How the Application of Neuroscience in Design Can Separate Us from Artificial Intelligence

Excerpt from the ThinkLab Insight Blog: Intuitively, most people can see a well-designed space and say, “Yes, that looks nice.” But what is it that makes us respond this way? Why do some spaces appeal to our senses better than others? And in an era of artificial intelligence, how can designers tap into those sciences to design spaces that help us continue to develop our humanistic traits and skills?

Frederick Marks, president of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, shares that “neuroscience is a multidisciplinary branch of biology that deals with the structure or function of the nervous system and the brain. This includes psychology, physiology, anatomy, molecular and developmental biology, neurochemistry, cytology, and mathematical modeling.”

According to Marks, “Neuroscience is an emerging field whose focus is primarily, because of need and available funding, on the prevention of disease and treatment. But what is being learned has potential secondary applications for design and architecture. The environments we live, work, and play in are changing our brains and our behavior all the time. As explained by one neuroscientist, while the brain controls our behavior and genes control the blueprint of our brain, our environment can modulate the function of genes and, ultimately, the structure of our brain.”

Because this research shows that design plays such an active role in the continuous formation of our brain, the science behind how we respond to and interact with different environments is coming to the forefront. And its applications are fascinating. Let’s take a look. I've shared this full story on the ThinkLab Insights Blog here: https://bit.ly/2NPmx2u. I invite you to read more and subscribe to our Insights Blog for real-time updates from the ThinkLab team.