Scent-Emitting Hardware Mobile App
Designing a timeline-based mobile app to control an experimental scent-emitting device for CES 2023.
I designed a mobile app for a Fair Worlds client to control an experimental scent-emitting hardware device. The app needed to be ready for demonstration at CES 2023, which meant the team was moving quickly while features, interaction details, and MVP scope were still being worked out.
The product centered on a timeline interface, similar in some ways to video or audio editing tools. Users needed to create, adjust, save, and load scent sequences, then control playback through a mobile interface. The design followed Material Design principles while tailoring the MVP experience for iOS.
I joined the project with some initial screens already started, but much of the feature set, screen structure, and interaction model still needed to be defined. I designed new screens, reworked existing screens for consistency, and built a simple component-based design system in Figma so the app could evolve quickly without becoming visually fragmented.
I worked closely with the lead designer at Fair Worlds, developers, the CEO, and client stakeholders. I presented design progress in daily standups and critique sessions, and helped developers understand the details of the timeline interactions, menus, popups, and screen states.
The main challenge was designing a clear mobile interface for unfamiliar hardware on a tight timeline. The product needed to support nuanced timeline controls, scent mixing, saving and loading scent profiles, playback, menus, and popups while the MVP feature set was still changing.
The team also needed a design approach that could absorb feedback quickly. Because CES was the target, there was not time for a long discovery or usability testing phase. The design needed to be practical, understandable, and ready for implementation.
I started by organizing the interface around the core timeline workflow. I looked at interaction patterns from video, audio, and editing tools, then adapted those ideas to a mobile scent-control experience. The goal was not to copy those tools, but to use familiar timeline behaviors where they could help users understand sequencing, playback, and adjustment.
As the feature set shifted, I created a simple design system and component library in Figma. This made it easier to update styles, compare screen options, and keep new features consistent with the rest of the app.
Interactive prototypes helped me test screen-to-screen flow, refine information architecture, and evaluate how menus, popups, and timeline controls would behave together. I also designed icons and alternate icon options as components so the team could compare and refine them during feedback sessions.
Accessibility and contrast were part of the process. I followed Material Design guidance where it helped, but adjusted colors and interface details when better contrast or clarity was needed.
The app needed to support sequencing and playback, so I treated the scent experience as a timeline-based interaction rather than a simple list of controls.
Because features and styles were changing, I created reusable components and patterns so the app could stay consistent as the MVP evolved.
The app needed secondary controls, saving, loading, and mixing behavior without overwhelming the main timeline workspace.
I organized the final Figma file so developers could access screens, components, and interaction details directly. I also worked with developers to clarify timeline behavior and edge cases during implementation.
The hardware was unusual, so the interface needed to feel understandable. I used familiar mobile and editing patterns to make a new kind of control experience feel less foreign.
The project resulted in a comprehensive Figma design package, including screens, interaction patterns, icons, and a component library. The app was implemented for demonstration at CES 2023 and gave the team a clearer foundation for future development.
The work established the interface structure and core interaction model for a new hardware-connected mobile product.
Short promotional video for the project that explains a bit of the concept
The project reinforced the value of a small, flexible design system when product decisions are still moving. It also showed how useful interactive prototypes can be for comparing design options and clarifying complex timeline behavior.
Because of the CES timeline, the team did not have time for formal usability testing. If the project continued, I would want to validate the timeline interactions with users, test scent creation and playback flows, and refine the save/load model based on real usage.