lynn
paik
These concepts developed over many years of professional practice. Each began as part of a project's initial conceptual exploration — ideas and visual references proposed to a client as potentially relevant to the project at hand. Those the client responded to favorably went on to form a key part of the conceptual framework underpinning the project's development. Over time it became clear that certain concepts kept recurring; they were not, it turned out, project dependent. Gathered here, they amount to a working toolkit for the development of narrative based spatial journeys.
Phenomenological here refers to the psychological and emotional impact that sensory based experiences can have on an individual.
The following is a text transcription of an interactive chart. It is best viewed on desktop, where the relationship between the concepts is more fully visualized.
Interweaving narrative plot structure and physical experiential journey.
Narrative + Experience + Movement + Time
There are many ways to set tone. As a piece of writing can have a tone, so can a spatial design. Naturally, it is important that these two things are carefully aligned.
Mood + Atmosphere + Attitude
Spatial anchors
An important concept in design, spatial anchors are focal points that provide weight and hierarchy to an experience. By the same token, a spatial anchor can be used as a narrative anchor. By acting as a backdrop to a story, spatial anchors can provide important foundational context. Anchors are often used in tandem with the concepts of vistas and foreground + background.
Diversity of scale
We are creating an adventure of discovery, consisting of experiences that are simultaneously monumental and intimate. This entails the use of features which are not only impactful from a distance but also reveal themselves with surprising complexity upon closer inspection, motivating the visitor to delve deeper.
Hierarchical content
A layered, nuanced approach to content delivery adds visual and narrative complexity. It is also practical in that it can accommodate varying degrees of visitor engagement and visit duration.
Foreground + background
This is a concept that is found in art, design, and writing. Used together, they provide a complete and detailed picture to the audience/participant. While foreground provides immediate information, background provides context – thereby providing perspective, depth and dimension to an experience.
Framed views
An intentional moment frozen in time, a visual summary moment and a beckon to explore further when viewed in passing or at a distance. This concept pairs nicely with peripheral vision and peepholes.
Similar to scenes in a play or chapters in a book, a carefully orchestrated sequence of spatial experiences can be an effective narrative organizational tool for the physical space. As a spatial storytelling tool, contrasting experiences can:
Compression + expansion
If you have ever had the pleasure of walking through a Richard Serra sculpture then you have experienced this spatial concept firsthand. Compression and expansion is about transition and revelation – tension and release. It is the moment that happens when you reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
Dark vs light spaces
Bright spaces encourage eye contact and active engagement. These spaces invite participation and are ideal for learning environments characterized by clarity, transparency, and openness. Inherently more theatrical by nature, dark spaces invite mystery and drama. Akin to an audience in a theatrical setting, people tend to be more passive and volumes levels tend to be lower. Consider the last time you attended a play and the hush that came over the audience as the house lights dimmed as an example of this concept as an activity cue.
We are creating a narrative journey, where physical movement and storyline move in tandem. Our goal is to motivate movement through space by desire, curiosity, and inquiry rather than prescription and instruction.
Suggestive navigation
Suggested journeys are multilayered and inherently flexible as they are intended to accommodate multiple visitor scenarios and durations. Rather than a one size fits all approach, think of it as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" style narrative with consistent learning outcomes despite a diversity of paths.
"Designers cannot craft an experience but only the conditions or levers
that might lead to an intended experience." — Jonathan Chapman, 2010
Thresholds
Through the looking glass, Alice.
In playwriting, "crossing the threshold" refers to a highly symbolic act, such as a rite of passage or transition. Crossing the Threshold is about shifting from the one act to the next or one reality to another. Architectural thresholds include doorways and framed openings.
Transitional spaces
This is a more protracted threshold moment, allowing for a more deliberate and progressive shift in mood. A walking meditation as well as an opportunity for crescendo, this concept is often used in tandem with compression and expansion.
Peepholes and visual teasers
A tool for foreshadowing as well as a means of shaping curiosity, peepholes invite engagement by taking advantage of the tension between what is hidden and what is revealed. By providing a limited view into a larger context, they play on our imagination and inquisitive nature. They foster engagement through curiosity and inquiry.
In these experiences, our goal is to build community and facilitate connection, in expected and unexpected ways.
Intersecting pathways
Consider circulation pathways as more than simply a means from a to b. Consider it an opportunity for chance encounters, on the fly discussions, and community building. Be generous with your pathways.
Permeable boundaries
Boundaries come in many forms. They can be solid, partial, or implied. They can be transient and responsive as well as auditory and visual. They can conceal or highlight key features as well as provide the opportunity to observe multiple spaces from a single vantage point. The strategic use of boundaries is an effective tool for the creation of flexible spaces by providing zones for larger gathering and refuge.
Peripheral vision
A key player in spatial understanding, peripheral vision is part of our ambient visual processing system. It is responsible for general orientation and is particularly sensitive to flat planes and motion stimuli. Ambient visual inputs are preconsciously processed and typically occur during the first few seconds of viewing. This is part of our initial visual scan which occurs when one first enters a space.
That thing out of the corner of your eye which sometimes sparks an unexpected connection.
Our goal is to leave the visitor with positive associations and memories. We do this by creating enjoyable experiences that foster engagement and an open mind.
Appealing to our base instincts – the subconscious urge, behavior, or intuition.
Vistas
Vistas provide spatial context and opportunities for self orientation. Often viewed from a higher elevation, it is considered a place of revelation and knowledge.
Exit plan
Avoid dead ends. Instead, utilize multiple pathways and offer means of egress that are graceful and nondisruptive. This applies to navigation from both a spatial and information design context.
Serendipity
Delightful and surprising experiences appeal to people of all ages. There can be a poetry about an experience that continuously conceals and reveals itself based on the emotional arc of a narrative.
Surprises can be big or small. Each can delight in its own way.
Please indulge a bit of anthropomorphization. As we are giving expression to form, we must consider the nature of that expression. These are interactive experiences, which communicate to a high degree due to its ability to react to participant cues. In this case, spatial/object expression goes beyond sensory aspects (e.g. visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory) to include the nature of its behavior (e.g. action, response, movement).
Responsive spaces
In the sense that movement and reaction can be interpreted as indications of life, it can be helpful to conceive of these spaces as living spaces. To that end, in the conception process, one must consider the nature of the space's behavior – its personality. Lighting and ambient motion are key support players here.
Emotive interactions
There are two ways to interpret this concept, both are worthy of further consideration. First, it deals the use of interaction as a means of inspiring particular emotions in the user. Second, it considers the ways in which the interaction itself can express emotion.
Rhythmic patterns
Rhythm and pattern in design is a topic that can be expounded upon in a myriad of ways. For the purposes here, we are focusing on bio-inspired motion design within spatial experiences. This goes beyond the mere use of biorhythmic patterns to address the need for a more comprehensive strategy for environmental motion design – one that is more layered and nuanced. There is also a touch of ASMR thrown in for good measure, as it is vital that these are fundamentally enjoyable experiences for the participants.