Seeing Senses with Sarah Hyndman

Neuroaesthetics with Robyn Landau

Neuroaesthetics with Robyn Landau Seeing emotion: The art and science of how environments shape us How do you turn what your body feels into something you can see and share? In this episode of Seeing Senses, Robyn Landau joins Sarah to explore the fast-developing field of neuroaesthetics. Robyn explains how our brains and bodies respond to everyday environments, why she and Katherine Templar Lewis founded Kinda to translate lab insights into real-world cultural experiences. Their studio-lab approach uses EEG, biosensors and self-report to create interactive works that help people learn about themselves. The conversation covers hands-on testing that visualises heart activity and skin conductance as colour, motion and shape, inclusive access, the “pub test” for science communication, and why building inner-sense literacy, interoception, matters for wellbeing. Their new experience Emergence [https://113spring.com/products/emergence] has recently opened in New York.  // Listen if you’re curious about: * What neuroaesthetics is * Visualising our inner response to sound * Why Kinda Studios merges a creative studio with a neuroscience lab * How physiological signals can be translated into live visual forms * Interoception, flotation tanks, and learning to notice inner signals * The “pub test”: sharing just enough science to pass on to a friend // Key themes & takeaways: * Knowledge as agency: clear, shareable explanations help ideas travel * Science-informed design: start with “how should someone feel,” then work backwards * Real-world measurement: EEG and biosensors plus self-report outside strict lab settings * Arousal and valence: mapping experiences to energy level and feeling tone * Visualising physiology: colour, shape and motion as a common language for inner states * Individual differences: similar inputs, different responses, different baselines * Connection as outcome: to self, to others, to place * Interoception for wellbeing: practise noticing inner signals, not only external stimuli // Guest: Robyn Landau [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynlandau/] is a neuroaesthetics researcher, designer, and cultural entrepreneur advancing new interdisciplinary models connecting neuroscience with creative experiences. As the co-founder of Kinda Studios [https://www.kindastudios.com/], the first women-led neuroscience studio and lab, she pioneers new ways to measure, design, and translate scientific insights into cultural experiences, expanding the impact of art, culture, and technology on human connection and wellbeing. // Bonus for multi-sensory thinkers: Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for updates and extras. You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast (with extra episodes and content). // Host: Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her for a talk or workshop about Multi-Sensory Thinking here via Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/contact]. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/], curator of The Sensologists [https://thesensologists.substack.com/] and author of the bestselling book Why Fonts Matter [https://amzn.to/46pUFuS] (Penguin/Virgin).  Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.  // Theme music by AudioKraken.  #Neuroaesthetics #KindaStudios #Emergence #SeeingSensesPodcast #MultiSensoryThinking

Type & tattoos with Dan Rhatigan

Type & tattoos with Dan Rhatigan Seeing words: Letraset, zines, maximalism and why fonts feel different  What happens when letterforms become part of your life story? In this episode of Seeing Senses, typographer and educator Dan Rhatigan joins Sarah to talk about how letters move from page to body, from analogue to digital and from work to play. Dan brings a joyous sense of curiosity to the craft of type. He shares how making comic books as a teenager set him on the path to typography, how Letraset taught him to trust his eyes, and how his tattoos have become a living archive of type history. Dan reflects on his work at type foundry Monotype, his zine projects and his fascination with the tactile side of design. He shares how hands-on making changes how we see, think and feel. Why a little imperfection can bring designs (and designers) back to life. // Listen if you’re curious about: * How a love of comic books led to a career in typography * What Letraset taught a generation of designers about precision and play * How physical, hands-on processes change creative decision-making * What it’s like to manage one of the world’s largest font libraries * How type design trends reflect the mood of the moment * Why Dan’s tattoos make him unforgettable in summer // Key themes & takeaways: * Maximalism as joy: Type is for play, not perfection * Zines and community: DIY publishing as sensory storytelling * Creative constraint: Limited tools lead to unexpected ideas * Flow through physicality: Movement and making reignite creativity * Analog memory: Letraset and letterpress evoke embodied learning * Type tattoos: A living archive of letterforms and meaning * Cyclical trends: Why soft, emotional typefaces return in uncertain times * Font choice as power: Every visual decision changes how words feel Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for visual references and tattoo photos.  // Guest: Dan Rhatigan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-rhatigan-432a65208/] is the Senior Creative Foundry Director at Monotype. He is a renowned typographer with eclectic experience as a typesetter, graphic designer, typeface designer, and educator. He went from an MA at the University of Reading to senior roles at Monotype, Adobe Fonts, Type Network, and The Type Founders. He publishes his own typefaces and collaborations through Bijou Type [https://bijoutype.com/], and a long-running zine, Pink Mince [https://pinkmince.com/].  // Bonus for multi-sensory thinkers: Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for updates and extras. You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast. // Host: Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her for a Seeing Senses talk, workshop or event. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/], curator of The Sensologists [https://thesensologists.substack.com/] and author of the bestselling book Why Fonts Matter [https://amzn.to/46pUFuS] (Penguin/Virgin).  Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.  // Theme music by AudioKraken. Typeface Magnet, Inga Plönnigs. #Typography #Tattoos #TypeDesign #SeeingSensesPodcast #MultiSensoryThinking

