Can good design influence people's behavior? (6/4/19)

Today we receive a briefing from the Transportation Department in Seoul from Mr. YoungGye Yang. He described how excellently the public transportation system works. It was impressive and almost 65% of the public utilize the trains, buses and taxis that are available and reliable. He also said, “Good design can influence people’s behavior.” He was referring to getting such a large portion of the citizens to use the public transit. 

I feel this statement is usually true, but not 100%. As we saw at the Gyeongui Line Park, the design was good, but elements of it were ruined because people wanted to use it in a different way. The designer of the Gyeongui Line Park, Mr. Ahn, had even planned on filling in the green space with other things they felt the community would want. What the community communicated was that it like having open areas of just grass.

Beautiful water element in the Gyeongui Line Park. There are no fish here because workers changed the design of the rocks and destroyed the Eco system for them.

After comparing these 2 completely different outcomes-both have great designs, it’s important to remember that people are funny creatures. Design is an important factor to consider, but it’s also necessary to remember to take into account the people who will ultimately be in the space.