I am very dedicated to pursuing a professional and academic career in designing the future of human-environment interactions. I believe this could lead to shaping better and more intuitive design that positively impacts people’s decisions, performance and wellbeing.
DESIGN 4 SENSES
The idea of shifting from user-centred design to sense-centred design is a concept that I find very appealing. Harnessing the power of the subconscious element of influence (environmental & biological factors, etc.) induced by the environment can be a powerful tool. Human physiological response (activity change of the autonomic system and brain states, as well as body language with vocal, facial and whole-body behaviour, etc.) to such affect can be translated into emotional reaction per specific environment/situation.
Taking from HCI lingo, the concept of designing for senses with understanding of the human input-output channel system is of interest for its reductionistic value.
Understanding the universality of human responses to contexts allows for the mapping and cataloguing of particular emotions per environment. This would enable smarter emotional design that is conducive to human well-being, through a dialogue with our visceral self.
Behavioural Design
Evolving from designing for senses, behavioural design taking from human behavioural science is conducive to the shaping of improved human behaviours. With such knowledge, the development of better human-human interaction for social cohesion can be designed. For example, it is understood from an evolutionary perspective that the experience of "fire" provides social nexus and relaxation effects that can enhance prosocial behaviour.
By understanding how humans behave, the holistic human experience and wellbeing could be potentially enhanced through smarter design.
HUMAN WELLBEING & nature
Biophilia is a personal subject of interest and its understanding can be applied to many contexts. Again with conception of behavioural science, biophilic environments have demonstrated increased psychological well-being as well as having restorative benefits; this could be explained by people’s innate affinity with nature due to our primary exposition to it during our evolutionary process.
HOSTILITY
What makes a city pleasurable to live in? Is there a correlation between designed hostility (urban-design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to purposefully guide or restrict behaviour) in an urban setting and its inhabitants' subjective well-being?
The many cognitive aspects of a city contribute to its human experience and mental health, thus understanding this could help in designing happier and more sustainable cities.
IOT or designing the perfect environment
Design is a human-made entity dedicated to serving human needs and meliorating their livelihood, therefore its main function ought to be empathic and conducive to human well-being. With help of current technologies and systems such as the internet of things, the human-environment can be enhanced through the implementation of sensors and systems allowing dialogue and agile environments.