S5E29: Professor Charles Spence on The Psychology Behind Pleasure, Perception and Luxury

Professor Charles Spence has built one of the most influential bodies of research in modern psychology, reframing how the world understands taste, pleasure and perception. As Head of Oxford's Crossmodal Research Laboratory, his work has shown that nothing we experience is ever singular: sound alters flavour, colour reshapes expectation, weight changes perceived quality. These ideas have travelled from the lab into Michelin-starred kitchens, automotive design studios and the playbooks of global luxury brands.

In this episode, Charles sits down with host Anant Sharma to unpack the sensory mechanics behind value and delight. They discuss why our brains misattribute pleasure, how scent exerts power while rarely receiving credit, and why experiences like dining in the dark reveal the limits of removing visual cues. They move through the frontier of multisensory design—from biophilic environments to emotional "arc-shaping" in restaurants—and what it means for hospitality, retail and experience creators seeking to build something memorable.

A conversation about perception as a design material, the invisible cues that change behaviour, and why the future of luxury will depend less on what brands show and more on how they make people feel.

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