Ranhui Chen
Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning, Master of Architecture︎
#HealthbyDesign is ...
Health is more about the mental side. Of course, physical health is important, but it’s also easier to manage — I can exercise regularly and eat wisely to keep my body healthy.
But when it comes to mental health, it’s not something I can always control just by trying to stay positive. I often find myself thinking about past mistakes, and short videos with fast-paced content make my emotions go up and down. I really need to disconnect from the fast-paced online world. That’s why focusing on my real life is necessary to keep my inner world healthy. I want to spend more time on myself and the things around me.
Design is a way to express what users truly want and need. That’s why research is such an important part of the process—it helps designers understand the people they are designing for. How can we create a space that fully satisfies users? I believe it starts with having a clear purpose. From there, we can develop ideas that make the design not only functional, but also efficient and pleasant to use. Design aims to help people live comfortably, both in body and in mind. Health and design are closely connected. But can one space make different people feel the same way? Or can the
same space give one person a consistent feeling each time they enter it? Is it possible to create a space where most people simply feel good and at ease? When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I once wanted to design a new library—a place where people would still choose to read even though they can easily read online anywhere. At first, I thought about making each section of the library give off a different feeling. That way, if someone was reading and wanted to shift their mood, they could move to another
area to expand that feeling and continue reading, helping them think more deeply. But then I wondered: how can we shape emotions through space? This requires a lot of study, and it led me back to a simple but important question: can space really create different emotions in us? What kind of space makes people feel happier? And what makes them feel more down? These are questions I’m still exploring today.
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