design psychology
Social space in London's Docklands
benefits of design psychology:
- Space responds to users needs, users respond to the space
- Conflicting pressures and needs are resolved
- Space adapts over time to requirements
- Space is better used, more rewarding and more productive, creating better places for people
Design psychology is (when applied to landscape and urban issues) the understanding of how people relate to, and interact with, their environment.
A simple concept, you might think, yet currently most design is led by ideas and style, which can be more to do with the designer's ego than the end-user experience.
Using design psychology is not about style, nor is it a replacement for style. Rather it is an underlying layer of design criteria that inform and shape the space, over which a style is then applied. This means that stylistic elements are balanced with long term needs of the site and its users, therefore the style does not dominate the successful functioning of the site. This may sound confusing, as the style of the site is what hits the eye and makes the impression, but this can be understood by imagining that the psychology will give an underlying set of rules which must be observed, to which any one of a number of differing styles may then be applied. Of course, it is also true that a necessary style might emerge as a consequence of the application of such criteria.
In urban applications, this might look at issues such as conflicts between pedestrian and traffic flows or parking; creating plazas and courtyards that are actually used; ameliorating the effects of oppressive buildings; creating striking entrances that entice visitors in, etc. Put simply, it is a more comprehensive approach to the issues of design and has special application in urban situations.
In private grounds and gardens, the principles still apply, adapting to the different, more intimate, needs of the home user. It's amazing the difference such thinking can make to the usability and enjoyment of a garden.
