How space shapes us: sensory design & soulful awareness

Who Enters the Space — and what are they looking for?

Who walks into this space? What are their values, beliefs, and identities? What do they hope to find — and what do they believe you can offer them?

Understanding your users means asking deeper questions:

• How often do they visit the space?

• Is there a pattern to their presence?

• Do they feel free to move within the space, or confined by it?

Light, Materials, and Emotional Impact

One of the most important elements of design is light — especially natural daylight.In this space I’m analyzing (a large former industrial building), my biggest concern is the lack of it. Daylight is essential for our biological clock, emotional health, and sensory regulation.

Other key elements include:

• Textures and materials: What emotions do they evoke?

• Sound and music: What nervous system responses do they trigger?

• Visual language: Does the visual communication align with the emotional tone?

Every detail matters — especially the ones we feel before we notice them consciously.

From Neuromarketing to Soulful Design

Many of these design principles are used today for neuromarketing — to influence and manipulate. But that’s not our path.

We’re here to design spaces where people feel:

• Seen

• Safe

• Grounded

• Invited to connect

Even though we can’t prevent emotional triggers or overstimulation, we can offer spaces that regulate and support the somatosensory system — the part of the nervous system that helps us process physical sensations and emotional safety.

My Mission: Soulful Spaces for Conscious Solopreneurs

As a spatial consultant in training, I feel the responsibility to help create healthy, meaningful spaces — not just visually beautiful ones.

My mission is to support soulful solopreneurs in recognizing the hidden story in their space:

• The walls speak

• The ceilings hold memory

• The air, materials, light and layout all shape how we feel

Humans assign meaning to space — it’s how we survive, connect, and make sense of the world.

The Bigger picture

I’m so grateful to witness spaces that are congruent, honest, and alive. But I’m also worried about our shift toward a artificial  world and detachment from nature.

Still — awareness is growing. And that gives me hope. It is my belief that in the end of polarities we notice we will always chose to return back to nature to our own home inside of us.