WEEKLY LEARNING

Week 1
In the first spatial design class of the semester, Mr. Zeon explained in detail the learning plan for this term and outlined the schedule for the entire academic year. This helped me gain a clearer understanding of the expectations for the second semester, and I realized the tasks ahead would be more systematic and challenging.

From his explanation, I understood that I need to be more strategic in time management and task distribution, ensuring that each stage of the project progresses smoothly. To prepare, I plan to preview relevant knowledge in advance, work through each milestone step by step, and avoid letting work pile up.

Although I felt some pressure, I was also excited for the new semester. I hope that through consistent effort and self-adjustment, I can enhance my professional skills, learn and grow from every project, and successfully achieve my academic goals for the year.

Week 2
This week, I gained a deeper understanding of the spatial design concept of the “narrative environment.” Through multiple case studies, I learned that a narrative environment is not just a blend of architecture and aesthetics, but a way of “storytelling” through interaction and emotional connection between space and users. Design should not focus solely on form and function—it should also invite users to participate and become co-creators of the experience.

The sections on “co-design” and “participatory design” stood out to me. By engaging users through workshops and interviews, the space can better align with cultural context and foster a stronger sense of belonging. Concepts such as multi-sensory design and immersive experiences also made me rethink the boundaries of space, showing how elements like light, sound, and touch can evoke curiosity and emotional resonance.

Examples such as Yayoi Kusama’s installation art and Samsung’s interactive advertising screens gave me a clearer sense of how “space can be a medium.” I realized that a meaningful space is not a static backdrop but something that can “communicate” with people.

Week 3
This week’s class deepened my understanding of “Interactive Space Design that Inspires Emotional Resonance through Narrative Techniques.” I used to think that spatial design was mainly about function and aesthetics, but I now see that space can also “tell stories.” By combining user experience (UX) with narrative structures like the “Hero’s Journey,” a space can guide users on a psychological and emotional journey. Each spatial node can correspond to specific user actions and feelings, using multi-sensory interaction and segmented storytelling to immerse them in the experience.

I also began to think about how to give users more choices and participation so they become part of the story rather than passive visitors. Emotional design is not an abstract idea—it can be implemented through details such as layout, circulation, and feedback mechanisms. I look forward to applying these techniques in future projects to create spaces that are both narrative-driven and emotionally engaging.

Week 4
In the fourth week, I focused on the requirements for Assignment 1: Precedent Study and Analysis. The task was to critically apply the design process by analyzing two retail spaces—one from international research and one from a field study—and then propose improvements that integrate branding, spatial planning, user experience, technology, and sustainability.

We covered aspects like store overview, layout and circulation, materials and lighting, color and brand identity, customer experience, technological integration, and sustainable practices. I also learned how to identify design challenges and propose targeted solutions.

Based on these topics, I designed questionnaire questions to collect first-hand user feedback for later analysis. I created a PowerPoint presentation to showcase my research findings and sketched an interactive installation concept to visualize my ideas. These outputs helped me clarify my design intentions and set the foundation for future modeling and refinements.

Week 5
In week five, I presented my preliminary research, installation concept, and spatial design ideas to the class. I also officially launched and collected questionnaires from target users, which provided valuable insights for refining my design to better align with user needs and brand positioning.

Week 6
This week, I learned how to create user personas and apply them in spatial design. The main goal is to use real data from questionnaires and interviews to understand user needs, define precise problem statements, and guide design decisions. I learned to focus on current behaviors and needs rather than stereotypes, and to only keep information directly relevant to the project’s goals.

I also studied how personas influence design decisions, such as improving adoption rates, increasing retention, and prioritizing features effectively. Through case studies like travel planners and pet-friendly space enthusiasts, I practiced building personas by analyzing motivations, needs, pain points, scenarios, and user quotes.

Using the data I had collected earlier, I created user personas for my project, providing a strong foundation for the next stage—user journey mapping and design optimization.

Week 7
This week’s topic was user journey mapping—understanding the full process a user goes through to achieve a goal, and visually mapping their behaviors, emotions, and pain points to optimize the experience.

I learned the key steps: identify target users and their personas, define the scenario and goals, break down the journey into stages, list actions in chronological order, note emotional changes and touchpoints, and propose improvements for each stage.

Case studies, such as a travel app and a pet-friendly café, showed how functional and emotional experiences can be combined. Based on my earlier questionnaires and personas, I created a journey map for my project, which clearly illustrated the user’s path from discovering information to engaging in the experience and providing feedback. This became a valuable reference for optimizing spatial and interactive elements.

