From pixels to places: Applying experience design principles to my dream home

During the recent pandemic, I embarked on a journey to transform my long-held dream of a perfect home into reality, applying my professional design knowledge. Let me take you through some gleanings from my experience.

As a seasoned experience designer, I firmly believe in the universality of design principles and how they can seamlessly transcend boundaries from building websites to constructing skyscrapers.

Building a home is much like working on an #experiencedesign project. It requires meticulous planning, a user-centered?approach and a willingness to iterate and make necessary changes on time. Stringent budgets and unforeseen challenges require one to stay agile. Now that my dream home is complete and my family enjoys the joyous accomplishment, I reflect on the initial inspiration behind it all.?

As far back as I can remember, I've had an intense fascination with the concept of "a perfect living space." As a child, while picking up comic books or novels for train journeys, I often grabbed an #interiordesign magazine from the book stalls at the railway station. I loved pouring over the glossy pages, soaking in every minute detail of the beautiful homes, and always thinking of ways to enhance the look and feel of my surroundings.?

Art classes, craft projects, school fests and even random doodles on the last pages of my notebooks culminated in my passion for design. I started developing a sense of organization, composition, form and function.

Even as a messy teenager, I always managed to find my things amid the chaos of my room (yes, sometimes my parents would just clear up the clutter!). Moving into a design college hostel brought about a newfound sense of independence, ownership and responsibility – making me conscious of keeping my space clean and organized.?

Before venturing into the world of UI/UX, I honed my craft through #branding, print and graphic design. I also collaborated with exhibition and interior designers on space design projects for restaurants and hotels. These experiences refined my appreciation for lighting, colors, shapes, and materials and helped me learn specific terms used in the local construction parlance. By this time, Pinterest had taken over magazines, and I started organizing my thoughts and visions into #moodboards for my #dreamhouse.

When construction planning began, I realized that my background as an experience designer gave me a unique perspective on #structuraldesign. The design principles I had learned throughout my professional career were transferable to the physical spaces I was about to create.

The cornerstone of both fields was user-centricity, demanding harmony between functionality and aesthetics. Just as we craft intuitive digital interfaces, the layout of our homes caters to the inhabitants' needs.

Visual hierarchy plays a crucial role in guiding the user's attention to critical elements on a screen, echoing a focal point that draws the eye to set the tone and mood for a room via artwork, light fixtures, vignettes or furniture. Color, too, influences user behavior and emotions.

A thorough user research and testing ensures the interface meets the target user's needs. For the home, this was a test of my understanding of my family, their lifestyle, tastes and goals for the space.

We collaborated with an #architect to draw blueprints, like wireframes for a digital website or app.

Personas, such as young families, remote workers, hosts, and older people, emerged, each representing distinct needs and requirements, including abundant natural light, energy efficiency, adequate room sizes, unwinding spaces, noise reduction, minimal maintenance and #accessibility. Although elderly relatives occasionally visited, designing for reduced mobility was essential. Under the architect's guidance, we opted for large doors and non-slippery surfaces that could allow a wheelchair to move freely.?

Budget allocation was challenging, but investing slightly more in quality materials promised longevity, helping reduce maintenance overheads in the long run.

There's a certain thrill in selecting each element of your house. I embraced a #designsystem ethos, carefully considering the color palette and curating materials to bring the space to life.

The house is white, black and grey with natural wood accents. A neutral backdrop provided plenty of opportunities to get splashes of color with the furnishings and upholstery.

Other elements in the house are the black-and-white graphic pattern tiles and fluted glass, which are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Subtly textured tiles added to the staircase and fa?ade elevate the space's look and eliminate the cost of exterior painting every few years. These tiles are #sustainable and can be cleaned regularly with an occasional wash.

The beauty of design lies in its iterative process. Creating a home is not just about picking the best brick and mortar; it is a living asset that grows on you and with you – reflecting your evolving aspirations and personality.?

Of course, the process has been challenging. Despite everything going according to plan, unexpected issues like the alignment of fixtures, broken tiles, dead wires and delays still arose during construction. Every house is a work in progress. A room's completion timeline mimics the agile sprints of a project.

Some rooms come together immediately, while some take time. There are design decisions that need to be fixed and must be treated as backlog items and fixed in the future.

It has been three years since the construction started and about six months of living in the house. Just as user feedback refines digital interfaces, living in the space has illuminated areas that warrant enhancement - ultimately informing future upgrades.

This journey has reinforced my belief that design thinking is universal and applies to any field. Design thrives on passion, patience, and an unwavering commitment to user-centricity.

As a designer, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing your vision come to life. I've adjusted the lighting to suit my night owl propensities, and I look forward to unwinding on my terrace garden and enjoying working from my new home office, where I just finished writing this article!