The Social Effects of the Design of Social Spaces - Literature review Example

 A DISCUSSION OF THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE DESIGN OF SOCIAL SPACES Abstract In this examination of the social effects of social space design brief descriptions of the theories and works of some of the world’s most renowned experts clearly reveals the reality of how social space design plays a major role in the actions, feelings and even physiology of human beings. This research provides ample evidence that some aspects of humanity can be controlled by effectively controlling environments. The literature also suggests that individuals who are aware of the effects that social space design can have may be better equipped to live healthy lives. The Social Effects of Social Space Design According to the literature review conducted by this writer, Paco Underhill is without question the leader in expertise around social space design in the marketplace. Underhill has written several books on the subject of Social Space Design and owns a company called ENVIROSELL. In a description of the man who founded and manages Envirosell, a New York based research and consulting firm with offices around the world it is noted that Underhill has spent more than 25 years conducting research on the different aspects of shopping behavior and that he has earned his status as a leading expert and pioneer in the field. (Envirosell, 2005, p. 1) Underhill’s reputation is well known and highly acclaimed according to an article that appears on a website featuring highlights from the Canadian television program “Marketplace.” (2000, p. 1) The Marketplace report states that Paco Underhill has said “the retail industry is undergoing a fundamental shift” towards providing service for consumers. “Underhill preaches that retailers have to cater to the behaviors of the consumer in order to increase their chances of selling successfully….For example, North Americans tend to turn to the right as they enter a large store – just like they drive on the right side of the road.” Therefore Underhill states “If you want to get my attention, it better be to my right.” (2000, p. 1) Underhill arrives at his conclusions about best practice in the market place by using a combination of in-store video cameras and direct observation of customer behavior. His research shows that 70 per cent of shoppers are women. Ideas for making this consumer group more likely to shop in a certain store include placing a chair in a convenient place for the males accompanying women shoppers to rest during the shopping excursion (2001, p. 1) The CBC report states that Underhill sees the chair and making shopping with women more attractive to men as a ‘marketing tool.’ This article also emphasizes Paco’s theories about the need to turn kids into ‘allies’ in the market place. Some suggestions in this regard include being sure there are things at eye level to interest them and creating attractions such as a hopscotch pattern on the floor of a hardware store to make it more appealing to the younger set who must accompany parents on Saturday morning shopping trips. Lockley (pp. 1-5) discusses the way that large retailers create atmospheres that literally turn people into ‘puppets’ when they enter the lair of a large shopping mall. According to Lockley retailers in malls are arranged in combinations and patterns designed to trigger “more and bigger purchases.” (p. 3) The hypothetical mall Lockley describes is designed to “Expose you to the maximum amount of merchandise, put you in a buying mood, set your pace and relax your sense of time, remove you from outside influences and give you reasons to buy.” (p. 4) Lockley goes on to describe the science behind successful casino operators in Vegas and concludes his introduction to a book that is geared towards getting people excited about designing a home “just for you” since all other spaces we are likely to be exposed to are designed to manipulate user’s behaviors for economic reasons. (2001, p. 4) While designing social spaces to create money and enhance the marketplace environment are a definite goal for many professionals there is evidence of social space designers who have other motives. Laskin (2005) refers to the work of Jerold S. Kayden as a “science.” According to Laskin, Kayden responded to complaints by students at Harvard University about the ‘lack of positive social spaces’ at the Williams Graduate school of Design. Kayden, his partner Martin Zogren and a team of 19 students mapped, photographed and entered into a database all areas of the campus that fit the students’ definition of “social space.” The spaces were classified into categories and interviews were conducted with passersby; ultimately assessments were made and four Interventions took place. The Interventions included providing public information about the spaces by creating a website; excitement about using the spaces was generated as a result of launching a yearly event called Space Talks which features a total of 100 speakers appearing at different locations in the designated areas. Finally, more comfortable seating and two design initiatives to help attract visitors to the spaces created the warm, friendly and fun environment students were looking for. This effort is in stark contrast to the work of Paco and his colleagues who are devoted to creating marketplace environments designed to extract money from the pockets of unsuspecting consumers. Perhaps it is because of the emphasis society places on money that people today are looking for more ‘calming’ environments and in fact places where they can express themselves as individuals. And for those who instinctively seek a soothing, natural environment in their homes and other buildings, Judith Heerwagon (2005) has logical reasons for creating this type of atmosphere. Heerwagon recommends that builders apply lessons learned from natural habitats being created in modern zoos and applying them to building types. Some of her recommendations for creating buildings that nurture people are: “Look beyond survival to well being, Build on ‘primitive preferences’ and connections to nature, and design for the senses as well as the body.” (1971, p. 2) She emphasizes the need for societal acceptance of recommendations by Biologist Steven Boyden (1971) that “well being needs….should be addressed in building design.” Boyden recommends that building designs incorporate “opportunities”…to be engaging in “spontaneous social encounters….for relaxing and psychological restoration…privacy and the movement between interaction and solitude as desired…and learning and information sharing…connection to the natural environment and opportunity for regular exercise.” (1971, p. 2) Connection to