Study
User-Centred DesignRecentModerate effect

Designing for the Mobile-Emotional Body Enhances User Experience in Urban Spaces

Urban environments should be designed to accommodate the dynamic, emotional, and situated experiences of diverse users, moving beyond static, purely visual considerations.

The Journal of Somaesthetics · 2023

01

Key Findings

  • 01Existing frameworks for understanding human-environment interaction are often limited to multi-sensory perceptions.
  • 02A more nuanced understanding of the 'situated mobile-emotional soma' is crucial for effective urban design.
  • 03Designers need to consider the dynamic and emotional aspects of how bodies move through and experience urban spaces.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers must move beyond static, purely functional considerations and embrace the dynamic, emotional, and context-dependent nature of human interaction with the built environment.

How to apply

When designing public spaces, consider how people will move through them, what emotions they might experience, and how the space's form and features contribute to these feelings and movements.

Project actions

  • 01When researching user needs, observe how people physically navigate and interact with your design context.
  • 02Consider how different design elements might evoke specific emotional responses in users.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow can somaesthetic theory and neuro-architectural frameworks be integrated to better understand and design for the situated, mobile, and emotional interactions of diverse human bodies within the built environment?
MethodTheoretical analysis and case study examination
ProcedureThe research first theoretically explores the integration of somaesthetic theory with a neuro-architectural framework. This is then applied to a situated context, Budolfi Square in Aalborg, Denmark, to analyze user interactions.
ContextUrban Design and Architecture

Variables

IV["Design elements of the built environment (e.g., layout, materiality, sensory features)","Theoretical frameworks (somaesthetics, neuro-architecture)"]
DV["User's embodied experience (motion, posture, movement patterns)","User's emotional response (affect, mood, engagement)"]
CV["Specific urban context (Budolfi Square)","User demographics (if specified in further research)"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Integrates theoretical concepts from somaesthetics and neuro-architecture.
  • +Highlights a gap in current urban design practice regarding embodied and emotional user experiences.

Limitations

It can be challenging to objectively measure 'emotion' and 'situatedness' in a design project without extensive qualitative research.

Reliability & validity

The theoretical nature and case study approach may present challenges for direct replication and generalizability, requiring further empirical studies to establish broader reliability and validity.

Think critically

How can designers proactively design for 'mobile-emotional' experiences, and what methods can be employed to effectively capture and integrate these subjective user responses into the design process?

05

Design Principles

"Design for the situated, mobile-emotional body."

This research highlights the need to consider how people physically and emotionally interact with urban spaces. By understanding the 'mobile-emotional soma,' designers can create more inclusive, engaging, and responsive environments that cater to a wider range of user needs and experiences.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Think about how people actually move and feel in a space, not just how it looks or what it's for.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this research when discussing the importance of user experience beyond basic functionality, particularly in spatial or interactive design projects.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2023). Motion and Emotion. The Journal of Somaesthetics. https://doi.org/10.54337/ojs.jos.v8i2.7404 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/0a2ca0b5-0de2-408d-9997-375063826237/designing-for-the-mobile-emotional-body-enhances-user-experience-in-urban-spaces

Paragraph starter

This research emphasizes the need to design for the 'situated mobile-emotional soma,' suggesting that effective design must account for the dynamic, emotional, and context-specific ways in which users interact with their environment, moving beyond purely functional or static considerations.

09

Source

The Journal of Somaesthetics

Motion and Emotion

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about designing for the mobile-emotional body enhances user experience in urban spaces?
Designers must move beyond static, purely functional considerations and embrace the dynamic, emotional, and context-dependent nature of human interaction with the built environment. Evidence: The Journal of Somaesthetics (2023).
Why does "Designing for the Mobile-Emotional Body Enhances User Experience in Urban Spaces" matter for design?
This research highlights the need to consider how people physically and emotionally interact with urban spaces. By understanding the 'mobile-emotional soma,' designers can create more inclusive, engaging, and responsive environments that cater to a wider range of user needs and experiences.
How can designers apply this research?
Designers must move beyond static, purely functional considerations and embrace the dynamic, emotional, and context-dependent nature of human interaction with the built environment.
What were the main findings?
Existing frameworks for understanding human-environment interaction are often limited to multi-sensory perceptions.. A more nuanced understanding of the 'situated mobile-emotional soma' is crucial for effective urban design.. Designers need to consider the dynamic and emotional aspects of how bodies move through and experience urban spaces.
What research method was used?
Theoretical analysis and case study examination.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from The Journal of Somaesthetics.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing public spaces, consider how people will move through them, what emotions they might experience, and how the space's form and features contribute to these feelings and movements.
What are the limitations?
The study's theoretical approach and single case study may limit generalizability without further empirical validation across diverse urban contexts.
Is there evidence that urban spaces affects design outcomes?
Urban spaces need to be designed with a deeper understanding of how people move, feel, and interact within them, rather than just focusing on visual aesthetics or static functionality. This research highlights the need to consider how people physically and emotionally interact with urban spaces. By understanding the 'm Source: The Journal of Somaesthetics (2023).
Where does this designing mobile-emotional research apply?
Urban Design and Architecture It sits within user-centred design research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

urban spaces design research · evidence on urban spaces · does urban spaces improve design outcomes · designing mobile-emotional studies for designers · urban spaces and designing mobile-emotional findings · user-centred design research evidence