Central Coast Agency

I recently heard about synesthesia, a condition that causes the brain to have involuntary responses that can associate different senses with one another. For instance, some synesthetes might identify colors with certain letters, while others might notice a certain taste when saying different words. And I wondered if this information could inform the way I use my own senses in design.

As a designer, I rely heavily on my sense of sight to help me develop concepts. Colors, images, and type treatments help me tell a story. But is the story really complete? Should my conceptual stage end with only the use of my sense of sight? Or perhaps I should take a holistic approach and consider what a brand might sound, taste, feel, and even smell like.

Using other senses to help complete the story will create my own complementary form of synesthesia. Emotions and thoughts can be awakened from what we see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. So if my goal is to create a brand that is vibrant and exciting, then I would say it would taste like citrus, sound like electronic pop music, smell like the ocean, and feel warm like sunshine. These associations could help me inform how I choose colors, fonts, and images to complete the visual message.

So next time you get a new project, instead of heading straight for kuler.adobe.com to pick your color pallet, try switching gears and consider what your other senses are telling you. You might like what you see. Or taste. Or smell.