As an artist of many forms and an ex-Interior Designer to boot, design has long been a significant part of my life. Good design, however, has not unfortunately which for me has had an impact on my health and wellbeing, and it took rearranging my living room to bring it up for discussion.
This article sets out to explore the health side of design; why we need good design for our wellbeing, what good design actually entails and how we can utilize good design in our own spaces for the benefit of our wellbeing.
Strong design is a necessity and do not let anyone else tell you otherwise. Considering that we spend the majority of our lives within manmade spaces, it is shocking to see how often spaces are reduced to nothing but basic functionality. And by that I mean slap some walls together, lay down basic cladding, simple and mass-produced furniture and fixtures and call it a day. Ugh. Anyways, before I go on a tangent, let’s crack on.
What encompasses good design?
Good design considers and implements:
o Function (construction, cladding, ease of use, transitional spaces etc)
o Form (comfort, materiality, colour, rhythm, etc)
o Ambience (lighting, sound, atmosphere etc)
o Innovation [not mandatory but certainly a bonus]
o Longevity (will the design remain functional and stylish for years?)
o Purpose (does the space achieve the desired affect?)
These are the main components. As it has been a while since I dipped my toes into the world of design, I am sure I have forgotten something, but these are the primary characteristics that strong design must account for.
Allow me to break it down further.
Function:
When considering function, strong design ensures spaces are well laid out as per the space’s designated use (i.e. a coffee shop, office floor, bedroom). Think about wall placement, wiring for lighting etc, location of toilets, overall size of the space, ease of access…just to name a few. We would not want half a staircase to be blocked by a wall, or kitchen countertops not to be well-lit or having to walk halfway through a home just to access a toilet. This also applies to transitional spaces – such as hallways, foyers/entryways, windows, staircases, atrium, courtyards etc – anything that you use to get from one stationary space to another.
Considering word constraints, I will keep this brief, but function boils down to ensuring spaces are easy to use and access and contain the proper materials for insulation etc.
Form:
This is the physical side of aesthetics. It is the décor, the way the place looks: the design style of the space. This comes through with use of materials, furnishings, paint colour, flooring, fixtures and how the space flows. This is where personal taste comes in and is often what people work with when making a space theirs – simply because it is easiest and least expensive to change up.
Ambience:
This considers the overall atmosphere of a space; how well the space is lit, what sounds come in or out, the mood it conveys. Oftentimes we will set ambience through lighting, but colour also comes into play here when you use it from a psychological point of view. It also considers music and how it is transported around the space as well as how sound emanates from the space (so it includes sound absorption).
Innovation:
This is not a mandatory field so to speak but it is another area to consider wherever possible to ensure good design comes through. This covers the immersion of technology into spaces, and how we can improve upon existing materials or create new ones. There is way more to discuss but not in this post.
Longevity/Sustainability:
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but good design does not just contemplate present design styles and capabilities but also the future. It is where quality comes into the fold yet also environmental factors and ensuring we keep our spaces efficient and considerate from an energy perspective.
Purpose:
Lastly, good design should be able to achieve the original purpose of the space. I.e. what was the space designed for? A restaurant, a library, a home? Consider how well the design caters to a space’s designated use.
Now, how does good design benefit our wellbeing?
There are many reasons why having a well-designed space has a positive impact on our wellbeing. Let's break them down into more detail, shall we?
Benefits of good design on wellbeing:
o Safety and security
o Comfort
o Enhanced creativity
o Increased joy
o Rejuvenation
o Higher motivation
The photos below are of my own living. Photo A is the 'Before' shot, and Photo B is the 'After' shot.
Same space, different layout. Better flow, happier human.
If we look at a roughly drawn floor plan of both layouts, we can see more clearly how the original layout was closed off, dreary and cluttered. Whereas the new layout feels open and light and inviting. And all I did was change the furniture (and reorganize my decorative pieces).
But let's return to the plentiful number of ways in which a well-designed space can improve wellbeing, shall we?
Safety and Security:
When a space is well thought out in design, you will automatically feel safer in it. Good space will help your mind determine that there is no imminent danger and thus signal it is alright to relax. And should jeopardy arise, you will find it easy to evade it. Good design will feel familiar and welcoming through its ease of navigation and its décor regardless of the size of the space.
Comfort:
No surprise that if good design makes you feel safer for the aforementioned reasons, it will help you feel more comfortable. Comfort can also be taken from aesthetic value, but of course, this is highly personal and therefore subjective. From a more general viewpoint, comfort will come from the design’s functionality and ambience more than anything. Spaces should feel relaxing enough that your body or mind is not tense.
Enhanced creativity:
Regardless of whether you think you’re artistic or not, good design should make you feel inspired and in flow whilst you are within it. Again, it links back to feeling safe – the safer we feel, the more easily we relax and find out flow states. Look again to more aesthetic characteristics: the patterns that are formed, colours that are used, materials and lighting and more.
