Charles Spence is the Head of the Crossmodal Research Lab at Oxford University. His research on multisensory experiences has laid the foundation of knowledge for neuroscientists, leading to numerous applications of his research in experience design. Spence's findings have changed the way we approach the objects that surround us, the environment we live in, and the ways in which we interact, because, as he explains, "the reality is, you cannot consider vision without also considering hearing; tasting without also thinking about smelling." People are hungry for experiences that stimulate their senses simultaneously.
Spence is particularly interested in the everyday applications of psychology and neuroscience. For example, his interest in gastronomic experiences led to his famous "sonic crisp" experiment, where he found that playing a crunch sound at varying volumes could alter an individual's perception of whether a chip was stale or not. Spence's exploration of the interplay and combination of varying sensorial inputsÑwhat he calls sensplorationÑcan lead to an enhanced experience that allows us to perceive the world in different ways. Our capacity for sensploration then opens up possibilities for the ways in which marketing, design, and product development can be used to influence consumer behavior.