Guest hosts theatre students Alayna & Zoe

Guest hosts theatre students Alayna & Zoe Majoring in theatre: Anticipation, connection and the breath before the curtain rises What does the moment right before a show begins feel like? In this episode of Seeing Senses, Sarah hands the mic to two guest hosts: University of Georgia theatre majors Alayna Young and Zoe Davidson. Together, they explore the charged, sensory-rich seconds before a performance starts, both from backstage in the wings and from the velvet seats of the audience. From the click of a mic wire behind the ear to the dimming of the house lights, Alayna and Zoe reveal how these details shape emotion, memory, and connection. They discover that performers and audience members share many of the same feelings (anticipation, suspense, excitement) but experience them in subtly different ways. // Listen if you’re curious about: * How senses heighten anticipation before a show * Why onstage vulnerability can outweigh perfection * Sensory overlap between audience and performer * How small details spark big emotions * Why the “breath before it begins” connects us all // Key themes & takeaways: * Anticipation is full-body: heartbeats, breath and room buzz align * Backstage items like zippers or headset mics spark emotional shifts * Audience and performers share emotional arcs before the show starts * Sensory cues trigger emotion and anchor memories * The most powerful theatre moments are often unplanned and subtle * Vulnerability builds connection: showing your human side draws people in // Guests: Alayna Young [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alayna-young-323757370] is a fourth-year theatre student exploring the relationship between performance and the senses. She’s passionate about the transformative potential of stepping into another character and how sensory detail deepens that transformation. Zoe Davidson is a third-year theatre student fascinated by the invisible threads between the stage and the audience. She’s been performing since childhood and sees theatre as a place for honest, human connection. Thank you to Sara Gray [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-gray-phd-32a29b26b/] from AIFS. // Bonus for multi-sensory thinkers: Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for updates and extras. You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast (with extra episodes and content). // Host: Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her for a talk or workshop about Multi-Sensory Thinking here via Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/contact]. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/], curator of The Sensologists [https://thesensologists.substack.com/] and author of the bestselling book Why Fonts Matter [https://amzn.to/46pUFuS] (Penguin/Virgin).  Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.  // Theme music by AudioKraken.  #MultisensoryDesign #Theatre #Performance #SeeingSensesPodcast #MultiSensoryThinking #Podcast

