Does design inform the way we feel? Susan Magsamen explores this query in her research around neuroaesthetics, a field that examines the ways in which art, design, and architecture can affect our behavior and sense of well-being. She looks at ideas like the importance of expressing an authentic self in the places we work and live, and how we can combine universal truths about light, form, and tactility to create poignant spaces that feel just right.

"There's a lot of work right now in thinking about things like flourishing or thriving — really being your authentic self. Even though we all have the same biology, my conditioning, my experiences, my genetics make me respond to arts and aesthetic experiences differently.”

While conditioning makes us gravitate toward particular objects and spaces which we experience in vastly different ways, research has demonstrated that there are more universal neuroaesthetic principles we can adhere to when forging holistic experiences of space and architecture — i.e., the way color, light, or material can be combined in order to create a uniform experience of a room.

"Deep aesthetic experiences are not about taste. Beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder. Still, we know something about the effect of, let’s say, color and tactility on us. The research reveals how these are neuroaesthetic ingredients that artists, architects, craftsmen, designers, and other professionals can put together to create something elevated in order to serve a purpose or solve a problem.”

Frequently, we’re designing spaces for a group of people that might be highly diverse and interchangeable, be it a home shared with family, a bustling restaurant, or an open office accommodating a varied range of tasks. Look to adaptability and modularity, two elements that enable us to impart a sense of identity on our immediate surroundings by bringing that authentic self to a space, even for the briefest of moments. The same aesthetics won’t work for everybody.

"If you did a study into people’s offices, you’ll find in every single one a piece of them – be it a pillow plant, or picture. We always bring our identity into a room, no matter how generic the space is. The more that’s allowed, encouraged, and honored, the more authentically whole we are, the more we bring ourselves into what we do. When it is not the case, the energy to restrain simply takes away from creativity and productivity."

Susan emphasizes how spaces are really about purpose, an emotional or human component that brings a tangible vibrancy to a room. It’s where “form follows function” and “form follows feeling” intersect, producing compelling results, transcendent spaces that can elevate well-being, workflow, or learning.

"We’re doing more research on and understanding why things such as light have such an impact on us. Like, why does up-lighting make us feel awe? We know that sunrises and sunsets affect us profoundly and that there are certain hues throughout the day or even the year that greatly influence body and mind. Bringing our natural landscapes inside helps us stay in a circadian rhythm, to follow our physiological day and ultimately stay in sync. For instance, if you want to promote a stimulating learning environment, you might consider ways to introduce elements shown to improve focus, like more exposure to daylight."

We know that looking at nature lowers our cortisol levels, and it’s still the natural environment that we feel the most profoundly calm in. Therefore, it’s essential to consider the many ways in which we can introduce this powerful concept to our interiors.

"Acknowledging that we’re deeply connected and wired to the rhythm of nature, many human-built environments are starting to bring in biophilic elements."

"When you come inside, in some ways, you’re taking yourself out of the natural world that you were born into. We create spaces and think these are the most important, but the reality is, in many ways, that we still find ourselves most authentically in nature. For example, if you want to generate a feeling of healing and restorative quality, explore biophilic design that incorporates greenery and other natural elements and materials into the built environment. This could be a piece of furniture in warm oak wood, the use of earth tones, or even the humidity of air flowing through a building.”

Research has shown that the smooth curves of modernist sculptor Jean Arp produce a pleasant sensation in the beholder and that we prefer rounded shapes to sharp angles. In a similar manner, our hands naturally envelop the rotund shape of a cup or the arched frame of a chair.

"There are certain shapes we just gravitate toward, like the shape of the cup, because our hands have shaped it and they can embrace it, hold it. We have so many millions of synapses and nerves in our hands that connect to our brain and what feels intuitively right. Honoring these physiologies is really when I think design gets better. When we disregard them, it’s also an aesthetic experience. Everything’s aesthetic, but I think there’s a difference between what really moves you — peak aesthetic experiences — and things that are simply utilitarian.”

Of course, we perceive the world not only visually but also sensorily among others through touch. Tactility, or the haptic experience, is an essential part of the neuroaesthetic perception of an object or space. Through our hands, we can feel the essence of an object, deciphering its materiality and how it was made.

“Our skin is the biggest organ on our body, and it’s so responsive. So you cannot underestimate what texture does. You’re not only about what something looks like. You might be drawn to a certain kind of texture, and how it feels when you’re engaging with it is incredibly powerful. It’s much more powerful than seeing it.

"We have an incredible toolbox at our disposal: working with color, light, objects, sound, scent, textures, and more. How we wield these all depends on our intention.