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Dopamine — dopamine eau de parfum logo and hexagonal glass bottle with L'Oréal branding

Dopamine

L’Oréal Brandstorm Competition 2026 · UX Designer · Luxury Fragrance & Experience Design

Designed an NFC-enabled luxury fragrance and companion app that transforms scent into an interactive, personalized digital experience. Led UX design, user flow, and concept development to connect physical product interactions with storytelling, mood-based personalization, and community engagement.

Overview

Dopamine is a luxury fragrance concept developed for the L’Oréal Brandstorm competition, exploring how scent can become an interactive, personalized experience.

Our team designed a NFC-enabled perfume paired with a mobile app that connects the physical product to digital storytelling, mood-based personalization, and community engagement.

Role

  • UI/UX Design
  • Product Strategy
  • User Flows & Journey Mapping
  • Concept Development
  • Experience Storytelling

Team

  • Lac Nhi Nguyen
  • Kiara Peterson
  • Jamie Zamora

Duration

February - May 2026

L’Oréal Brandstorm Requirements

The Challenge

Redesign how consumers connect with fragrance by creating a luxury scent experience that blends storytelling, sensory design, and technology beyond a traditional perfume.

The Goal

Develop a product and user journey that is personalized, immersive, and emotionally resonant, while remaining sustainable, inclusive, and scalable.

Innovation Areas

  • Product Craftsmanship — New formats, ingredients, and sustainable packaging
  • Tech & Science — Personalization through AI, data, and smart devices
  • Experience Design — Immersive, multi-sensory journeys across physical and digital
  • Community & Culture — Social engagement, influencers, and brand ecosystems

Research

Our starting point was a question, not a product: what makes an everyday beauty ritual feel emotionally rewarding? We looked at the neuroscience of dopamine — small, anticipated rewards that build habit loops — and used that as a lens for both the physical product (a 3-pod, mix-and-match scent system) and the digital layer (NFC scans that unlock progressive content).

We also grounded the concept in accessibility research early: the ADHD/neurodivergent angle wasn’t a late add-on, it shaped the core interaction model — grounded breathing, structured habit loops, and voice/high-contrast support were baked into the app from the first flow, not layered on after.

Dopamine eau de parfum bottle spraying a fine mist of fragrance

Pleasant fragrances can activate brain regions involved in reward and engage dopamine-dependent pathways, which may help explain why certain scents produce feelings of pleasure and encourage repeated exposure.

— Midroit et al., Current Biology (2021)

Competitive & Comparative Analysis

Brand / Product Type Mood / Emotion Focus Science-Backed Scent Customizable Scent Refillable Digital Experience NFC / Interactive Tech Rewards / Ritual
Dopamine Eau de Parfum Our product ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The Nue Co. Functional Fragrance Competitor ✓ ✓ — — — — ✓
Edeniste Competitor ✓ ✓ ✓ — — — ✓
Vyrao Competitor ✓ ✓ — — — — ✓
ININUM Smart Fragrance Comparative ✓ — ✓ ✓ ✓ — —
Finch Comparative ✓ — — — ✓ — ✓
Headspace Comparative ✓ ✓ — — ✓ — ✓

Key Findings

  1. 01 — Emotional fragrance already exists.

    Competitors such as The Nue Co., Edeniste, and Vyrao demonstrate an emerging intersection between fragrance, neuroscience, mood, and wellbeing.

  2. 02 — Smart fragrance already exists.

    ININUM demonstrates that app-controlled, refillable, pod-based fragrance customization is technologically and commercially plausible.

  3. 03 — But the experiences remain fragmented.

    Some products focus on emotion, others on fragrance customization, and digital wellness products focus on interactive rituals and engagement.

  4. 04 — This reveals Dopamine’s opportunity.

    The opportunity isn’t simply to create another mood-boosting fragrance. It’s to connect scent, emotional wellbeing, personalization, and digital interaction into one continuous ritual.

