Healing Design

When we talk about health, the conversation is led by physical activity, routine checkups, eating well and getting sleep. But the impact of nature is starting to take hold in that mix. From indoor plants to camping, and forest schools to forest bathing, people are waking up to the benefits of being surrounded by nature. A recent study estimated that people spend 90% of their time indoors[1] and what we do indoors - excessive screen time and lack of physical activity – is well understood to have negative effects on our health and well being.

But what if nature wasn’t a geological place we went to in order to receive its benefits, but an environment we constructed? City builders and businesses are actively exploring this idea by using biophilic design, which incorporates elements of nature and places them into our environments and architecture to facilitate wellness. According to a study by the University of Exeter, offices with plants “could increase productivity by 15% as well as “lower physiological stress, increase attention span and improve wellbeing.” Amazon’s Spheres – a new office of three glass spheres filled with 40,000 plants – were built specifically to make a difference in their employee’s wellbeing, and hospitals are bringing in plants as a way of therapy to aid faster recoveries.[2]

Alternatively, what if the positive effects of nature were not limited to their physical presence, but could be received through visual representation? An emerging field, ‘digital nature’ is served up through virtual reality. Sensiks, the maker of the Sensory Reality Pod, is one such company exploring technological interface and how representing natural spaces can have positive effects. Similarly, studies on the graphic representation of natural elements shows its potential to influence healthier outcomes.

While people take in their surroundings using all five senses, it’s been researched that for the sighted, more than 70% of the information is taken in through visual perception. If digital nature and graphic representation of nature can promote wellness, there is an opportunity to think about the role of design in healthcare from physical spaces to what’s on prescription pads and take-home materials. What if healthcare can champion wellness through thoughtful visual aids?

Biophilic design is design that connects us to nature. Using color, content and form, we can create representations of nature to facilitate that connection.

·      COLOR: A core component to that visual stimuli is color, which is widely recognized to have a strong impact on human emotions and feelings. Furthermore, studies show that green plant colors can elicit powerful psycho-physiological effects, among them improving cerebral activity and creating a comfortable environment[6].

·      CONTENT: When we view scenes of nature, it stimulates a larger portion of the visual cortex, which triggers more pleasure receptors in our brain, leading to prolonged interest and faster stress recovery. Furthermore, showing scenes of nature favoring biodiversity versus expansive landscapes is reportedly more beneficial to our psychological health.[7]

·      FORM: One never sees right angles and straight lines in nature, so why would they be seeing in biophilic design? Fluid forms, organic shapes, 120-degree angles and the Golden Mean are some considerations to form. Additionally, nature-esque materials and textures that offer a rich, warm and authentic feel will create those inherent connections to nature.

Band-Aid is a curious example this idea put into practice. While likely not created in the biophilic spirit, the images – using color, form and content – could potentially produce psycho and physiological benefits on top of its job to literally heal a wound. While such a small passive everyday element, consider its effects if used toward a specific end to promote health and wellness? What else would we rethink in healthcare to increase positive outcomes? What if healthcare can champion wellness through such thoughtful visual aids?

[1] Song, J. E. (2004). Effects of Interior Plantscape in Office on Psycho-physiological Improvement and Stress Alleviation of Indoor Workers. PhD thesis, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea

[2] Browning, W.E., Ryan, C.O., Clancy, J.O. (2014). 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. New York: Terrapin Bright Green, LLC.

[3] Jang, H., Kim, J., Kim, K and Pak, C (2012). Human Brain Activity and Emotional Reponses to Plant Color Stimuli, Color Research and Application, 39 (3), p. 307-314

[4] Browning, W.E., Ryan, C.O., Clancy, J.O. (2014). 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design. New York: Terrapin Bright Green, LLC.

[5] Cincinelli, A and Martellini, T (2017). Indoor Air Quality and Health, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14 (11).

[6] Shechet, E (2019). Heal Me With Plants, The New York Times, March 25.

[7] Jang, H., Kim, J., Kim, K and Pak, C (2012). Human Brain Activity and Emptional Reponses to Plant Color Stimuli, Color Research and Application, 39 (3), p. 307-314