In this interview, Creative Director Per Brickstad shares the thinking behind the new release exploring how scent, material clarity, and emotional resonance together define the next chapter in Transparent’s design logic.
As Transparent expands its universe beyond sound and into atmosphere, the launch of The Aroma Diffuser marks a quiet yet definitive evolution in how the brand shapes the sensory experience of the home.
You’re known for redefining home audio through transparency and timeless design. What made you decide to expand into fragrance, and why now?
– For us, Transparent has always been about exploring the human senses, says Brickstad. Sound was our first language: a way of translating emotion through technology. Fragrance felt like a natural continuation of that exploration. Scent can transport you instantly; it shapes memory, mood and atmosphere in a way few other mediums can. As our homes become increasingly personal sanctuaries, we wanted to understand how technology could engage this deeper, more intimate layer of experience.
Your diffuser still feels unmistakably “Transparent.” How did you carry your design DNA, modularity and material honesty into a completely new sensory category?
– The Aroma Diffuser follows the same principles as our speakers: precision-milled aluminium, borosilicate glass, and a modular construction. It’s a technical object, but also sculptural, something designed to live in the open, not be hidden away. Every element is visible, understandable and replaceable. The transparency is not only visual; it’s philosophical. We want people to know what they own, and why it’s built the way it is.
Many tech-based diffusers are purely functional. Yours seems aimed at emotion, memory and atmosphere. How does scent enhance Transparent’s mission to make technology more human?
– Technology should never dominate a space; it should harmonise with it. Scent adds an emotional layer that complements the tactile and auditory dimensions we have worked with until now. The Aroma Diffuser isn’t about automation; it’s about ritual. It invites you to slow down and participate: to pour the oil and water, press the button, and observe how the space transforms. In that sense, it may be the most human product we’ve ever created.
Returning to Kickstarter after more than a decade feels symbolic. What does that community mean to Transparent today, and how does it align with your long-term strategy?
– Kickstarter is where Transparent began. Going back now is both nostalgic and intentional. It’s a way of reconnecting with our community. We’ve always been open as a company: sharing early prototypes, inviting feedback and staying in dialogue with the people who support us. That exchange is still central to how we grow.
Looking ahead, is this the beginning of a broader multi-sensory direction where light, sound and scent coexist within one ecosystem?
– Absolutely, Brickstad agrees. Our vision has always been to create technology that enriches the human experience. We see the future of Transparent as a sensory ecosystem – sound, scent, light – all built with the same modular and sustainable principles. Not as separate devices, but as a connected, coherent experience.
Words: Hélena Yllmark