Increased joy:
Above all, good design should make you feel happy and content. It should feel like your heart is at home (whatever home looks/feels like to you) no matter where you are, home or otherwise. At the very least you should be able to leave feeling more positively minded and refreshed. Much of this stems from the form of the design however function also plays a part: any space that is easy to use will keep people in happier mental and emotional states. Design that is too busy, for example, will frustrate people and overwhelm them. Avoid that.
Rejuvenation:
Strong design will help you feel refreshed, willing and able to be productive and efficient through the encouragement of rest and relaxation. Spaces that feel open, breathable and light (again, regardless of their actual size) and that have soft, warm textures will leave users feeling much more perky.
Higher motivation:
Spaces that are well thought out will almost certainly help you feel more motivated because they have been designed to be helpful and practical. Any design that makes it easier to get your tasks done (drinking coffee, writing a report, sleeping etc) is going to positively affect your motivation because it encourages you to focus on whatever it is that you need to do. Think of easy to clean countertops in a kitchen – does that not make you feel more eager to actually keep them clean when all it requires is a damp cloth and a bit of disinfectant to wipe away dirt? You’ll achieve the task in seconds!
So, how can we bring good design into our personal spaces?
An excellent question! Allow me to answer.
When working with your personal spaces (your bedroom, office desk, home and so on), it is best to consider design under the following areas:
o Colour
o Lighting
o Materials
o Storage
o Decorations
o Space allocation
o Layout
Alright for you deep readers, let’s dive into these categories a little more.
Colour:
This can manifest in a couple different forms. You could select your favourite colour/colour palette, or you can select a colour that represents the overall mood you want the space to exude and implement it by painting walls and furniture. You can also bring colour in through buying/making artwork, knick-knacks (photo frames, clocks, figurines etc), decorative items such as lamps, stationery and so on), or even through bedding. Even lighting (colour-changing bulbs anyone?)!
Lighting:
You can use lighting to set the mood you wish your space(s) to have. Lights have a cool-warm range to take into deliberation: cooler tones look brighter, feel more modern and crisp - they work great for kitchen spaces and bathrooms – whereas warmer tones are more subdued, cosy and less bright so they work well for bedrooms and living rooms. At the end of the day it all depends on what you prefer. Consider natural lighting as well – keep window covering open/pulled back during the day to allow natural light to enter your personal spaces. Add whimsy with fairy lights (an affordable way to add character to a space) or edginess with neon lights (this is definitely more expensive but looks crazy cool).
Materials:
This will main come through furniture and furnishings but it can also be achieved through wallpapering as well. Once more, think about what you wish the space to convey: a cosy scene will have soft, fluffy materials in things such as cushions or rugs and throws/blankets. Bring in natural elements with indoor plants or objects from adventures like rocks, seashells, seaglass, branches (take care not to disturb the natural landscape too much – look for empty shells, fallen branches etc). Materials are often patterned and textured, which is a way to invite fun into your space.
Storage:
Keeping spaces tidy and neat will help keep your mind tidy and neat, and therefore operating at optimum levels. As of yet, I do not fully understand the science behind it but I do know that whenever my home is a mess, so it my mind and the second my home is clean, my mind is as well. You can find fairly cheap plastic tubs to slide under your bed, use dividers and crates to separate clothing and items. Bookshelves are lovely storage solutions that store much more than just books.
Decorations:
This is a fantastic way to showcase your personality within your space – which will make it feel that much homier because you have made you space a real extension of you. Don’t be shy with your knick-knacks – weird is wonderful. There is something about having physical products match your personality that make us feel accepted and therefore safe and content – and all it has to be is self-acceptance. So buy a disco ball and hang in in your living room, put up silly photographs of you and your friends, buy yourself that fuzzy-topped pink pen and unleash your inner Cher Horowitz at work!
Space allocation:
One of the biggest design aspects to consider is the clear separation of space. This is especially relevant for people who work from home and those who live in multi-room houses (i.e. not flat-sharing or at home with parents where design control is limited to areas like your bedroom only). For those that do, and those that one day will: make sure your spaces are set up to cater to specific uses. A kitchen should be a place to prepare meals and eat. It should not be your office. So do not work at the kitchen table and moreover do not eat at your desk, that is for work only. And your bedroom is for leisure and sleeping. Having boundaries with your spaces will help you feel much better off.
Layout:
Wherever possible, make sure that your spaces’ furniture and fixtures are formatted in both efficient, opening and comforting ways. Sometimes all that good design needs is to change up your existing floorplan. Optimizing layouts will keep things flowing nicely and ensure you make the most of your personal space.
It may take a bit of trial and error but implementing even one or two of these into your personal space will improve your wellbeing. The first place to begin is at home. Try your bedroom first.
This is my longest blog post yet and there is still so much more I could talk about! So perhaps I shall create a Part 2 sometime soon.
For now, I hope you enjoyed this read and seek to absorb aspects of the slow life from now on. If you are new here, then click here to find out more about what we do.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Until next time,
Jamila
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