Choice: Designing for Variety, Flexibility, and Control in Social Connection

Have you ever walked into an office and seen a sea of cubicles and wondered - how is anyone supposed to get work done here? How can I have private conversation with colleagues, or collaborative brainstorming session? Or maybe walked into a café and thought, 'where in the world can I tuck out of the way with my toddler so I can still connect with others' (hint: I can relate to that one)? All of that is related to this concept of Choice and why it is so important in shaping opportunities for social connection. In this episode of Shared Space, Erin Peavey dives into this concept and shares real world architectural and interior design examples.

Places that provide variety, flexibility, and choices on how to use the space foster personal control and support habitual use for a wide range of activities that suit people’s varying needs and moods. Providing people the freedom to choose how to engage (e.g., play, relax, focus) and where to locate themselves (e.g., booth seating, communal table) facilitates person-environment fit, or the ability for a person to choose or modify an environment to fit his or her needs and preferences (1), and creates a sense of comfort (2).

The dynamic and changing nature of comfortable spatial proximities to people we encounter (e.g., strangers, acquaintances, or friends) is the basis of proxemics, the study of personal space, and helps inform different types of seating options (3). Third places should support a wide range of uses and options for gathering with people or finding privacy. There should also be flexibility to fit a spectrum of needs and abilities (e.g., older adults, new mothers, children’s groups)(4). For children, this means creating a variety of ways to play (e.g., reading corner vs. jungle gym, playing in the fountain vs. on the grass) and the ability to control what activities to engage in (5). In workplaces, this means balancing privacy and collaboration—a concept often called “we, me, us”—by allowing people to control where they sit and how they engage with others, based on the formality or informality of the circumstances.

To learn more from my report on Designing for Social Connection & Combating Loneliness that was featured at SXSW here.

To listen to other episodes of Shared Space here. Or to share your feedback on the episode please respond in the comments on the episode page, or email me at designtohealth@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!

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