PROJECT 2




IMAGINARY AUTHORS
PEN ROLLERBALL FRAGRANCE PRODUCT LAUNCH




COMPANY

Imaginary Authors is a Portland, Oregon-based fragrance house built on fictional storytelling, with each scent inspired by a novel that, well, doesn’t exist.
It’s niche, expressive, and unapologetically weird.
Just like Portland.



MISSION

Create a rollerball fragrance product format for Imaginary Authors that reflects the writing process and fits seamlessly into a writer’s daily ritual.

Fragrance sampling is impersonal and uninspired, especially for writers and creatives who ruthlessly crave ritual. There’s no sensory product that honors the process of writing as the lifestyle it truly is.



PROCESS

I reviewed and inquired about author routines, as well as surveyed niche perfume lovers (bonus points for those who had a knack for journaling, writing, or poetry).

The insight?

Fragrance is never just scent.
It is mood architecture.

I limited this concept to a 10ml format for refillability, portability, and cost-efficiency. I also restricted the design to resemble common stationery for stealthy desk appeal. I brainstormed formats that could physically “live” in a writer’s pocket, pencil case, or workspace and tested them against idealized ritual prompts from real creatives. 



SOLUTION

A 10ml travel-sized rollerball fragrance disguised as a capped fountain pen. Perfect for the classy, convenient, and clever seeking a slim, transportable, and refillable olfactory option.

Paired with the iconic vintage book-style box, it becomes part scent, part story, and part tool. I created a CAD mockup, launch timeline, and product page to immerse buyers into a writer’s world.



IMPACT

The pen-rollerball concept bridges creativity and functionality. I tested the concept via moodboard and CAD mockup shares with 10 self-identified writers and fragrance fans to collect feedback on emotional resonance, desk appeal, and perceived gift value.

The feedback proved this could move beyond niche, and cross into cult.

As for what I learned?

If the product already feels like a story, it no longer needs to scream for attention.




MOODBOARD

Feather and fountain pens, book pages flying about (akin to fragrance dispersion upon spraying), the classic vintage book cover packaging, a quaint bird (specifically for “The Cobra & The Canary” scent), and brimful library shelves.