Neuro-Sensory Brand Design

This unit explores how multisensory cues, memory systems, social identity, and simplicity shape brand perception and campaign virality. Students will integrate neuroaesthetic principles (visual, olfactory, auditory, ritual) and measurable metrics to design and evaluate brand artifacts, preparing prototypes and briefs for the capstone unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how sensory cues (visual, olfactory, auditory, taste), memory systems (episodic, procedural, spatial), and social identity factors influence brand recognition and consumer decision-making using lesson case studies and metrics such as the mu score
• Apply principles of simplicity (rule of threes), personalization, and ritual design to create or revise a packaging or short campaign prototype that incorporates geocoded experience cues, chromal and timbre choices, and measurable retention targets
• Demonstrate synthesis of multisensory branding elements by producing a written design brief and a 2-minute prototype storyboard or pitch that specifies goals for memory retention, emotional valence, and virality potential
• Evaluate ethical, cultural, and network effects (tribal belonging, nostalgia, pruning of networks) to predict outcomes for brand extensions and recommend adjustments for inclusivity, sustainability, and long-term engagement