Multi-sensory design: inclusive and universal design
Designing for the Senses: Inclusive Design for the Workplace
As designers, we have a duty to design spaces centralized on the human experience. This includes designing office and commercial areas focusing on the various needs of the users of the space. In the modern workplace, wellness rooms, sensory areas, and private areas for employees to "unplug" have taken the professional world by storm. By incorporating these types of areas into corporate design, we have the ability to more deeply transform the meaning of universal and inclusive design practices.
Why Multi-Sensory Design Matters
Multi-sensory design focuses on designing and anticipating the future needs of the users of our space. From the very moment we walk into a building, room, or any area, our brain interprets that space based on its comfort level, how it looks, how it makes us feel, what we see, what we smell, what we hear -- you simply cannot isolate the sensory experience from the design experience.
Sensory Spaces in Office Design
Sensory focused design is a staple in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment industries, and is recently becoming more popular in workplace and commercial design. By implementing multi-sensory design practices into traditionally commercial and corporate spaces, companies have the ability to design work environments that promote employee well-being, and increased productivity.
Sensory Space
“A multisensory approach to design is critical to supporting the physiological and psychological needs of those who spend time within the spaces we create. Whether it be through strategically placed elements that we touch or see, taste or smell, our goal is to welcome users into a comfortable and authentic environment that was designed with their physical and mental wellness in mind.”
- Jen Kilp, CDI Director of Design