Communication Theory: Nota
• Communication theory in the field of design • About brand • Presentation for a general audience • Presentation for a professional audience • Communication theory as a basis for the presentations • Sources
Communication theory in the field of design
When we design a brand, we are essentially building a system of signs and interactions. Every choice — from the color of a logo to the texture of packaging — carries meaning. Communication theory gives us tools to think about how those meanings are formed. It asks questions like: How will someone interpret this? What feeling does this material evoke? How does this shape guide someone’s behavior?
Design can be seen as a dialogue rather than a monologue. Instead of simply delivering a finished message to a passive audience, effective design invites participation. It creates space for the user to bring their own experiences, make choices, and co-create meaning. This approach reflects modern communication models that emphasize interaction over one-way transmission.
Design also functions on different levels of meaning. On one level, it uses signs and symbols (semiotics) to convey ideas quickly. On another level, it addresses practical needs (pragmatics). And on a broader level, it connects to cultural values and identities.
Another important idea is that the format and materials we choose — whether a digital interface, a glass bottle, or a textured box — are a special message. A minimalist, transparent bottle, for example, doesn’t just contain perfume — it communicates purity, modernity, and simplicity.
Using these perspectives, we can approach branding as more than just visual identity. It becomes a communicative ecosystem where all elements — visual, textual, tactile, and olfactory — work together to create a consistent and engaging experience. This project applies these principles to build a perfume brand that doesn’t just sell scents, but facilitates meaningful personal expression.
About brand
Nota is an innovative mono-aromatic perfume brand that deconstructs perfumery into its essential components: singular, pure fragrance notes. Inspired by the structure of music and communication theory, Nota transforms perfume from a finished narrative into an open vocabulary.
Brand logo
Core Concept
Each bottle contains one definitive «note» (e.g. ozone, canvas, vetiver, ginger). Users can wear notes individually for a minimalist statement or layer them to compose personal fragrance «chords».Philosophy
We believe scent is a primal, non-verbal language. Nota provides the alphabet — the notes — empowering individuals to write their own olfactory sentences.Aesthetic Position
Situated at the intersection of contemporary art and media aesthetics, Nota employs minimalism, pixel-inspired graphics, transparent materials, and digital integration. It presents perfumery as a conceptual, interactive medium.Mission
To move beyond selling a scent to facilitating a sensory-communicative experience, fostering a community of conscious co-creators.We believe that every person has their own inner melody — a unique emotional background that determines their mood, style, and state of mind. Nota is a perfume project that allows you not just to choose a fragrance, but to compose it.
Presentation for a general audience
Our brand of single-note fragrances, «Nota», is a refined and sophisticated story, designed for connoisseurs and lovers of complex niche scents. Everyone can choose their own path in the world of fragrances: enjoy miniature aromas as standalone accents or create more intricate compositions — «chords» — by combining several scents into a unique perfume.
We reveal our fragrances literally note by note, offering an in-depth exploration of each scent’s character. We often compare our brand to Pantone in the world of color: just as Pantone provides endless shades, «Nota» offers a multitude of aromatic nuances, allowing everyone to craft their own «shade» in the world of fragrances. Stylish, modern, and boundless, our brand is tailored for true scent connoisseurs.
«Nota» — premium segment
The «Nota» is your sound. Your chord. Your story.
Our brand also employs a strategic approach to reach a wider target audience. The manufacturer offers a similar fragrance line called «Harmony» under a different brand. This more accessible line is based on the concept of dividing scents into natural categories — Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. In Harmony, each fragrance is also named as a «note», maintaining a connection to the parent brand’s philosophy.
There are fewer single-note fragrances in Harmony, and the choice is more limited, but the products are more affordable. By offering a similar product at different levels of accessibility, we use this strategy to engage a broader range of customers while maintaining the essence of our fragrance expertise.
Imagine if your perfume could change like your mood, your music, your day. With Nota, it can. We don’t create perfumes. We create notes — pure, singular scent ingredients. They are your palette. Your instrument.
Each of our monofragrances is a pure, absolute «note».
- the grounding «Earth» note is a warm, deep, rooting scent of patchouli and vetiver.
- the ethereal «Air» note is a fresh, transparent, weightless accord of bergamot and sea breeze.
- the passionate «Fire» note is a passionate, spicy, energetic duet of ginger and red pepper.
- the tranquil «Water» note is a clear, cool, soothing plume of lotus and ozone notes.
