“The most successful designs are successful because they tap into the emotional subconscious.”
This month, one of our Junior Architectural Drafters prepared a presentation for the rest of our team about the power of emotional design. Carol’s powerful presentation compared the immediate emotional effect of viewing an image of a hammock on a tropical beach and an image of someone tightrope walking over an enormous gap. We instinctively feel a response to these images, probably serenity and then anxiety. The power of the imagery is clear – but how can it be used in architectural design to appeal to emotions? Thanks to what Carol shared with us, we know that almost everything inspires an emotional response. Knowing that and choosing to design to evoke an emotion improves the impact of a visual design. Designers aren’t telling viewers how to feel but should create the desired emotion through the design anyway. According to Don Norman, emotions have a crucial role in the human ability to understand the world. He argues there are three levels of emotional processing: visceral, behavioral and reflective. When combining all three dimensions we tend to achieve an appealing, effective, memorable and pleasurable design. We pride ourselves on always learning and improving on our skills and knowledge. Carol’s presentation is part of a wider practice to help ensure that our team is always as well-rounded and knowledgeable as possible! By creating memorable buildings that retain their functionality and appeal, we are sure to continue designing engaging structures that contribute meaningfully to both the client’s goals and the experience of passerby. The full presentation will be available on our website, so please go check it out if it interests you!
#design #team #learning #architecturaldesign #emottionaldesign