Human Centered Design for Empathy in the Landscape | Anna Stachofsky | TEDxBallStateUniversity

Summary

The speaker, a landscape architecture student with a Type A personality, shares their enthusiasm for people and design. They discuss the importance of human-centered design, which involves diverse designers and users in creating communities that reflect individual and collective identities. Emphasizing the need for empathy in design, the speaker argues that architects and planners must include people in decision-making to foster a sense of value and purpose. They conclude by urging designers and community members to embrace diversity and work together to create empathetic, inclusive environments.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker is enthusiastic and loves people, which sets them apart from their peers.
• 😴 The speaker's Type A personality contrasts with their friend Dan's Type B personality, leading to some initial friction.
• 🏛️ The speaker's experiences in landscape architecture have made them feel different from their peers who are less enthusiastic about people.
• 🧠 There's a growing lack of empathy among younger generations, as indicated by research showing increased narcissism and decreased empathy.
• 🌐 The speaker believes their outgoing personality can contribute positively to landscape architecture, countering a trend of antisocial designers.
• 🌳 The speaker is inspired by human-centered design, aiming to create spaces that promote equity and empathy.
• 📚 The concept of human-centered design involves diverse designers and users planning communities based on individual and collective identity.
• 👥 This design approach is important for citizens as it allows them to see the impact of their opinions and worldviews on their community.
• 🔗 Human-centered design links creativity and philanthropy, fostering a deeper understanding between community builders and residents.
• 🌍 The speaker calls for architects and planners to include people in decision-making, not just relying on public agencies and traditional platforms.
• 💪 Embracing diverse personalities in design and community building could be key to creating an empathetic nation.

Q & A

What are the two main characteristics the speaker claims to have about themselves?

The speaker claims to be a plethora of enthusiasm and to love people.

How does the speaker describe their personality type compared to Dan's?

The speaker describes themselves as a Type A personality, while Dan is described as a Type B personality.

What does the speaker believe has been the impact of their personality on their architectural peers?

The speaker believes their enthusiasm has made them feel out of place among their peers, who are not as enthused by people.

According to the speaker, what is the current state of empathy and narcissism among students today compared to 30 years ago?

The speaker states that approximately 70% of students today score higher on narcissism and lower on empathy than the average student did 30 years ago.

What does the speaker suggest is the role of outgoing personalities like theirs in landscape architecture?

The speaker suggests that outgoing personalities like theirs can contribute to the overall progression of landscape architecture by balancing the potential antisocial tendencies of other designers.

What is the speaker's inspiration for their undergraduate thesis?

The speaker's inspiration for their undergraduate thesis is Crown Fountain and Millennium Park.

What does the speaker believe is the importance of human-centered design?

The speaker believes that human-centered design is important because it encourages empathy and shows how individual opinions and worldviews affect the community.

How does the speaker define 'human-centered design'?

The speaker defines 'human-centered design' as an idea that involves a diverse array of designers and users coming together to plan communities based on individual and collective identity.

What is the speaker's call to action for architects and planners?

The speaker calls for architects and planners to reach out and include people in decision-making, and not leave it to public agencies and traditional platforms alone.

What does the speaker believe is the potential outcome if designers and community members of all personalities embrace one another?

The speaker believes that if designers and community members of all personalities can learn to embrace one another, it may be what the country needs to become an empathetic nation.

What does the speaker suggest as a way to improve the quality of life for all people?

The speaker suggests engaging in political, social, and ecological debates as a way to improve the quality of life for all people.