Project Brief

The IFF’s Perfumer’s Compendium is a catalog of chemical ingredients marketed to perfume and fragrance designers. Alfalfa Studio was commissioned to design the 8th edition; the main challenge was to reinvent the Compendium to inspire creativity among its users.

Approach

Alfalfa Studio’s solution entailed mixing the purity of facts with the world of emotions. We sought to present scientific facts about ingredients in a clear and visually engaging way while, at the same time, introduce the emotional side of the ingredients.

Outcome

Alfalfa Studio developed a set of visually rich icons to designate odor families. Chemical qualities, such as endurance over time, were elegantly captured in a graphic charting system. A master grid harmonized all of the elements.

The cover and spine feature a blurred gradient of very soft color, reminiscent of the ethereal way in which odor colors our experience of the world. Fine printing and a silk ribbon bookmark give the book an elegant tone, appropriate to its audience.