Monofragrances
How it Works:
- Discover Your Note. Choose from memorable, singular scents.
- Compose Your Chord. Wear one for clarity, or layer 2-3 to create a fragrance that is uniquely, personally yours. Morning «Air» with evening «Fire» generates your daily symphony.
- Share Your Signature. Your combination is your story. Share it via our app, explore chords created by others, and find your scent community.
Visual Identity. Clean, minimalistic, and digital. Bottles are transparent glass cubes. Graphics resemble sound waves and pixel art. Imagery is atmospheric, focusing on textures, light, and the elemental concepts behind each note.
Start with one note. Create your own melody. Discover more at nota.com
Presentation for a professional audience
Market Opportunity
We considering three key trends:
- Hyper-Personalization: consumers seek active participation in product creation.
- Decision Fatigue: simplification and transparency triumph over complex, opaque perfume pyramids.
- Experiential Luxury: demand shifts from product ownership to meaningful, identity-shaping experiences.
Nota: Deconstructing Perfumery A New Paradigm in Sensory Branding and Consumer Co-Creation.
Our Innovation: a modular olfactory system.
- Product: A curated line of mono-aromatics («notes»), sold individually or in customizable «Chord Kits».
- Technology: A digital platform (app/web) for exploring combinations, saving personal «chords», and engaging with a community.
- Brand Strategy: We operate not on a transmission model («this is our message») but on a constitutive model («here is a space for your meaning»). The fragrance is an interface for self-expression.
Business Model:
- D2C Sales: Individual notes & curated kits.
- Subscription: Monthly «Note Discovery» box.
- Collaborations: Limited editions with artists, musicians, and designers (e.g., a visual artist interpreting a «Smell Chord»).
- B2B2C: Partnerships with boutique hotels, galleries, and co-working spaces for signature ambient scent «chords».
We follow a D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) model, and our main, permanent lines — both «Nota» and «Harmony» — are available either through our website or in our boutique.
In our stores, installations are constantly updated; for example, a perfume fountain featuring a new collection. Such immersive and visually striking experiences increase our brand recognition among customers and motivate them to return repeatedly to discover something new.
Within our B2B communication strategy, we would create unique installations and pop-ups, or even develop personalized fragrances exclusively for a specific brand or event. For example, for a music festival at a philharmonic hall, we could design a «perfume organ» where attendees can adjust individual notes and volumes to compose their own unique fragrance chord.
These kinds of creative, experiential ideas would set us apart in the market, making our products even more distinctive and memorable.
Pop-up at the brand’s boutique
Pop-up at the brand’s boutique
perfume organ for a third-party brand event
Our strategy is rooted in advanced communication theory, positioning Nota as a cultural project, not just a beauty brand. This depth informs every touchpoint, creating a defensible, scalable ecosystem with high customer lifetime value and organic community growth.
Communication theory as a basis for the presentations
For the general audience presentation, the goal was emotional connection and inspiration:
- The narrative approach framed the brand as a personal story: «Your Sound. Your Story». This turns a product into a journey of self-expression, making it relatable and aspirational.
- Visual and sensory rhetoric was key. By using clean, beautiful imagery of the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), we communicated the brand’s concept immediately and emotionally, bypassing complex explanation.
- The principle of invited participation was central. Instead of presenting finished perfumes, we presented «notes» and «chords», directly inviting the audience to imagine themselves as co-creators. This shifts the dynamic from passive reception to active engagement.
For the professional audience presentation, the goal was to establish credibility, explain strategy, and demonstrate market viability. Here, we applied theories of structured persuasion and systemic thinking:
- The problem-solution framework was used to build a logical argument. We identified clear market trends (personalization, choice fatigue) and presented Nota as a direct, innovative solution.
- We employed a modular or architectural view of communication, presenting the brand as a coherent system with interconnected parts: product, digital platform, business model, and community strategy. This shows an understanding of complexity and scalability.
- References to socio-cultural context (like analyzing consumer behavior trends) grounded the proposal in observable reality, making the case objective and research-informed.
Nota itself is positioned as a «perfumery metadiscourse» — it doesn’t just sell aroma; it offers a new language for discussing and experiencing scent, reflecting theory’s role in discussing communication itself.
Sources
Fedorova, K. A. (2023). Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice [Online course]. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Faculty of Creative Industries, Institute of Media. https://edu.hse.ru/course/view.php?id=133853
The images are generated using neural networks: Gemini, Sora, Qwen
