Designing for Family Harmony!

As Winter sets in North of the Equator (and Winter will inevitably take place south of the Equator ultimately, again, for a few more years at least, even with global warming), we spend more time cooped up together.

You and whomever you are spending time with establish the way things will be and will be done in your micro-society, the rules that will govern your existence together.
And the guidelines that you and your family and friends set up do work, at least for a while, until they do not.

How can you use design to make it more likely that everyone you’re cooped up with will play by the rules?

• Put up mirrors and similar reflective surfaces. When we can see ourselves, we think about our responsibilities as a member of society and act accordingly. Want to make sure everyone sorts their trash and recycling and doesn’t just throw all their trash into the very first bin? Put up mirrors that people will see themselves in as they approach the refuse bins.

• Keep the visual clutter in comfortable ranges—about the same amount you find when Frank Lloyd Wright creates a residential interior, as discussed in this article. LINK Make a place seem like it’s orderly and been designed based on some sort of plan not just randomly blown in on the West Wind!

• Turn on more lights—we behave better, and have more self control, in spaces that are brighter than we do in those that are dimmer.

• Add a clearly visible clock and/or a green leafy plant and/or photo or painting or awesomely beautiful nature.

• Make sure a space smells “clean,” however you and other space users define “clean”—when it does everyone will act “cleaner” (pick up, not litter, etc.) and obey the other rules our society sets for us.