nature and natural patters appear to be important factors to consider when designing buildings that will support and promote well being of their inhabitants. Heerwagon concludes that “Buildings affect our psych as well as our bodies. They can be inspiring and supportive of daily activities, or they can deplete the spirits and undermine the best intention of the designer….Buildings with high psychosocial value are designed around basic human needs, ancient preferences and connections to the patterns of nature and the mind. (1971, p. 3) The concept of ‘getting back to nature’ and creating natural environments to soothe the shattered nerves of citizens suffering from over-exposure to materialism and mall methodologies developed by professionals like Capo and his colleagues at Envirosell (2005) may seem relatively new to some members of the general public. In fact, the awareness of people needing to connect with nature as a source of relief from the life created by stark cultural and economic differences that separated people and created dramatic differences in lifestyles ranging from ghettoes to penthouses was being promoted as far back as 1885. “At the turn of the twentieth century, when America was emerging as a world economic power and cultural center, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux looked at the darkest, most impoverished ghettoes and imagined them transformed by small parks” where people from all walks of life could gather and be encouraged to “assimilate.” (2002) Iannocone’s work is designed to “uncover and explain the complex relationships between social, political and architectural theories that influenced the Small Parks Movements and shaped all subsequent urban theory.” Theories of social space design evolved abundantly over the years and all of the experts agree that the moods, emotions and yes, even the actions of people can be motivated by carefully controlling environments. While we have seen that our homes are the least likely place for our moods to be affected by architecture and design it appears that we should be paying more attention to how we plan them in order to develop the strength and empowerment to avoid some of the ‘controls’ we will encounter when we venture out into the world. Efforts to create environments to help sooth stress and build confidence to meet the challenges we all must face often include a connection with nature. Rubenstein (1997) sees this as one of the most effective ways to restore balance and regain the strength one needs to deal with everyday life. “A significant body of research is concerned with the role of nature as a stress reducer. ... This work tends to reflect the theoretical tenets of two major schools of psychological thought. One suggests that nature serves to reduce our stress by reducing physiological arousal (Barrues, 1994) and the alternate perspective suggests that stress results from our efforts to deal with information overload (Kaplan and Kaplan) 1989. Nature is seen as an effective stress reducer because it provides a kind of ‘cognitive quite.’ Necessitating fewer decisions based on external demands. The Kaplans suggest that nature provides innately interesting stimulation that allows us to rest from the ‘directed attention’ needed for the pursuit of daily activities. In contrast, Ulrich’s studies document the physiological benefits in reducing arousal through natural environmental access. There can be little question that a reduction in heart rate and increase in frequency of alpha waves is accompanied by psychological benefit.” “’If an observer’s state prior to a visual encounter is one of stress and excessive arousal, an attractive natural view might elicit feelings of pleasantness, hold interest and block or reduce stressful thoughts and therefore foster psychological restoration…Even the passive intellectual contemplation of a natural setting can be quite adaptive if it provides a breather from stress or gives the observer a sense of competence in terms of mental prowess or efficacy, thereby contributing to a sense of identity (1983, p. 95)’ ” Subsequent to this literature review it appears there are significant merits to the examination of the social effects of social space design for all of humanity. Yes, there are material benefits to the designers of the spaces we inhabit and there is no question that their ingenuity, creativity and expertise are necessary for creating specific atmospheres. This writer believes there is value to all of the work described in this exploration and, while marketplace strategies may be designed to manipulate people in order to have them purchase more, if the people were less apathetic and tended to their own needs by creating opportunities to be in environments that support their own healing and growth they would be less likely to be victimized by these ‘strategies.’ All in all there is ample evidence to conclude that there is social space design is a big factor in how we think, feel and act and awareness of how it works appears to be something society as a whole could benefit from. References CBC Marketplace (Broadcast Nov. 7, 2000); Interview with Paco Underhill; CBC News Website; Retrieved November 24, 2005 from http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/home/shopping ENVIROSELL, website; 2005; About Us; Retrieved from http://www.envirosell.com/personnel/paco/html Heerwagon, Judith (2005); J.H. Heerwagon & Associates, Inc; Psychosocial Value of Space; Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) website; Retrieved November 24, 2005 from: http://www.wbdg.org/design/psychspace_value.php Iannocone, Rachel; (2002) Dissertation Proposal – Open Space for the Underclass: New York City’s Small Parks (1885-1910) World Wide Web; Retrieved November 24, 2005 from: http://www.rachelianocone.com/dissertation.html Lasken (2005), The Space Scientist, Article in The Harvard Crimson, Online Magazine, October 12, 2005; Retrieved November 24, 2005 from http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=509035 Lockley, Walt (2001); The Psychology of Residential Space; Book Excerpt on World Wide Web; Retrieved Nov. 24, 2005 from www.placeperformance.com/features/chap/01.htm Rubenstein, Dr. Nora H.; The psychological Value of Open Space; The Benefits of Open Space, Chapter 4. The Great Swamp Watershed Association [Leonard W. Hamilton, PhD.] ed. (1997). Retrieved November 25, 2005 from http://www.greatswamp.org/publications/rubenstein/htm Ulrich.R, (1983). Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment [Chapter 3]. In I. Altman& J.F. Wohlwill (Eds), Human Behavior and Environment: Volume 6 (pp. 85 – 126). New York: Plenum Press. Retrieved November 25, 2005 from: http://www.greatswamp.org/publications/rebenstein/htm. Read More