Designers
Designers
Designers
SmilePatch
Scent-based emotional stickers system that support children and connect families
Key Words
Designers
Heloise Kim
SUMMARY
SmilePatch began with my personal experience of finding comfort in my grandmother’s scent, which revealed how smell can hold deep emotional meaning. Through research, interviews with educators, and prototyping, I explored children’s separation anxiety and the need for gentle, everyday emotional support. The result is a scent-based sticker system that creates small morning rituals, helps children feel secure throughout the day, and keeps families emotionally connected even when apart.
challenge
Through interviews, observations, and reflection, I identified a core gap between parents and young children. Parents often do not have enough time to stay emotionally present throughout the day. Children aged four to eight, however, struggle to clearly express how they feel, which can lead to misunderstandings and unmet needs. Existing comfort objects and toys are short-lived, mostly visual or touch-based, and not embedded into daily rituals. This reveals a market opportunity for a gentler, longer-lasting sensory medium beyond sight and touch.
Outcome
The project resulted in SmilePatch, a scent-based emotional sticker system that supports children and strengthens family connection. It includes a wearable scented sticker, a mini printer that creates a morning ritual, and an app that allows parents to see their child's emotional patterns even when they are apart. The app also offers gentle conversation prompts to help parents communicate with their child. By using scent rather than short-lived visual or touch-based comforts, SmilePatch provides a long-lasting sensory presence that directly addresses the gap between busy parents and children who struggle to express themselves.
MEET THE Designers:
Heloise Kim