Design with Scents Archives - The Perfume Society

There are precious few perfumery courses around which straddle the gap between a day’s workshop blending, and a full-on, takes-several-years (and lots of chemistry/maths qualifications) degree at the likes of ISIPCA, Paris’s perfume school.

Which is why the Design with Scents course – co-ordinated by industry experts Joanna Norman, Nicola Pozzani and perfumer Marianne Martin (a former President of the British Society of Perfumers) – is so highly-rated. The course is held for a working week each year (actually, by popular demand there was an extra date back in April).

In previous years the course has been attended by professionals including those from the worlds of art and design, fragrance creation and marketing, academia, advertising and more. But it also attracts
those wanting to delve deeper into the world of fragrance for their own understanding and enjoyment; several of our Perfume Society VIPs have taken part.

You’ll explore the sense of smell, experiment with blends and go home with your own personal fragrance kit. But you’ll also embark on a project to come up with a fragrance concept, and learn how to communicate that with an audience. In addition, there are some really fascinating ‘extra’ elements on the course: a ‘Smell Walk’ with Kate McLean (Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design), and a guest lecture from Maggie Rosen, guiding you through the cross-exploration of perfume and wine. (Always a highlight!)

It takes place in London from 4th-8th July at the London College of Fashion, UAL, High Holborn Campus, 272 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EY, and the five-day course is (we think) very reasonable, at just £750 all-in. Only 15 places are available.

To book, click here – or visit the website, below.
Your nose will thank you for it.

www.designwithscents.com

We want to share news with you of the most exciting five-day course at Kingston University, taking place in July.

It’s for professionals and perfume-lovers generally, and although it’s targeted at those who work in creative fields, this course is a fascinating exploration of the whole scent world, providing you with a basic knowledge of fragrance ingredients and ‘sensory design’ skills. You’ll explore ways of using scents to enhance projects in the fields of design, communication and marketing – but basically, you’ll have your senses tantalised and your nose revved up a gear or three.

The teachers are top-notch, and include the wonderful Joanna Norman (Chanel’s ‘perfume professor’, who recently took part in the Q+A Chanel hosted for the launch of The Perfume Society), along with experts Nicola Pozzani and John Ayres, who has worked in research chemistry, fragrance creation and development, marketing and sales.

Here’s what’s on the syllabus…

Day 1 Holistic perfume experience/History of Fragrances Students get to know each other and experience how different scents can affect our being. They will study how scents have been used in the perfume industry throughout time to create fine fragrances, social and cultural fashions reflected in perfume.

Day 2 Synaesthetic Perfume experience Students will experience, through a synaesthetic (cross-sensory) approach, the perfume ingredients (and the so-called families) and some compositions available today. This creative approach will help them discover what scents can communicate to an audience.

Day 3 Scent Agencies Students will be divided into ‘Scent Agencies’. Each Scent Agency will research and analyse an environment to define the sensation (response) they want to create in that space producing a “sensory scenario”. A visit to rare, niche perfume houses in London is included.

Day 4 Blending Each ‘Scent Agency’ will work on designing a scent, by blending real perfume ingredients. Following the research and input defined the previous day, the blending exercise will let each student experiment how to “translate” their idea into scent.

Day 5 Presentations Each Scent Agency will submit the final result to the tutors and other students, and receive feedback. Advice and examples of how to develop further their ‘scented spaces’ and technologies will be given.

By the end of the week, you’ll have experimented with blending a ‘scent for space use’, and will take home a personal perfume kit which can be used for future projects or just to deepen your knowledge and enjoyment.

It takes place at the Knights Park Campus of Kingston University (which is in Kingston itself), backing onto the Hogsmill River. And we think the course is incredibly reasonably-priced, at just £590 inclusive of the kit.

To book, click here (at time of going to press, there are three spaces left). Or for more info, click here.

Written by Jo Fairley