Spatial Designing: It’s not merely aesthetic glorification.
Take a moment to pause and engage with the space you’re currently in before you read any further. What is this space? Does it tell you a story? What do you feel in this place? As you begin to think about these questions, have you ever wondered as to what really causes you to develop perceptions about spaces and why you’re attracted to some places more than the rest. The answer to most of this is the way the space is designed. When a space is designed keeping in mind how you engage with it, it allows you to perceive the space through various emotions. With all the different design forms out there, which help enhance a space, there is the emergence of a new concept, Spatial Designing.
Spatial Designing is an umbrella within which come a range of design forms such as production design, interior design, public art and many more that create an amalgamation of art, architecture and design. As spatial designers, our design process starts from understanding how the space is experienced, how people use it, and how we can enhance their interaction with the space. To understand the space better, we look into the history and uncover the story the space is trying to narrate. Similar to how art evokes emotions, designed spaces work the same way.
In a world where everyone is competing to stay relevant, brands are constantly searching for ways to enhance their USP. Along with marketing tools, it is very important to think about how your space represents your brand. What does that place tell you about your brand? What experience does it give to a person visiting? One MUST have spaces that reflect their unique identity. It’s important that your space instills positivity, and creates a community feel. For commercial working environments, places that are designed meticulously boost productivity within the employees and foster a sense of belonging for them. It makes work exciting, and conveys your values to the visitors.
Think about it, there is a reason we are attracted to a particular store of a brand with many locations, there is a reason you’d prefer visiting one of them over the other, and this is because of how you feel in that space. To create this, spatial designers step in, we help brands connect with customers beyond their products. A perfect example would be the brand Starbucks which is thriving despite its many competitors. Starbucks invites everyone to its thoughtfully crafted coffee shop which evokes a sense of warmth that makes you feel invited while being aesthetically pleasing. To achieve this, their space was designed keeping in mind the customer, their value and the ultimate functionality. Today across the world, a Starbucks stands out with its similar designing and signature styles. They have established a brand design and have developed the feeling of familiarity establishing a direct connection with the customers.
The importance of having spaces designed to reflect your story is highly underrated. Many still remain reluctant to spend on design, undermining the multifold of impact it will create in the future. However, we as designers remain optimistic that the world is constantly changing and people will begin to realise the importance of designed spaces. Until then, don’t forget to stop and look around your surroundings once in a while as you realise that you being there is a part of the bigger narrative.
