Located in Paris, France, the Osmothèque is a museum that archives the ephemeral, preserving discontinued perfumes and reconstructing their formulas to protect olfactory history from being lost in time.
A custom wordmark celebrating the subtlety of scents.
A 3-degree tilt for the three-part anatomy of fragrances: Top, Heart, and Base.
Visually simple, olfactorily splendid.
A simple wayfinding and exhibition label system allows visitors to move through the space without overwhelming the primary experience: the scents themselves.
Fragrance iconography, fresh yet familiar.
The main graphic asset interprets a scent strip, a recognized symbol of fragrances without the specifics of a bottle.
Reflections
This project taught me a lot about how design can make a niche institution feel more accessible. The main challenge was striking the right balance between an open, inviting tone that could attract non-connosseiurs and the historical+emotional depth of scent preservation.
If I had more time, I'd try experimenting with abstract visualizations of scents and see how that can educate visitors on the science behind fragrances.
