Theories as a Heuristic Thinking Device to Create Empathy in [Interior] Design Studios

This design case introduces a design and development process of theories from environmental psychology, humanities, and social sciences as heuristic thinking devices to measure human-centered design solutions. The pedagogical review of the traditional studio design process revealed obstacles as students translated their research and program to the development of the design. They created the latter without applying their theoretical understanding of research conducted on the human-environment relationship. Given this challenge, the authors evolved a revised design method utilizing theories to afford an empathetic design response. Students in two interior design studios adopted this approach to develop hypotheses for the design problem, and later the theories informed guidelines for cultivating a more empathetic design response. Project analysis by authors, and reflection statements from the students, capture the value of theory as thinking devices to assist directly in their work by improving their position and power, prompting a more imaginative and generative ideation process. The role of this design case is to acknowledge the role of theory as a heuristic device in order to generate, develop, and support the advancement of interior design as a discipline through interaction, mediation, and discourse.