Lighting in Senior Living: Effects on Older Adults’ Perceptions and Emotions

Emily Valentine
MFA Design Research and Development, 2017

Thesis Abstract:
These posters showcase Emily’s MFA research process. Beyond general MFA experiences and research courses, the interdisciplinary curriculum has developed Emily’s research into three main areas: Light & Color, Aging, and Interior Design. These three sectors are foundational to her thesis research of color temperature’s influence on older adults' emotions and perceptions of senior living environments. Fundamentals of light and color, how they affect people’s interactions with space, and how design can support aging come together in the scope of this research.

A lighting experience additionally highlights the difference a light’s color temperature can make not only on the appearance of materials, but also on the feeling of environment. One material palette can completely transform when the color of light is changed from warm to cool. Can color temperature impact our mood or emotions? Emily’s MFA research beings to explore these questions in the context of senior living environments.

Emily Bell graduated summa cum laude from High Point University in 2013 with a B.S. Interior Design and business administration minor. She previously worked in high-end residential interior design and kitchen design in New York and New Jersey.

Filters: 2017, Graduate Studies, Design Research and Development, MFA Thesis