Interior design: A form of visual communication

 

We all love visually appealing things. Visual communication is a form of non-verbal communication.

Today we are going to discuss how interior design works as a visual communication. Interior design is a very growing field of architecture. Interior design is the combination of art and science of enhancing the interior of building to achieve a healthier and aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space.

image from google.

 Interior design can also be used as a visual therapy to individuals who are suffering from various kinds of mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety etc. By the way we perceive things, we can alter the mood. Visual therapy can be done to various forms of methods such as art therapy, color therapy. Interior designing is something in which all these factors are involved.

Interior design is the art of creating visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing space specialized for an individual. Interior design has a special power of communicating and influencing the human mind and mood. By making an aesthetic and calming space interior designing has the power to enhance the quality of an individual’s life.

Let’s look at all the factors and elements that help interior designing to communicate to us visually and thus enhance quality of life and human behavior.

Interior design has a profound impact on our emotions, behavior and overall wellbeing. In psychology most of the mental health issues are cured using this theory. They move the patients to a room with a calming environment which helps them relax their mind and calm their anxiety.

The visual communication of interior space includes elements like color, texture, quality, light and layout.

image from google.

Color is used to influence the human mind. Different colors evoke different emotions. This reminds me of a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst carl Jung who quoted that colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious and color express the main psychic functions of a man. Different colors appear different meaning to individuals. Warm colors like red, yellow and orange create high arousal and high energetic emotions such as love, passion and sensuality. Cool colors like blue, green and purple are related with calmness. Colors can also affect with perception of space. Lighter colors can make a space feel larger and more open while darker colors can make a space feel smaller and more infinite and moodier.

image from google.

Texture is another aspect. Let’s take the example of a plushie toy or slime because of its texture it acts as a stress reliever. Just like a plushie the texture of a room also plays a major role in the communication of an interior. If the texture is soft and cozy it creates a sense of relaxation and stress reliever. While soft textures create comforts rough texture wall create uneasiness and tension.

image from google.

Lighting is also an important part of interior design. The right lighting set the mood of a space. For example, if a room is filled with bright light, it creates happiness ad rise the mood of the person. Natural light is also very necessary factor of creating happiness. There also other lights like warm lights and cool lights. Warm light creates a cozy feeling while cool light creates an energetic and exciting environment. Lighting also can highlight certain features of a space

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image from google.

Spatial arrangement also influences human behavior. Think about this what if u walk to a space and it’s all very congested and messy, you wouldn’t like the environment right? Exactly. So, the spatial arrangement and how everything is arranged in a room can also play an important role in human behavior. For example, a room with space and proper arrangement of furniture can create a feeling of freedom while a room which is messy can you feel bad about yourself.

image from google.

Nature also plays an important role in the mood of the individual and the room. Incorporating natural elements like plants and water features can create a sense of calm and tranquility. Decorating home with plants and flowers will improve concentration and reduce stress.

image from google.

One factor which we sometimes don’t really think about is the minimalism. Minimalism means not doing anything too much. Everything should be in an order which basically means everything around us should be in a place where they belong. The room should have a balance otherwise it can make you feel uncomfortable. There is a theory in psychology known as Gesalt theory which basically says that even though our eyes take as much information as we want our brain tries to break it to the simplest form and our brain would like some consistency and harmony and it creates a sense of recognition of pattern and remembers those patters and categorizes them in a certain way which helps us to remember where everything in a room is and which subconsciously allows us to be calm.

Décor also plays a major role in releasing happy hormones to our brain. Décor is acts to express ourselves. Decorate the space with the things you like and relate thus making your space feel like YOUR space.

Interior design is something which is not even related to media in a bit but still it has so many similarities. Interior design and media work as a modem of visual communication. All the aspects which I mentioned here are also applicable for how media affects us mentally and how it can boost our mental health. Both media and interior design serve one purpose, to alter the mood of the individual experiencing it. Let us take the example of a movie set, the gradient, color and lighting of the set sets the tone and mood of the film. Similarly, the design of a news studio can affect the way we perceive the news. Interior design is also a medium which helps us to communicate a message or evoke emotions. For example, the design and interior of a coffee shop sets the ambience of the shop and thus attracting customers. The use of technology in interior design has also created new forms of media like virtual reality and augmented reality. In conclusion, media and interior design are closely related and can influence each other in different ways.