Seeing sound and hearing fonts with LJ Rich

Seeing sound and hearing fonts with LJ Rich Mixing senses: Synaesthesia, AI and the unexpected music of fonts Do you hear fonts? Can you taste music?  In this episode of Seeing Senses, BBC technology presenter and world renowned AI music artist LJ Rich joins Sarah for a joyfully curious journey through sound, senses and unexpected connections. From AI for good to the serendipity of symphonies created by mass transit. LJ talks about synaesthesia, sensory pattern recognition and how this can unlock incredible problem-solving. The episode includes a very special name that font game. This is (probably) a world-first music experiment that you can play along with. // Listen if you’re curious about: * How sound becomes colour, texture, emotion and memory * AI for Good United Nations global summit on AI every year * How LJ uses AI as a musical collaborator * Why our brains love metaphors and unexpected juxtapositions * How patterns inspire creativity in stuck moments // Key themes & takeaways: * Interestingness at the edges: Why unconventional thinkers make better models * Sound is a shape, a colour, a taste: Inside LJ’s 3D multisensory perception * Unexpected connections: The creative power of linking the seemingly unrelated * AI as a collaborator: Labelled and transparent * Music and memory: Composing Rubik’s Cube moves with melodies * Typography as performance: How fonts feel and sound * Oral culture & AI training: Why everyday conversations need a place in the dataset * Multisensory dissonance: When a restaurant’s wallpaper spoils the food * Permission to feel: A beautiful call to nurture creativity in all its forms // This episode features music created by LJ Rich. If you would like to see a selection of fonts during the name that font game head over to Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/]. // Guest: LJ Rich [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljrich/] is a world-renowned AI music artist and TV broadcaster. Known for presenting on BBC Click, her one-woman AI-enhanced musical show [https://www.instagram.com/thisisljrich/] has gained global recognition. She also MCs and co-curates high-powered events. She is considered a thought leader on how humans, creativity and AI are evolving. LJ makes the invisible layers of tech, sound and emotion feel gloriously human. // Bonus for multi-sensory thinkers: Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for updates and extras. You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast (with extra episodes and content). // Host: Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her for a talk or workshop about Multi-Sensory Thinking here via Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/contact]. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/], curator of The Sensologists [https://thesensologists.substack.com/] and author of the bestselling book Why Fonts Matter [https://amzn.to/46pUFuS] (Penguin/Virgin).  Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.  // Theme music by AudioKraken.  #Synaesthesia #AIMusic #MultisensoryDesign #SeeingSensesPodcast #MultiSensoryThinking

Immersive gastronomy with Chef Jozef Youssef

Immersive gastronomy with Chef Jozef Youssef Seeing flavour: Sight, filet-o-jellyfish & the art of multisensory dining When is a jellyfish not just a jellyfish? And why might black jellies trick your brain, and your palate? In this Seeing Senses episode, Chef Jozef Youssef of Kitchen Theory joins host Sarah to explore the strange, compelling world of multisensory gastronomy. From controversial dishes designed to provoke emotional responses to the subtle influence of cutlery on taste, this conversation dives deep into the visual language of flavour. And why our perception of food is never just about taste. // Listen if you’re curious about: * How sight shapes your expectations of flavour * Why black jelly spheres can baffle even expert palates * The science and strategy behind sensory mapping in experience design * What the Bouba/Kiki effect and synaesthesia reveal about our crossmodal brains * How Kitchen Theory went from blog to award-winning immersive supper club // Key themes & takeaways: * Sight as a Primary Sense in Eating: How visual cues dominate flavour interpretation * Disgust by Design: Controversial dishes provoke emotional and cognitive reactions * Black Jellies & Recognition Gaps: What happens when colour expectation is disrupted * Sensory Mapping in Experience Design: A stage-by-stage approach to immersive dining * Crossmodal Congruency: Beyond mixing senses to coherence and emotional resonance * Synaesthesia & Learned Associations: How we build sensory meaning * Bouba/Kiki & Shared Language of Shape: Cross-cultural insights into sensory perception * Cutlery as Interface: Redesigning utensils to heighten attention * Filet-o-Jellyfish: Fast food futures * Leave Them Wanting More: Designing moments that linger beyond the meal // Guest: Chef Jozef Youssef [https://www.instagram.com/jozef_youssef/] is a sensory experience designer and the founder of Kitchen Theory [https://kitchen-theory.com/], a restaurant with an award-winning immersive chef’s table supper club. He is a culinary innovator and experience designer whose work bridges the worlds of food, science, design, and emotion. He is internationally recognised for pioneering multisensory and immersive dining experiences that challenge the way we perceive flavour. // Bonus for multi-sensory thinkers: Head to Seeing Senses on Substack [https://seeingsenses.substack.com/] for updates and extras. You’ll find sense-hacking experiments and book recommendations from the guests. Become a paid subscriber to support the making of this podcast (with extra episodes and content). // Host: Sarah Hyndman is a designer/researcher, author and speaker. You can book her for a talk or workshop about Multi-Sensory Thinking here via Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/contact]. Sarah is the founder of Type Tasting [https://www.typetasting.com/], curator of The Sensologists [https://thesensologists.substack.com/] and author of the bestselling book Why Fonts Matter [https://amzn.to/46pUFuS] (Penguin/Virgin).  Seeing Senses. Where there’s more than meets the eye.  // Theme music by AudioKraken. This episode is dedicated to Syd because it’s her birthday: Happy Birthday Syd! #MultisensoryDesign #KitchenTheory #CognitiveExperience #SeeingSensesPodcast #FoodPerception