Designing for healing

A conversation that's bounced off the walls of the exhibit hall over the last few days is change and transformation. Changes in how we work, changes caused by technology breakthroughs such as AI and changes in how we want to work (slow is the new go). Nothing captures these changes better than the Google XI CoLaboratory at the Inspiration Hub—a multi-sensory, aesthetic learning experience.

Wednesday morning saw Applied Wonder’s Jacob Marshall and Hae-jin Marshall lead Designing for Healing, a half an hour of experience design revelations for a rapidly changing world.

"We’re starved of quality presence,” explained Jacob. “It’s hard to keep focus in a world that pulls you in every direction.”

The session allowed attendees to ground and reset through music and soothing smells. "Attention is the most valuable commodity in the present day," asserted Jacob. “Five minutes sitting with your senses allows you to lock in and learn without thinking about the emails from this morning or your meetings after lunch.” A statement that highlights the need to design events with mental well-being at their core.

Collaboration was a profound takeaway. Collaboration between artists and scientists to create gentle yet impactful spaces to settle our senses and allow cross-discipline creative collaboration. We create something special when we see a fresh perspective. For example, what can an oil painter learn from a photographer? And what can they do together to create something extraordinary?

How we collaborate and interact is driving what Hae-jin called a renaissance. Insights and epiphanies derived from learning from each other drive meaningful change and influence what excellent design experience means.