Week 8
In week eight, I completed a 30-response questionnaire analysis, created user personas, and mapped out user journeys.

I practiced translating emotions into design elements by identifying brand emotional keywords—such as LUSH’s “bold, quirky, natural, fun, and ethical”—and then converting them into design cues. For example, I used repetitive colored lines to represent “inspiration” and rounded shapes with colorful shadows to convey “playfulness.”

I defined the core purpose of my installation and chose three main functional categories—rest, interaction, and communication—while adding sensory layers like scent, shadow, sound, touch, and movement to enhance the experience. I also created two mood boards: one focusing on installation details and one on lighting, materials, and structure. These helped finalize the installation’s concept keywords, name, description, and functional layout.

Week 9
This week, I learned about “Public Installations and Public Space Revitalization,” focusing on how installations can guide pedestrian flow, encourage community interaction, and raise awareness of social and environmental issues.

I studied international examples such as Follow the Scents, which connects farmland and community spaces with a garlic-shaped scent installation; SeeAsaw, which combines a seesaw with a hammock made from discarded fishing nets to highlight marine pollution; Nature Machine, which blends mechanical and natural elements to explore multispecies symbiosis; Urban Bloom, which turns a parking lot into a green public space using recycled materials; and Illy Caffè, which uses foldable shipping containers to create an eco-friendly pop-up café.

These examples showed me how public installations can combine sensory design, community co-creation, and sustainability, inspiring my own future designs.

Week 10
The topic of week ten was “Branded Environment.” I learned how to translate a brand’s mission and values into a spatial narrative that builds emotional connections with users.

Through elements like color, material, lighting, furniture, and layout, I can create a multi-sensory brand experience involving sight, smell, touch, and even taste. I also learned the importance of brand consistency through tools such as brand manuals, logos, and color guidelines, and how to integrate natural, artistic, and cultural elements into spatial design.

I applied these ideas by creating a floor plan that integrated the brand’s concept with functional zoning, showing key circulation routes, area divisions, and the placement of interactive installations. This helped me visualize how the brand story could be embedded in the space and provided direction for further refinement.

Week 11
This week, I started working on my final project: Experiential Retail Design. The goal was to create a creative installation lab within a retail space that integrates interaction, creativity, and brand storytelling, encouraging both customers and creators to engage.

I considered how the space could combine functions like display, co-creation, communication, and sales, while incorporating sensory experiences, emotional connections, sustainable strategies, and technological interaction.

In practice, I used bubble diagrams to divide the space into functional zones such as display, interaction, rest, and retail areas. By adjusting their sizes and locations, I explored different circulation flows and spatial relationships. This helped me translate the brand concept into a clear spatial structure and prepared me for creating detailed floor plans.

Week 12
The twelfth week focused on Spatial Relationship & Planning Strategies, which involved understanding how different spaces relate to and interact with each other.

I learned various spatial planning strategies—linear, grid, radial, circular, and freeform—and studied how layout, circulation control, openings, and visual guidance can shape user experience. I also explored how material, lighting, and volume relationships can differentiate or connect spaces, as well as how to use natural elements, cultural symbols, and zoning to build a spatial narrative.

In the practical session, I began the modeling phase, transforming bubble diagrams and floor plans into 3D forms. By applying the strategies learned, I refined proportions and adjusted functional areas to ensure smooth flow and clear relationships, preparing for detailed modeling, material selection, and lighting design.

Week 13–14
During these two weeks, I focused on refining my model. After reviewing my preliminary design, the instructor suggested adjustments such as expanding open spaces to improve circulation, repositioning fixtures for better visual focus, and enhancing the façade and material expression to strengthen brand recognition.

I continually refined the structure, layout, lighting arrangements, and material palette in the software to ensure a cohesive visual and functional result. These refinements significantly improved the level of detail in my model and prepared it for rendering, presentation board creation, and the final showcase.

Learning：

This semester truly dawned on me that spatial design isn't just about functionality and aesthetics; it's also about storytelling, guiding users' emotions and behaviors. Initially, through questionnaires, user personas, and journey maps, I learned to use data, rather than intuition, to define problems and optimize designs, translating emotional keywords into specific lighting, materials, and forms. In the middle, I integrated brand storytelling, public installations, and sustainable strategies, using bubble diagrams and traffic flow planning to bring concepts to life. Later, during modeling and revisions, I realized the importance of details, such as the proportion of open space, the location of visual focal points, and the facade material, which all influence the overall quality. This taught me that a good space speaks for itself. Research is the foundation of design, but details are the key to success.