Form follows Feeling.

From Function to Feeling: Embracing Neuroarchitecture in Modern Design.

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The relationship between design and human behaviour is deeper than it appears on the surface. While the principle of "form follows function" has long guided architects and designers, modern advancements in neuroscience and psychology are unveiling a new paradigm: "form follows feeling." Spaces are no longer just about utility but about shaping experiences, influencing emotions, and fostering well-being. Through cutting-edge studies, such as biometric feedback and neuroimaging, we are gaining a profound understanding of how design elements like colour, light, sound, and proportion impact our minds and bodies. This evolution in design thinking is transforming how we create environments that connect with people on an emotional level.

"Form follows function" may have been appropriate to the industrial revolution-inspired functional requirements, but it has become rather inappropriate as we began to discover the complexities of human behaviour and the triggers that guide our emotional connection or disconnection to spaces and things.

In the Autumn of 1887, a young aspiring architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, joined a Chicago-based firm, Adler & Sullivan, known for their ground-breaking functional steel-frame constructions and skyscrapers. Louis Sullivan’s remarkable designs were rivalled only by his philosophies and unique manners of thinking. Sullivan taught Wright to take his inspiration from nature, not only as it appeared at the time but also its process of growth and evolution, from seed to plant to flower. He believed that “the creation of architecture must be natural, intuitive” and that it should “evolve from and express the environment from which it grows.”

Sullivan’s ideas that architecture must be truthful to its structure and that ornament should “express the inner life” informed his axiom: “Form follows function.” Wright would later extend the teachings of his mentor, stating:

“Form follows function – has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”

This functional ethos would go on to dominate the 20th century, with densely packed cities of iron and steel mushrooming to accommodate an exploding urban population.

That said, "Form follows function" may have been appropriate to the industrial revolution, but it has become rather inadequate as we begin to discover the complexities of human behaviour. Today, the triggers that guide our emotional connection to spaces have taken precedence. One such firm recognising this is the global design firm FROG, founded in 1969 by Hartmut Esslinger. The firm rebuffed "form follows function," evolving it into "form follows emotion." Turi McKinley, executive director of frogCamp, the firm’s thought leadership initiative, explains,

“Design used to be about making a thing. Today, for us, it’s about making and shaping experiences.”

To design for emotional connection, designers must first understand all potential environmental triggers for the specific groups of people they are designing for.

In the Spring of 2019, Google partnered with Johns Hopkins University International Arts + Mind Lab during Milan Design Week to explore how our surroundings affect us on an emotional level. During the exhibit, “A Space for Being,” visitors were asked to put away their phones, refrain from talking, and explore three different rooms for five minutes each. Guests wore special armbands that measured biometric data, including heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature conductivity, and movement. For example, the “Transformative” room, meant to induce calm, featured woody scents, natural materials, diffuse lighting, wood artwork, and the sounds of piano and strings.

At the end of the exhibit, visitors received a personalised data visualisation based on their biofeedback to help them understand which rooms and design characteristics made them feel most at ease. Suchi Reddy, the architect behind the exhibit, says her guiding design principle is that “form follows feeling.”

“Some of these environmental influences we cannot see or touch, yet they have a direct influence on our behaviour or mood,”

says Irving Weiner, an American psychologist, author, and past president of Division 12 of the American Psychological Association.

Advancements in technology and neuroimaging have allowed us to measure our exact responses to environments in unprecedented ways. Through neuroimaging, we now know the precise biological and neurological responses to colour, light, sound, proportion, and smell. These factors influence our heart rate, brain function, and body temperature.

Today, neuroscientists and psychologists are increasingly collaborating with architects and designers to examine the impact of various architectural space formats and proportions on our health and behaviour. With these advancements, we are beginning to understand how spatial typologies affect us and how architectural structures can influence different thinking styles and behaviours. Dr. Fred Gage, a senior neuroscientist at the Salk Institute and former president of the Society for Neuroscience, closely linked these disciplines and posited the term neuroarchitecture, a concept gaining rapid momentum.

For example, in an experiment conducted by Joan Meyers-Levy, professor emeritus of marketing from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, the relationship between ceiling heights and thinking styles was examined. Levy found that low-ceiling rooms favoured those who needed to focus on details, while lofty ceilings encouraged abstract thinking, brainstorming, and creative solutions.

As these studies continue to confirm the significant impact of design on the brain, the design industry is increasingly recognising the need to develop tools and methods that foster healthier and more constructive environments.

In conclusion, the connection between design, emotion, and behaviour underscores the need to prioritise how spaces make us feel. By embracing principles such as "form follows feeling," and leveraging advancements in neuroscience, architects and designers can create environments that not only meet functional needs but also foster well-being, creativity, and connection. The future of design lies in understanding and harnessing the intricate ways spaces impact our emotions and behaviour, paving the way for healthier and more meaningful human experiences.

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Information Reference Index:

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces.

Designing for Emotion.

Neuroarchitecture: The Impact of Architecture on Brain and Behaviour.

Ceiling Height and Construal Level: Effects on Thinking Style.

A Space for Being: Biometric Feedback in Design.

Architects are Designing Spaces to Make People Happy.

Neuroarchitecture: An Architecture for the Senses - The Sense of Light.

Designing for Behaviour.

Psychology of Space: How Interiors Affect Our Behaviour.

Form Follows Emotion.

Frog’s Turi McKinley: Customer-Centric Change is Key to Success.