Intern Research: Sensory Design

Compared to sensory seekers, sensory avoiders gravitate towards the softer textures and materials that provide a sense of comfort. They are drawn to the textures and materials that give them the idea of seclusion and an area that they can retreat to. Alcoves that have tactile experiences are a great way of accomplishing this. One notable example of balancing the two different tactile preferences is the Lanetech Well-being Hub. HKS created a sensory well-being hub at Lanetech High School. This sensory well-being hub had three sensory zones.

Images below from https://www.hksinc.com/our-news/articles/the-sensory-wellbeing-hub-at-chicagos-lane-tech-college-prep-high-school/; https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/sensory-well-being-for-adolescents-with-developmental-disabilities-creating-and-testing-a-sensory-well-being-hub/; diagramming done by Lauren Mullins.

As far as lighting, sensory seekers are looking for those stimulating lighting experiences. An example of the lighting experiences that sensory seekers are drawn towards is the research project Social Sensory Surfaces. This research project was overseen by University of Michigan professor, Sean Ahlquist. The idea was to develop new technologies designed to confront learning and social challenges for children with autism. There are three smaller projects a part of this research that all deal with exploration of color and lighting in unique ways.

Sensory avoiders on the other hand, prefer a calm dimmer lighting environment. An example of a project that was able to provide lighting opportunities for both sensory types is the “Light Wall” Installation at Lurie Children’s Hospital. A part of the Crown Sky Garden, this installation provides both calming and vibrant lighting animations depending on if the wall is being interacted with or not.

Auditory aspects can have a significant impact on how people experience a space. For sensory seekers, they thrive off loud stimulating sounds that can be interactive, while sensory avoiders would rather have quiet calming sounds or have sound blocked out. An example of a study that was able to appeal to both sensory types is the RESET Stress Free Zone. This project, done by UNStudio, created a series of pods that all had various stress-free zones for office workers. The idea was to appeal to the different versions of what someone would consider a stress-free zone. Some pods provided a space for sensory seeker auditory experiences while others provided a space for sensory avoider auditory experiences.

One way that sensory design has been used is through sensory rooms. A sensory room is a dedicated space for providing sensory stimulation in a controlled environment. One aspect of sensory rooms that is great is that they can be applied to a variety of program types. Some sensory rooms can be geared towards sensory seekers but have a few opportunities for sensory avoiders. One example of this type of sensory rooms are the sensory rooms in the pediatric emergency department at Robert Johnson University Hospital. Other sensory rooms are geared more towards sensory avoiders with the idea of a quiet space away from the large crowds. A few examples of these sensory rooms are at the Pittsburgh International Airport, NBA Arenas, and at Georgia Aquarium. Being able to be applied to many different program types shows just how simple it can be to apply basic sensory design concepts into a space. It is a concept that isn’t typically thought about but can make a huge difference in how people experience a space.