Publisher’s Note

Dr. Jennifer had taught this Human Factor for Design course for over a decade. I inherited it when I joined the University of Arkansas. As a practitioner, I simply needed to choose the best design for the client, but as a faculty, I had difficulty deciding which direction to teach since I knew that not all students would become professional interior designers. Especially in this context in which human factors are traditionally closely related to psychology or anatomy, and industrial engineering and UX design have become dominant, it is impossible to cover everything in one semester for students who do not possess basic knowledge. After a period of worrying about the difficulty, my response was simple. “Return to the fundamentals.”

As interior designers and architects, if our job is to design spaces, what do we design for and what do people expect from us? How can human factors assist us to meet these objectives and meet these expectations? These are the questions I ask my students at the beginning and end of each lecture. On the whole, I wanted to discuss the elements of interaction that must be designed for a specific purpose and meet people’s expectations. The series of discussions aimed to lay the foundation for analyzing and understanding the interaction between the behavioral and the environmental factors. It takes time; however, it will eventually come a time when the amount of effort spent will be reflected in the quality of your performance. Then, you can design faster, more accurately, more effectively, and more efficiently if you put in as much effort as you can. While emphasizing the interaction of behavioral and environmental factors, the course required students to complete 11 exercises and the final project, as well as some writing. This book includes all their outputs.

During my student days, I was not very satisfied with the first portfolio I developed by simply binding output files for the job preparation. It used to bother me that it would have been better to prepare the portfolio in advance during the break but every break is short and I needed time to rejuvenate my body and mind after completing so many tasks during the semester. It is not uncommon for me to forget what I have learned or what I have missed. On occasion, I have been unable to find my output files. As a result, I found myself holding a portfolio that had no relation to my interests or my passions. It is my hope that this publication will prove useful to you in recovering what you have learned and preserving what you have accomplished as a designer.

I would like to end by saying that everyone did an excellent job last semester. The process of writing this book made me happy as I was able to combine the results as precious as everyone’s efforts into a book.

All my best, Jinoh Park, Instructor