The Heartbreak Series
Lauren Stein
This is The Heartbreak Series. Engaging a new dynamic for scent-memory association—how the memories and scent association of others can trigger our own recollections and even inspire new ones. The Heartbreak Series is presented as an installation, through which it entirely transforms the room into a space for advertising—advertising people’s stories. A collection of individuals have told their heartbreak stories and the scent they most associate with that person, place, or thing. The scent is then interpreted into an essential oil and encapsulated in the casted hand of the individual whose story is being told. The audience is then able to create personal ties directly to the scent they are experiencing, whether that scent triggers a past memory or casts a new one for the future.
Our sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses we possess. Scientifically proven, there is a direct link between memory and smell, affording the ability for scent to trigger some of our deepest and most profound memories. Ever wondered what scents are locked away in your memories? Or what scents will engrave new ones?
Communication design follows a pattern of translating ideas and information through a variety of different mediums. The Heartbreak Series allows the onlooker to explore a designed environment that focuses on the quality of the user’s experience and culturally relevant discussions. Through this method of storytelling we can explore and actualize the different facets of communication design—how we can encourage emotion, insight, and response through scent- memory association rather than the words in a book. The Heartbreak Series becomes, simply, another form of communication.