Introduction
Most of our everyday life experiences are multisensory in nature. They involve many, if not all, of our senses, namely sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, just to name a few. In this course, we take a journey through the world of multisensory experiences, which we define as impressions formed by specific events whose sensory elements have been carefully crafted by someone.
We begin by exploring the basis of human sensation and perception. Here, we provide a general introduction to how we sense and perceive the world around us. We also learn sensory language to describe our worlds. Then, we explore how experiences are formed and the role of our senses in them. After that, we introduce multisensory experiences in marketing. We interact with brands through many, if not all, of our senses. As such, we experience brands through the different sensory elements associated with their touchpoints throughout the customer journey. In this context, the senses are placed at the centre of the consumer experience analysis, design, and management processes.
Last but not least, we introduce the field of multisensory human-computer interaction, which deals with the understanding, design, and use of computer systems that engage multiple senses, typically beyond the traditional visual and auditory channels. We discuss how our senses are increasingly meeting technology. In particular, we focus on immersive technologies, the internet of things, AI-powered technologies, and Web 3.0. We further explore how multisensory experiences are being studied and utilised throughout the reality-virtuality continuum (for example, with augmented and virtual reality technologies) in marketing and beyond. We also explore how researchers and practitioners from around the world are now capitalising on novel sensory-enabling technologies to deliver new experiences in digital environments. The course concludes with a discussion of the ethical implications and responsibilities associated with multisensory experiences for individuals, businesses, and society.