DRAMA: AUDIENCE with David Rockwell
Channel: Spirit of Space
Date: 16/06/2023

The engine for any theater production is its audience, which provides the spark, energy, and magnetism that makes it fly. Without an audience, a theater is just a functional space, an empty armature. Likewise any room, building, or plaza without people lacks vitality and emotion; it becomes a shell, devoid of life.

AUDIENCE: It’s essential to ask, “Who are we designing for?” This is where empathy comes in, putting the audience first and making them feel welcome, understood. Studying who they are and what they want, and acknowledging their multiple points of view.

Designing specifically for users means ceding some control, and it can require extra effort to put yourself in their shoes. But this drives creativity, inspiring designs that pull people in, encourage collective experience, and respond precisely to wishes, emotions, and senses.