How we see the world, the way we connect with and understand our emotions, even what we do, is influenced by the surroundings we interact with in our everyday lives. As designers, we aim to cultivate positive connections between the environment and user through placemaking – by clarifying identity, fostering well-being and sharing stories.
When successful, placemaking, results in an environment where the user feels delight, community and belonging, yet placemaking as a concept has proven difficult to pin-down and apply. How can we truly know and understand the effect design will have on the user and more accurately achieve the intended aims of successful placemaking?
In the session for the Australian Institute of Architects, 'Placemaking: At The Intersection Of Human Well-being And Cognitive Neuroscience' highlights Entro's design process, from considering the principles of the WELL Standard to how cognitive neuroscience provides important insights into human experience, and finally how we validate our work by utilizing a number of emerging technologies.
While the WELL Standard and cognitive neuroscience tell us how human experience is shaped by design, emerging technologies, such as computer vision and machine learning help us mediate the relationship between environment and person. By viewing placemaking through the spotlight of the WELL standard and narrowing our focus using cognitive neuroscience, this presentation examined how to more completely and precisely celebrate culture and place, foster human delight and encourage positive behaviours.