Bio-inspired design and structuring existed long before we gave it a name. Our first professor, first book, and even our first YouTube tutorial have always been nature. The trees, birds, rivers, and even the sun have been our instructors and our Pinterest boards.

As part of nature, humans share more similarities with it than we often realize. Especially with plants. Our blood vessels branch like the internal structure of a leaf. The root networks of plants mirror our neural systems. As trees age, wrinkles appear and deepen as years progress, the same as with humans, and the list goes on.
 

Even the crucial element of both survival and pleasure, The Senses, are mind-blowingly the same.

Plants, much like humans, experience the world through sight, sound, scent, taste, and touch—all used for communication. They direct themselves toward sunlight (sight), respond positively to uplifting music (sound), and even emit distress signals when harmed, termed as "plant crying." They can taste chemicals in their soil. Smell their relatives and detect danger through chemical signals. And of course, we all know the famous touch-me-not plant, which reacts instantly to contact.

The Smell Sense: Facts and Functioning
 

Among these, one of that is most intriguing is the sense of smell—a tool for interaction and influence. Sure, we already associate certain smells with danger, comfort, or memories. But could scent go beyond that? Could it actively guide behaviour, nudging our human minds toward specific actions—perhaps even shaping our decisions in ways we don’t yet fully understand?

Before we explore this as a behavioural tool, let’s take a moment to understand the biological foundation of scent perception and why it holds such influence over us.

We all know that it is closely connected to what gives flavour to our food and is used in scented candles to calm our mood and health, but did you know? It is the only sense fully developed in a foetus inside the womb. Moreover, a human nose can detect about 10,000 different odours beautifully segregated by the olfactory bulb (responsible for sending signals to other areas of the brain to help identify scents), which is quite large and similar in the number of neurons to other mammals.

Research shows that odour-linked memories are stronger and more positive than memories triggered by other senses. Not just memories—people can even associate scents with colours. For example, yellow, green, and orange tend to evoke a citrusy smell in the unconscious mind (an interesting topic for a different article). But we still need to further understand how our olfactory system works, its beauty and limitations. 

The scent chemicals are mixed with our Serous (nasal mucus) and picked up by olfactory hair to pass them onto olfactory receptors, which further deliver them to the olfactory bulb. Each different scent goes to different “Glomeruli” in the olfactory bulb, which are connected to memories in the brain. This is why a familiar smell instantly evokes a vivid memory. With prolonged exposure to the same scent chemical or molecules, the olfactory receptors become less responsive to them, reducing the intensity of the scent perception. Additionally, this is the only sense which does not pass the filter thalamus before going to the amygdala and hippocampus and hence is very strong and fast in retrieving deep past memories.

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Communication through Scents
 

The functioning also provides the reasoning of why we adapt to a scent after a while. Even though the scent is there, we cannot detect it anymore. Another limitation which should be considered while using scents is disorders like Anosmia (full loss of smell) and Hyposmia (reduced ability to smell, with aging and neurological changes).

But regardless of these limitations some brands are already uplifting the power of smell to influence their customers to make favourable decisions. Movie theaters use the aroma of popcorn to drive cravings, nudging customers into purchasing snacks and settling in for a film. Starbucks intentionally infuses coffee scents outside its stores to draw people in. Singapore Airlines uses a signature fragrance across its services, from cabins to uniforms, subtly reinforcing brand identity. Moreover, we unconsciously prefer detergents which smell fresh and clean rather than how they perform. 

Though we know strong scents leave a mark but can mild scents also communicate a message? Researchers asked 36 women to take a visual test while they unknowingly inhaled the scent of men’s sweat. When women sniffed “fear sweat”, they opened their eyes wide in a scared expression, while those smelling sweat from non-showered men, they scrunched their faces into a repulsed grimace.
 

Now, if scents can really communicate and nudge a certain behaviour, it makes one ask important questions. Can scent be used in public spaces to reduce certain destructive behaviour? If yes, exactly how is that possible?

I explored this idea in college when I noticed our canteen was always messy—trays left scattered, chip bags and plastic cups abandoned on tables despite multiple nearby dustbins. I wondered: Could using scent as a communication tool make people act cleaner or not litter in this canteen?