Short answer

When designing indoor spaces with biophilic elements like green walls, prioritize user visual preferences to maximize positive emotional and cognitive outcomes.

Field: Human Factors
Source: Scientific Reports (2025)
Method: Experimental study with physiological and neurological measurements
Sample: 26 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

The visual preference for indoor green wall designs directly correlates with enhanced emotional well-being and more stable brain activity, suggesting aesthetic choices have a measurable psychophysiological impact. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Scientific Reports. Using Experimental study with physiological and neurological measurements with 26 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing indoor spaces with biophilic elements like green walls, prioritize user visual preferences to maximize positive emotional and cognitive outcomes.

Study

Human FactorsNew This WeekStrong effect

Green Wall Aesthetics Significantly Impact User Emotion and Neural Stability

Scientific Reports · 2025

Key Findings

01Green walls generally reduced psychophysiological stress levels.
02High-preference green walls were associated with more positive emotional responses and more stable brain activity patterns.
03Changes in brain oscillatory power and alpha rhythm delay time were significantly greater with high-preference green walls, indicating enhanced neural stability.
04Exposure to high-preference green walls induced smaller and faster neural avalanche activities, suggesting a more balanced neural state.
05A prediction model using EEG features accurately predicted individual green wall preferences.

Application

Design takeaway

When designing indoor spaces with biophilic elements like green walls, prioritize user visual preferences to maximize positive emotional and cognitive outcomes.

How to apply

When specifying or designing green walls, consider offering a variety of aesthetic options or conducting user preference studies to inform the final design choice.

Project actions

01When researching user preferences, consider using visual stimuli and collecting subjective ratings.
02Explore how different sensory inputs (visual, auditory, olfactory) might interact with biophilic design elements.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate how varying levels of visual preference for different indoor green wall designs influence emotional responses and brain activity, and to explore the relationship between these factors and psychophysiological restoration.

MethodExperimental study with physiological and neurological measurements

ProcedureParticipants were exposed to virtual reality simulations of three distinct green wall designs (cool-colored flower, warm-colored flower, non-flower combined) and a control (no green wall). Visual preference votes (VPV), subjective evaluations, and electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected to assess emotional responses, stress levels, and neural activity patterns.

Sample26 participants

ContextIndoor environmental design, biophilic design, user experience research

Variables

IV["Type of green wall design (cool-colored flower, warm-colored flower, non-flower, no green wall)","Visual preference for green wall designs"]

DV["Emotional responses (subjective evaluations)","Psychophysiological stress levels","Brain activity patterns (EEG: oscillatory power, alpha rhythm delay, neural avalanche activity, avalanche criticality index)"]

CV["Participant demographics (age, gender - assumed to be controlled or analyzed)","Virtual reality environment setup","EEG measurement protocols"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Utilizes objective physiological and neurological measures (EEG) alongside subjective ratings.
+Employs advanced technology (VR) to simulate realistic environmental conditions.
+Develops a predictive model for user preference, offering practical application.

Limitations

Small sample size, reliance on VR, and focus on a specific demographic (college students) may limit the broad applicability of the findings.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability is supported by the use of standardized EEG measurements and a systematic experimental procedure. Validity is enhanced by correlating objective brain activity with subjective preference and emotional reports, and by developing a predictive model.

Think critically

How might the cultural background of users influence their visual preferences for green walls, and how could this be accounted for in design?

Design Principles

"Biophilic design elements should be aesthetically tailored to user preferences to enhance psychological restoration and well-being."

This research highlights that the aesthetic design of biophilic elements like green walls is not merely superficial but has a profound effect on user experience and cognitive states. Designers can leverage these findings to create indoor environments that actively promote psychological restoration and reduce stress by prioritizing user-specific visual preferences.

What This Means for Your Design

If you want to make people feel good in a room with plants on the wall, make sure the plants and colors look nice to them, because this can actually change their brain activity and make them feel calmer.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the psychological impact of aesthetic choices in your design project.
2.Use the findings to justify design decisions aimed at improving user well-being through environmental features.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that the visual aesthetics of biophilic design elements, such as indoor green walls, significantly influence user emotional states and neural stability. Studies employing virtual reality and electroencephalography have demonstrated that designs eliciting higher visual preference are associated with more positive emotions and enhanced brain activity balance, suggesting that aesthetic tailoring is crucial for maximizing the restorative benefits of indoor environments.

Source

Scientific Reports

Impact of visual preferences for indoor green walls on emotion and brain activity of college students

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about green wall aesthetics significantly impact user emotion and neural stability?: When designing indoor spaces with biophilic elements like green walls, prioritize user visual preferences to maximize positive emotional and cognitive outcomes. Evidence: Scientific Reports (2025).
Why does "Green Wall Aesthetics Significantly Impact User Emotion and Neural Stability" matter for design?: This research highlights that the aesthetic design of biophilic elements like green walls is not merely superficial but has a profound effect on user experience and cognitive states. Designers can leverage these findings to create indoor environments that actively promote psychological restoration and reduce stress by prioritizing user-specific visual preferences.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing indoor spaces with biophilic elements like green walls, prioritize user visual preferences to maximize positive emotional and cognitive outcomes.
What were the main findings?: Green walls generally reduced psychophysiological stress levels.. High-preference green walls were associated with more positive emotional responses and more stable brain activity patterns.. Changes in brain oscillatory power and alpha rhythm delay time were significantly greater with high-preference green walls, indicating enhanced neural stability.. Exposure to high-preference green walls induced smaller and faster neural avalanche activities, suggesting a more balanced neural state.
What research method was used?: Experimental study with physiological and neurological measurements with 26 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Scientific Reports.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When specifying or designing green walls, consider offering a variety of aesthetic options or conducting user preference studies to inform the final design choice.
What are the limitations?: The study involved a relatively small sample size and focused on young adults, potentially limiting generalizability to other age groups or demographics. The use of virtual reality may not fully replicate the experience of real-world green walls.