An increasing number of practice-based disciplines are embracing narrative inquiry as a powerful means of teaching the more intangible, human-centered issues of professional practice.While the field OF design has a long history of using narrative metaphorically-that is, creating designs that tell a story-less emphasis has been placed on examining the potential of narrative as design method-as a tool for exploring ideas and guiding decisions throughout the various stages of the design process. This article examines the potential benefits of a narrative inquiry in a studio setting on design process and product.The authors present findings from an exploratory study in which twentyeight senior level interior design students formally integrated narrative (storytelling) into three different phases of their creative design process: Programming, Conceptualization, and Presentation. The studio setting became a laboratory for exploring the unique qualities of narrative method in relation to more traditional 2-D and 3-D design methods. Personal insights and self-reported changes in thinking were collected, indicating how the students perceived the impact of the narrative intervention upon their design inquiry, design decisions, and quality of work. A content analysis of the written reflections of the students revealed that designing with stories resulted in a transformative learning experience that encouraged a deeply humanized design process by nurturing empathy, enhancing multi-sensory conceptualization and visualization, and facilitating holistic designing. JOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN 10HUMANIZING DESIGN DANKO, MENEELY, AND PORTILLONarrative thinking involves the process of developing connections between one's past experiences and those of others.

Creativity has been underscored as a key factor to organizational adaptability and competitiveness in today's rapidly changing business environment. Designing as well as managing work environments that facilitate creativity have therefore received growing attention, resulting in a multitude of research examining the social‐psychological work environment. Few studies, however, have focused on the contribution of the physical work environment to supporting creativity in the workplace. This study focuses on the role of the physical environment in supporting creativity in organizations by identifying specific physical features and attributes of the work environment perceived to promote or inhibit creativity. The research design compares four organizations publicly acclaimed for their innovative social‐psychological work environments, but which are distinctly different in terms of the physical work environment. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by means of survey questionnaires (N = 130). Results indicate that the physical work environment exerts indirect influence on creativity by contributing to two significant social‐psychological conditions that are conducive to creativity, namely dynamism and freedom. The study specifies attributes of the physical work environment perceived to be positively and negatively associated with both of these conditions.

The objective of this study is to determine if the physical design of learning environments can foster a sense of student ownership in the learning process. Accommodation of permanent student artwork to school interior spaces may enhance student ownership. Sense of ownership incorporates personalization, sense of control, territoriality, and involvement. The authors uncover a significant association between school design and students’ sense of ownership. Furthermore, within a school incorporating permanent artwork, the stronger students’ perceptions are that their artwork can be permanently displayed, the greater their sense of ownership is.

Legal and operational definitions of health, safety, and welfare are expanding to include greater emphasis on long‐term issues of health and psychological well‐being in addition to near‐term safety issues. Mounting environmental research suggests that many interior design decisions previously thought of as benign with respect to their effects on human health and productivity may, in combination with other environmental influences, have debilitating effects on the occupant. Other research indicates that interior features and environmental amenities previously considered extravagant, can have an empowering influence on people, elevating their sense of self‐worth and contributing to their long‐term physical and emotional wellness. To better enable designers to understand their role in affecting the safety, health, and well‐being of occupants, this article briefly describes emerging health concerns related to the indoor environment and cites environmental design research that potentially links these health concerns to interior design decisions. Rather than an exhaustive literature review, this paper focuses on selected studies that highlight the significance of interior design decisions in ensuring the health and well‐being of the occupant. The goal is to propose a framework that makes the consequences of daily interior design decision making more evident to interior design practitioners and educators while providing a structure for future research.