Social Spaces
The Student Lounge as Place: Providing Students with Opportunities for Socialization, Relaxation, and Restoration
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ahmad E. Alansari
The purpose of the study is to investigate student lounge needs and the activities of the undergraduate students at the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. A quantitative research approach was implemented in this study throug a survey questionnaire. An online questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate students through phone messages. Out of one thousand and twenty-six (N=1,026) undergraduate students who completed the survey questionnaire, ninety percent (90%) were female. The findings of the study illustrated that the majority of students spend most of their free times off campus. The key findings regarding the expected activities at the student lounge included: eating and drinking (60%), hanging out with friends (59%), praying (48%), taking a nap (27%), doing school assignments (25%), meeting with study groups (15%), and hosting small parties (6%). The most essential and needed facilities by the students were the smart phone charging stations (61%), sleeping areas (60%), lockers (46%), couches (42%), study rooms (42%), kitchenettes (41%), dining rooms (35%), computer labs (35%), and entertainment areas (33%). Based on the findings of this study, twelve (12) interior design lounge proposals were developed. The paper brings together practical information that can aid college administrators to renovate current spaces to accommodate students of the twenty-first century.
Co-design an Under-used Space on Campus with Future Design Researchers
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Yi-Fan Chen
In Spring 2019, a group of Interaction and Design students at Farmingdale State College researched and designed ways in which commuters could have a more positive college experience at this commuter school. By observations and in-depth interviews, the students found that commuters studied, ate, and napped in their cars, and the library was often over-crowded. Additionally, commuters had problems finding their friends or making new friends on campus. Therefore, they picked an under-used building space to design a space where commuters could study, socialize, and have a snack. Their design armed to solve the needs of a space (1) to study alone with power outlets for their devices, (2) to work for their group projects, (3) to socialize with their friends, and (4) to get a quick bite. This project was conducted by a "Flipped Class" concept. Class key contents were posted on the Blackboard before the classes. Students made a group decision on where to find a human problem and design solutions for it. The instructor was a co-researcher and co-designer. They used games as prototype tools to design the physical space into an "alone", a "coordinating" and a "socializing" space. They also designed mobile apps to "find friends", "order foods", and "reserve spaces or equipment". The results of the "Flipped Class" strategy seem to work in some ways. Student designers learned "design thinking" steps by steps. They also shared knowledge of their own on how to prototype more effective and persuasive ways with other student designers.
Campfires, Totems, and Battle Flags : Design as Catalyst for Building Social Capital
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Douglas May
By returning to basic principles the presenter has identified three items as contextual analogies for the purpose of generating a study about imagination, social systems, and graphic symbols. CAMPFIRES: Consider the concept of campfires as a scenario for generating both visual and spoken language. The fire itself does not contain a specific message but enables our vision and subsequently the subconscious imagination that fuels creativity. Such wonderment can be a catalyst for greater social understanding by generating novel ideas, but also through the community connectedness that contributes to social capital development. TOTEMS: Totems are visual systems symbolizing a society's unwritten order with overall responsibility to the clan. Totem cultures have appeared independently of each other throughout the globe with their presence signaling an intrinsic human need for order, respect, and connectedness to the world around them. BATTLE FLAGS: Battle flags are symbols that lead the charge and foster our allegiance. They provide visual direction during times of chaos and uncertainty – and if lost, they can signal defeat. Visual branding is an equivalent of the battle flag in that employees and customers alike seek out confidence and trust through their visual presence and experiences around them. By examining these three fundamental subjects analogically, the author discusses conceptual possibilities for combining creativity, community, and symbology for designing events as the catalyst for building social capital in communities.
