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K-State Today

March 28, 2014

Designing for mood: Environmental psychologist/designer Sally Augustin lecture April 2

Submitted by Braedon Burgess

An environmental psychologist specializing in person-centered design will present the lecture "Designing for Emotion" for the College of Architecture, Planning & Design.

Sally Augustin will lecture at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in the K-State Student Union’s Forum Hall. The lecture is free and the public is welcome.

Augustin is a principal at Design With Science, where she integrates insights from environmental/design psychology, other social/physical sciences and project-specific research to develop places, objects and services that support desired experiences. Her clients include manufacturers, service providers, and design firms in North America, Europe and Asia.

According to Augustin, design influences mood in foreseeable ways and mood matters. Mood has been linked to ways of thinking and immune system function, as well as how well we get along with others, for example. Good moods have repercussions valued by our society, such as innovative thinking. The developing positive design movement is concerned about the emotional repercussions of design and focuses on creating environments in which people flourish and have constructive emotional experiences. Environmental psychology research supports positive design by identifying the emotional implications of designed and natural experiences.

Augustin's lecture will focus on how sensory and psychosocial experiences of the physical world can be harnessed to influence emotional state and support positive design — design that enhances human well-being.