When most people think about design, they think about what a space looks like.
Colors. Materials. Architecture. Lighting.
But according to Jamie DeRuyter, Entertainment Design Department Head at Ringling College of Art and Design, immersive designers often start somewhere else entirely.
They start with emotion.
Before considering what guests will see, touch, or interact with, designers may first ask a more fundamental question:
How do we want people to feel?
That emotional goal becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
Many people assume that emotions are a byproduct of design. Create a beautiful space and positive emotions will naturally follow.
But immersive designers often work in the opposite direction.
As DeRuyter explains:
"Before we even start drawing the space, we start asking about the emotional tone of the space."
In other words, the emotional outcome isn't accidental.
It's intentional.
A designer may want visitors to feel curious, excited, confident, inspired, comforted, or even challenged. Once that emotional objective is defined, the design process becomes focused on supporting that goal.
Think about your favorite movie.
You probably didn't feel the same emotion from beginning to end.
The story may have started with curiosity, built tension, introduced challenges, and eventually ended with excitement, relief, or triumph.
Immersive environments often work the same way.
DeRuyter describes experiences that guide guests through a progression of emotions:
"You might be kind of curious and exploring in the beginning of that experience. Then suddenly things are exciting and dramatic, and you might be a little tense and nervous and scared, but then later you're like, 'Oh, victory, we did it!'"
Whether the experience lasts five minutes or several hours, thoughtful design can help create these emotional transitions.
The goal isn't simply to create a space.
It's to create a feeling.
If emotion is the goal, how do designers influence it?
Through the environment itself.
According to DeRuyter, colors, smells, lighting, and countless other environmental elements can influence how people feel as they move through a space.
Warm lighting may create comfort.
Bright colors may encourage energy and excitement.
Natural elements may help guests feel relaxed and connected.
Sound, texture, scale, and even the flow of a space can all contribute to the emotional tone.
None of these elements work independently. Together, they help create an experience that supports the intended emotional outcome.
Different environments require different emotional goals.
A theme park attraction may focus on excitement and adventure.
A museum may prioritize curiosity and discovery.
An educational environment may encourage confidence and engagement.
At Special Care, Inc. in Oklahoma City, the emotional objective was something different: belonging.
The inclusive play environment was designed to welcome children of all abilities and create opportunities for them to explore, play, and interact together. Wheelchair-accessible features, sensory-friendly elements, immersive prairie-inspired scenery, and accessible play opportunities all support a larger purpose.
The goal wasn't simply to create a themed environment.
The goal was to create a place where every child could participate.
That emotional objective influenced the design from the very beginning.
And that's exactly what emotional design is all about.
There is a reason people often remember experiences more clearly than they remember physical spaces. They remember how those experiences made them feel.
Think about a favorite vacation.
A memorable museum visit.
A childhood playground.
A special event.
The details may fade over time, but the emotional impression often remains.
This is one of the reasons immersive designers place so much emphasis on emotional outcomes. When an environment successfully creates feelings of wonder, excitement, comfort, joy, curiosity, or accomplishment, those emotions become part of the memory itself.
The space becomes meaningful because of the experience it helped create.
Themed attractions aren't the only environments that benefit from emotional design.
Design can help patients feel more comfortable, confident, and supported.
Environments can create excitement, belonging, and anticipation for learning about faith.
Thoughtful spaces can encourage curiosity, engagement, and exploration.
Exhibits can inspire wonder, reflection, and discovery.
Community spaces can create opportunities for connection, play, and shared experiences.
No matter the setting, the principle remains the same:
People may notice the design. But they remember how it made them feel.
In this third installment of What Themed Entertainment Can Teach Us About Designing Memorable Spaces, Jamie DeRuyter discusses how immersive environments are designed around emotional goals and why emotion plays such an important role in creating memorable experiences.
Emotional design is the practice of intentionally shaping an environment to create specific emotional responses such as curiosity, excitement, comfort, or confidence.
Emotion helps make experiences more engaging, memorable, and meaningful for guests.
Designers use elements such as color, lighting, sound, texture, scale, and storytelling to help shape emotional responses.
An emotional arc is the progression of feelings guests experience throughout an environment or experience, such as curiosity, tension, excitement, and resolution.
Yes. Emotional design principles can be applied in healthcare facilities, schools, museums, churches, libraries, parks, and many other environments.
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This article was co-written with human creatives and AI tools, and the content was checked for clarity and accuracy. Photo/video credits: Wacky World Studios, Charles Coleman Photography, and Special Care, Inc.