identity and mood.

Design Focus

  1. Soft, immersive UI that reflects the emotional nature of scent

  2. Visual metaphors to suggest texture, warmth, and depth

  3. Clear hierarchy to prevent cognitive overload

  4. Inclusive language that welcomes non-experts

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