The Master of Interior Architecture “Figuring Space” student team comprised of Silviya Zhivkova, Genesis Li, Shahad Almazroa, and Interior Architecture Professor Nina Briggs have won 1st place out of 62 national entries in the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) 2017 video competition for their human-centered design narrative and analysis.
The students applied their studies of design psychology, neuro-design, spatial cognition, and sociological approaches to design, employed ethnographic research methods in site mapping human behavior at Ikea and synthesized the data collected into a video presentation. The video, “Mapping People: An Ethnographic Case Study of Ikea Shoppers” is an environmental behavior study of interior architecture inspired by William Holly Whyte’s “The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces”. It is founded on the belief that good design is ultimately judged by how conducive it is to human experience.
MIA student Genesis Li said about their project, “We investigated theories on human behavioral responses, aesthetics, color psychology, ways finding and navigating, social interactions, spatial cognitions, emotional responses, and the societal impacts of interiors. The investigation examined how users gain a feeling of control over their environment and how spaces contribute to their health and psychological well-being.”
The competition sought compelling entries engaging a general audience to think differently about the interior design knowledge base and the impacts of our expertise. The team was recognized at the Annual IDEC Conference in Chicago at the awards presentation, winning a $1,750 cash prize for their submission.