5 Emerging Creatives To Look Out For at Design Indaba #5: Megan Parker

INTERVIEWED BY Malibongwe Tyilo

Durban University of Technology interior design graduate, Megan Parker, was invited to present her project, Sensory Design: Encouraging Student-Centered Learning in University Libraries at the Falling Walls Lab held in Johannesburg in 2014.

The project is based on her research on links between sensory experiences and psychological responses. It attempts to answer three questions.

• How can sensory design encourage students to study productively?
• How can the interior design of a library encourage student-centered learning principles?
• What are student perceptions of an ideal learning environment?

We love her ideas and would encourage you to seek out her project on behance.net. We caught up with her for a brief chat to find out what drives this imaginative mind.

How would you describe, in your own words, what you do?

As a young and vibrant interior designer, I believe in creating spaces that provide beautiful human experiences. I’ve always aspired to identify, research and look for new and innovative ways to solve the problems we face in society. This includes the quality and function of an interior environment and using design to shape the way that we perceive our physical space.

What do you think sets your work apart?

Most people will agree that interior design is a visual profession. To a certain extent, designers depend on the user’s sense of sight, from concept and design to critique, marketing and communication.

On the contrary, my work looks to create spaces that enhance our lives aesthetically, experientially, sensorially and emotionally. My research project aimed to see students embrace and immerse themselves in an academic environment, such as university libraries, that are designed with the full spectrum of human senses in mind.

Through the philosophy of sensory design my real desire is for designers to release themselves from the limitations of living in an era that is focused on shaping and informing a visual culture. As humans, our bodies are conscious and attuned to our surroundings. For this reason, I believe that design should be completely concerned with every aspect that inspires an embodied experience. Moreover, by taking a closer look at how student needs and learning habits are changing, I used my research to look at how sensory design can be used as a tool to create fun and innovative academic spaces that encourage student-centered learning.

What does it mean for you to be selected as one of Design Indaba’s Emerging Creatives?

I’m extremely grateful to have been selected. It means that I have an amazing platform that I can use to share my research topic on sensory design and how the human senses could and should be considered in the design of the built environment. I’m really excited about showcasing my project, as it highlights how creating multi-sensory learning experiences can be used to influence student behaviours, attitudes and emotions in an attempt to encourage learners to study productively.

More so, I’ve always been inspired by Design Indaba and the amount of knowledge they share with people all over the world. I couldn’t be happier to make a contribution to this body of knowledge.

Any plans in the near future that we should know about?

I would love to study at the Art Center College of Design in California. I will need to apply for a scholarship, as their course is extremely expensive. They offer an amazing and specialised Master of Science degree in Environmental Design, which focuses on the parameters of sensory-based design and its ability to deliver a complete user experience on a variety of scales.

I believe that the international influence will be rewarding and help me develop as a designer of the world that has so much more to offer South Africa in the near future.

In your chosen field, who do you rate?

I’m really into Karim Rashid’s work, as I feel he is one of the most prolific designers of today. He also encourages me to push for originality rather than following trends, or conforming to what society wants you to be. I also rate Tom Wiscombes, as his projects are fascinating and impressively futuristic. I absolutely love Zaha Hadid because her work is amazing. In the field of architecture, she really brings women to the forefront, while inspiring interior designers like me to use both a radical and visionary approach to design.

We say world domination, you say?

Passion!

Missed our other Emerging Creatives To Watch? You’ll find the rest of our interviews right here.

Click here for the full list of this year’s Emerging Creatives.