Think all design-related research results in findings you’d expect? Perhaps not.
Researchers have learned that:
- Color saturation and brightness guide psychological response, not hue. But cultural associations to hues and the viewer’s personality also influence how colors affect well-being. For example, Emotional Influences of Colors (Issue 2, 2006).
- Children are not just short adults when it comes to how their sensory systems function and the sorts of physical environments in which they thrive. For example, Children Use One Sense at a Time (5-01-08)
- There are man-made environments that are psychologically restorative, just like natural ones. For example, Restorative Effects of Wood (Issue 4, 2010).
- The design of the physical environment influences how the immune system operates, for reasons that have nothing to do with the number of germs in the air. For example, Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being (Issue 3, 2009).
- When people feel physically warmer they're more comfortable socially - which should influence materials specified. In spaces where mingling is desirable, a wool rug beats out marble floors - unless they're both warmed by radiant heat. For example Regulating Warmth (02-08-12) and Sensory Metaphors - More than Meets the Ear (Issue 1, 2010).
- What you see (literally) when you look at a picture or a scene depends on where you were born. People from different parts of the world pull different details from what they see. For example, Culture, Religious Outlook and Perception (Issue 3, 2010).
- Mobiles like Calder’s are biophilic design elements and help us feel comfortable in a space. For example, Arguments for Biophilic Architecture (Issue 1, 2008).
- Ceiling height influences how creative our thoughts are and how well we get along with others. And not for the reasons you might think. For example, Ceiling Height Matters (06-04-07).
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