Fragrance pods + notes

Three Dopamine fragrance pods in a hexagonal holder: a citrus pod with bergamot, grapefruit, and pink pepper; a floral pod with jasmine, hedione, and neroli; and a warm pod with amber, musk, and sandalwood

Fragrance Pod #1 (SPARK)

Citrus + Aromatics → mimics the dopamine spike

Fragrance Pod #2 (UNLOCK)

White florals + Airy musks → mimics the sustained uplift

Fragrance Pod #3 (REWARD)

Amber + Soft woods → mimics the reward loop

*Refill pods are designed to be returned through retail take-back programs aligned with L’Oréal for the Future commitments.

Breakdown

Angled view of the hexagonal Dopamine bottle showing the three removable fragrance pods and their caps seated in the holder

Materials

Outer Shell (≈ Whole Sale: $4 – $8)
Recycled frosted glass. Fully recyclable, premium look.
Sprayer (≈ Whole Sale: $.50 – $1.50)
Recycled PP + PE. Durable and partially recyclable.
Collar (≈ Whole Sale: $.50 – $1.50)
Aluminum. Infinitely recyclable.
Cap (≈ Whole Sale: $1 – $3)
Wood / recycled PP / aluminum. Renewable or recyclable.
Decoration (≈ Whole Sale: $.50 – $1)
Water-based inks / laser. Low VOC, low waste.
Refill Pod w/Inserts (≈ Whole Sale: $3 – $8)
PCR PET or Bio-PET. Lightweight, circular, low-waste.
NFC Keychain (≈ Whole Sale: $3 – $8)
PCR, aluminum or stainless steel keyring.

Scalability

Perfume Bottle Retail Price: $70 (<$100 Goal)

Production and Logistics: $20 (<$50 ROI)

Refill Pod Retail Price: $35 (<$50 Goal)

This packaging and component system uses high Post-Consumer Recycled materials like glass and aluminum to support sustainability and scalability at a global level.

By using these materials, lifecycle costs are reduced 30–40% while still delivering a premium yet affordable experience. Price point under $100 increases access to luxury fragrance.

Sustainability

  • 40% less packaging waste across 3 refill cycles
  • 60% reduction in glass use vs. full-bottle repurchase
  • NFC keychain built for 5+ year lifespan

The dopamine Experience

Dopamine begins with ‘the spark.’ A restless brilliance. A mind that moves faster than the world can hold. This is the opening of the story—curiosity, energy, anticipation. The phase represents hyperfocus and bursts of creativity.

  1. Dopamine unboxing: the hexagonal bottle, an NFC keychain, a tray of three fragrance pods, and the open package printed with Awaken your spark and Elevate your mood
    Step one

    Open your package to gain access to your new Dopamine perfume. Included is a keychain with an NFC built-in app experience, a pod backing for the dopamine fragrance, and the bottle. You will begin by placing the pod into the bottle.

  2. The Dopamine Eau de Parfum bottle spraying against a pink and lilac gradient hexagon
    Step two

    You turn the nozzle to select which pod scent (#1 – #3) to activate, or blend all three as they are also meant to interplay together. Spray Dopamine Eau de Parfum, which activates the moment where scent meets emotion. Your spark has been unlocked.

  3. Three smiling people wearing Dopamine, framed in overlapping pastel gradient hexagons I feel elegant I feel confident I feel good
    Step three

    Your ritual has now begun. Dopamine settles onto your skin and you are ready to take on whatever is ahead with confidence and a subtle spark that stays.

  4. The Dopamine NFC keychain beside a phone showing the app's Spark Unlocked screen with a Reveal Your Spark button
    Step four

    Once you spray, you tap your NFC keychain. The app responds instantly—tracking your ritual and starting your experience. Each scan will build momentum, mirroring sustained uplift, and evolving the cycle of reward.

The companion app

Dopamine NFC keychain beside a phone showing Spark Unlocked

Once you spray, you tap your NFC keychain. The app responds instantly—tracking your ritual and starting your experience. Each scan will build momentum, mirroring sustained uplift, and evolving the cycle of reward.