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Overview

On Dec. 6, my collaborator Joseph and I carried out our first testing low sensory event at 316C, the Ability Project Space on the 3rd floor of 370 Jay Street. We set up the gallery space with dimmer lights and implemented calming projector effects to enhance the ambiance. We also facilitated a mindful drawing session in one of the adjacent classrooms. The event was well-received, with six attendees participating in this pioneering initiative. This marked the first low-sensory event of its kind on the IDM floor. Encouraged by this success, my colleagues and I are committed to further developing these events in the next semester. Our hope is to cultivate low-sensory experiences as a new cultural norm on campus.

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Observation & Reflection

  1. People were hesitant to go into the space, especially when lights are dimmer, it could feel like a “close” sign to many.
    1. Better beforehand promotion and education on low-sensory space
    2. To create the space to be more attractive, using signs, better entertaining calming equipments, bean bags
  2. The number of attendees of the mindful workshop is below expectation
    1. Better and longer period of promotion; contact advisors, faculty to promote the event
    2. Clearer information on the poster, clearer description and instruction of the event
  3. To build a low-sensory culture
    1. As this is a test run event, we initially want to see some amount of people pop into the space and relax themselves. However, a low-sensory space in itself should be a quiet place with less outside distraction. A better instruction and expectation to the low-sensory space on the IDM floor should be reimagined according to current situation and budget constraints.
    2. In the upcoming semester, we will begin by sharing knowledge about low-sensory environments to the student body, to foster a foundational understanding of the topic among IDM. We also hope to conduct thorough surveys and firsthand interviews to have a deeper comprehension of our users' needs. We plan to develop higher-fidelity prototypes that are more closely aligned with our IDM users' preferences and requirements.