Author Archives: Lilliana Goti

Olfactory Cartography: A Tour of New York City by Scent

New York City is a melting pot, and the steam rising from that pot carries a heavy scent. Though New Yorkers may resound with a unanimous cry of “Garbage!” when asked what their city smells like, a closer inspection of the individual neighborhoods reveals a more nuanced answer to the question. Explore the map below […]

Is Scent Storytelling Stinky Or Sweet?

At this year’s SXSW, an international group of scent specialists laid out their vision for scent as the next big storytelling tool because it allows the creator to connect with the audience in a more visceral, memorable way. During the panel, Artist Frederik Duerinck explained his Famous Deaths project, an installation of “smell documentaries” in which […]

Watch and Smell: Discover New York City Through the Noses of New Yorkers

“It’s garbage. Yeah, definitely garbage.” “Well… no, maybe it’s more on the shit spectrum.” “No way — it’s vomit. Vomit, for sure.” “Absolutely not. It’s flowers, lovely flowers, or better yet, maybe it’s just love.” Only in a city as vibrant and culturally diverse as New York will you get this kind of dialogue, because […]

Do People Still Wear Perfume?

Business is down, but classic scents still hold allure. The fragrance business is suffering from growing pains. The oversaturated market has made it difficult for new scents to sell, forcing perfume makers to rethink their strategies. The main issue is there’s a lack of differentiation between many scents on the market, according to experts. And […]

Whoever Smelt It: Photographing Scent in New York City

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how much is a smell? Though we have yet to calculate an exact exchange rate, we do know that images have the power to elicit powerful, visceral sensory reactions. Real or imagined, smells can evoke deeply personal memories or universal experiences. From roasting meat to using a […]

I Can’t Smell Anything: Living Without the Most Powerful Sense

Of the five senses, smell is by far the most powerful – the only one hard wired to our brains. Smell is linked to memory and taste, and it’s deeply personal – each of us have entirely different reactions to odors wafting through the air or the foods we eat. But while we’ve examined scent […]

Letter From The Editor

The Internet is a complex, interlocking city. User-experience designers serve as urban planners, putting in place the systems that guide us through the space. Web designers are the architects, giving shape to the products we interact with. And then, of course, there are the citizens. These individuals give each product a distinctive personality. By virtue […]