Report from the Field: ScienceinDesign Symposium

Recently, our research team attended the ScienceinDesign symposium, an event focused on uniting the art of interior design and the science of evolutionary biology and neuro-aesthetics, the study of the brain and body’s response to viewing different environments. 

In our continuous efforts to learn about new, innovative ways of making people feel good, we found this group bridging the divide between academic experts and real world practitioners of design and architecture. It’s no surprise that neuroscientists and interior designers don’t seamlessly communicate with one another, so ScienceinDesign’s mission of uniting the two sides is imperative to the broad creation of spaces that feel good. 

Origin Story

ScienceinDesign was co-founded in 2016 by Mike Peterson, a magazine marketing expert, and Linda Kafka, an experienced architect and interior designer. The two joined forces after Mike had an in-depth conversation with a colleague about neuroaesthetics, the science of the aesthetic experience. As an advertising veteran, Mike was well aware of the science applied to gaining people’s attention, affecting their moods, and gaining their favor. However, the conversation between Mike and his colleague was not focused on advertising and sales this time, but on the application of these techniques to the built world and its impact on people’s wellbeing. 

As a result, Mike became infatuated with the notion that the confluence of science and design was an essential frontier abandoned by modern architecture. Through research and connection with experts, Mike familiarized himself with the field of neuroaesthetics, which only dates back to the 1980s, and aligned with members of the scientific community in believing that architects and designers have a greater ability to impact health than doctors. So, Mike partnered with friend and co-conspirator Linda with the mission of creating an organization to centralize and grow the field of science-informed design.

Over the last decade, Mike and Linda have gone full throttle to educate and connect with architects and designers, equipping them with the science and language to help them articulate and quantify the importance of aesthetics that they intuitively understand. 

This mission aligns seamlessly with our intentions at Frequency, to create spaces that feel good and make this standard the norm. By aligning projects with aesthetic experiences based on science and evolution-backed principles, we have the opportunity to create spaces that are timeless, nurturing, and beautiful.

Major Themes

Among the expert-led keynotes, workshops, and roundtables at ScienceinDesign’s symposium, two distinguished yet interrelated design niches became clear: Biophilia and Neuroaesthetics. While research in the two fields arrives at similar results, they’re distinct as they approach the same topic from different angles. 

The concept of biophilic design is based on the philosophy that patterns and environments resembling those of the natural world are healthier for people because our brain evolved to thrive in these conditions. As a result, biophilic experts lead with the assumption that nature-inspired design is optimal and seek to prove this assumption with science.

On the other hand, neuroaesthetics lead with the scientific method, seeking first to examine the brain’s responses to environments and then to make sense of those responses. So, rather than leading with an underlying philosophy like biophilia, neuroaesthetics lead with scientific methods and tools for examining peoples’ response to environments. With this approach, they’ve uncovered the evidence necessary to create strong theories about satisfying aesthetic experiences.

Fortunately, these two approaches are part and parcel with one another. As more research is conducted, it’s clear that neuroaesthetics and biophilia are converging on the same truth: people are healthier and happier in nature-inspired environments. There are countless examples of this, from the importance of the archway as resembling a canopy of trees to the comfort of visual complexity resembling scattered yet cohesive forestry. All intuitive, and all proven. We’ll go into more detail on these biophilic and neuroaesthetic design techniques in future pieces of content, as there’s a lot to be explored.

Next Steps for Neuroaesthetics

This evolution in neuroscience is aligned with what we do at Frequency. The inclusion of neuroscience proves what many have known for millennia: much of people’s experience of the world is subconscious, and the product of these subconscious experiences is feelings, so aesthetic experiences crafted to please the subconscious can create an emotional baseline of comfort and support. 

As this space is continually evolving, we will continue to publish articles, interviews, and research on neuroaesthetics, biophilia, and the mechanisms behind spaces that feel good. To learn more, check out ScienceinDesign and the work done by their faculty and keep an eye out for more content as we dive deeper into the world of person-focused design.