Back Up!! 🙅

Have you ever been standing in a line and someone stands so close they’re breathing down your neck? Or has someone ever looked over your shoulder while you’re texting? If that makes you feel uncomfortable that is normal, that person is inside your personal “bubble”.  The term for this is called proxemics. Proxemics is a form of non-verbal communication between others about how they perceive and/or use their space. Anthropologist, Edward Hall introduced the meaning and the four categories behind proxemics in the 1960s. I will be giving some examples for a better understanding on how we use the four categories of proxemics in our daily lives.

Up close and personal between 0”-18” is your intimate zone.  Usually a person that is inside of the intimate zone is a loved one or friend, but there are the few exceptions when a person is too close for comfort. A perfect example of this would be when a person has come up to talk to you and as the conversation progresses so does their face getting closer to yours. They think it’s comfortable, but you may think “back up please!”                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                              

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Following the intimate zone is the personal zone between 18”-48”. Imagine standing in a line to buy a ticket for your favorite movie with a group of friends. Throughout the group’s conversation in the line, it never becomes too intimate or secretive. Reason being, someone standing in front of you or behind you may be able to hear the content of the conversation.

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Walking down the sidewalk and you see your friend across the street. You wave to them and maybe exchange a few words, but you never get super close to them. This would be the social zone within 48” all the way up to 12’. You can casually have a conversation with a person in public, but you have the opportunity to choose how far you would like to be from that person during the conversation.

 Sketch by me

Imagine yourself slowly walking down the stairs to the train station. Soon your personal space becomes invaded by hundreds of people. There is not one person too close but many far and near. This is the public zone it can range from 12’ and on. Typically, in the public zone it is little to no interaction with other individuals. Walking through a train station I would not be able to tell you what shoes someone was wearing twenty feet from me.

Video taken by me

Personal space is valued by every individual, including myself. By respecting these zones, we are silently respecting the people in our surroundings.  

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2016/12/02/comcast-fandango-cinepapaya-movie-tix-online.html

GIPHY. (2017, September 23). United President GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY. Retrieved from https://giphy.com/gifs/president-united-states-rFYfC7H1CHwGI

Proxemics. (2013, January 29). Retrieved from https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/proxemics

Control Theory

Ponder this thought, how do we as humans know what to do in a space? Whether it be a large space, small space, crowded space, or a deserted space, how do we know what to do? James Averill has found what seems to be a simple explanation for this question. Control theory. There are three different types of control theory: Cognitive, Behavioral and Decisional. As a designer I use control theory on a day to day basis, but so does everyone else. In the next few paragraphs I will explain how everyone uses control theory not just designers.

First, there is cognitive control. Cognitive control is how we perceive an environment. Individuals have different feelings about every environment. A group of people could be sitting in a café enjoying the company of each other, they may be perceiving this space as a positive environment. Whereas, if a group of two were trying to study in the same café and the noise seems to be bothering them, they could be perceiving the space as a negative environment. By choosing the café as a negative or positive environment it is an exercise of cognitive control. Every person exercises cognitive control on a daily basis we just don’t catch it often.

Sugar Love Cafe

Photo taken by Me

Secondly, we have behavioral control. Behavioral control is when a person is able to physically change how they feel about the environment around them. Picture a very crowded store, when you walk into the store do you feel overwhelmed by how many people are in it? Or do you hop right into the crowd to find your favorite pair of jeans? If you feel overwhelmed and decide to leave, you are exercising your behavioral control by seeking out a less crowded store with less people. But if you jump right into the crowd, you are also exercising your behavioral control by adapting to your surroundings and finding your favorite pair of jeans.

Favorite pair of jeans
Hand sketched by me

Lastly, there is decisional control. Decisional control is when an individual has the ability to choose their response to a situation. As individuals we react to our environments differently such as, in a crowded restaurant. Let’s say a restaurant you have been craving was on a 45-minute wait. You have the choice in staying and waiting 45 minutes to be seated or you can walk right out the door and find a different restaurant.  Many things could influence your decision on whether to stay or go, like how hungry you are or if you can really wait 45 minutes to eat. 

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In conclusion, design can influence every control theory. As designers move forward in creating spaces they need to keep in mind what the end user wants and let them have control over the space. Allowing the end user to have control over the decisions can help improve the overall use of the space. 

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Cornelius R. R. (2000, September 5). Theoretical Approaches To Emotion. Retrieved October 19, 2018, from http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~julia/papers/cornelius00.pdf

Design Philosophy

I never had an “aha” moment about what I want to do with my life. I do know that as I was growing up I always enjoyed keeping up with the latest trends in fashion and design. I remember watching shows about building houses and designing spaces and I fell in love. That has followed me throughout my life and the desire has only increased as I got older. I now strive for design, everywhere I look I admire the architecture, thought, and care that has been put forth into each building.

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As a designer, I want to incorporate green design into every building I can. I believe spaces should feel like a sanctuary. Clients should feel comforted as they walk into the building and fall into a peaceful happiness. When incorporating natural materials, it will only increase the health of the human body along with the environment. Which only increases my interests on pursuing green design.

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Also, in my designs I would like to create spaces that encourage interaction between clients. It is very important to have a sanctuary, but to also have a place of serenity that can be shared with others. I am more of an introvert than an extrovert, but I do love spending time with people and having a special place where I can spend time with them helps me feel at peace.