Value of Design: Avoiding Micro-Frictions
"Modelling your ideal narratives as physical spaces, replacing your everyday frictions with daily delight." You may have seen that written on our home page but you may not have considered what it really means.
When the little rituals, the tiny little chapters in the stories of our lives, don't align with the spaces we live in there is friction. You find yourself worn down by a dozen micro-frustrations every day.
Below are some common examples of micro-frictions you may not have consciously noticed but that will ring true in many households. There are a million different examples I could give - from the smallest handle detail to structural planning - but suffice to say the power of design is subtle but it's all around us and affects us more than we realise.
Whisker Architecture’s motto is “Live [in] Your Values”.
We believe your home - your space - should reflect what is important to you.
I believe when we live in a space that supports who we want to be and how we want to live, we have more capacity for empathy, kindness, and generosity.
Who wouldn't want a world with more of that?
“When we change the spaces we spend time in, that can transform the energy we bring to the activities we do.”
Designing for daily rituals is more than designing for aesthetic details. It’s designing with details you can live with - and details you can’t imagine living without.
Examples of Frictions
Each micro-friction point can wear you down making you less empathetic. How many do you have in your home?
Kitchen
Your kitchen bin is on the opposite side of the kitchen to your sink and prep area, so you often drops crumbs or drips on the floor from one to the other.
Solution: Bin drawers positioned directly next to the kitchen sink.Bathroom
The main bathroom has the toilet separate without a basin, so your teenage son has to leave the toilet, go into the hallway and go back into the bathroom to wash his hands - touching three handles to get there. At least you hope he does and doesn't just walk away…
Solution: Ensure all separate toilets have a basin included.Comfort
The living room faces south so the house always feels cold, dark, and depressing. Particularly during winter.
Solution: Arranging the living areas to face north for maximum solar gain.Entertainment
You have young kids so going out just isn't as easy as it used to be - but it's hard to entertain when your kitchen is small and on the other side of the house to the living room.
Solution: Extending the kitchen - or connecting it directly to an outdoor kitchen or entertaining area.Noise
Your eldest has just taken up drums - There is NOWHERE they can practice without somebody being annoyed.
Solution: A small studio in the backyard - well insulated!Sleeping
The main bedroom is right next to the garage, so you wake your wife up every time you get home late.
Solution: Arrange the home so living rooms share the walls with the garage and integrate acoustic insulation solutions.Expenses
Just seeing an energy and water bill arrive in the mail fills you with dread.
Solution: Reduce energy loads by adding thermal insulation, improving draft sealing of the home, improve energy efficiency of all appliances and lighting, add a solar power solution.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many frictions design can cause. Some are common frustrations and some very personal. A custom design or renovation creates a custom solution for our clients lifestyles.
A USB port in the kitchen is a great idea for charging your phone or tablet while cooking.
Consider which tools will be on display and which will remain hidden - it’s our role to seamlessly integrate those elements into the design.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.”
We customise living experiences by deep-diving into the way you live now and the way you want to live in the future.
By understanding the way you live, your preferences, and your daily rituals we can better design to avoid or eliminate micro-frustrations in your design. To the right is an example of what your daily rituals might look like graphically.
Your preferences stem from what you consider important and by designing within those parameters the outcome is a space where you can truly Live [in] Your Values.
Design Animation
If you find it interesting to think about design in this way you might also enjoy this short animation.
Live IN Your Values, Designing moments of delight into the everyday
Do you wish you loved your home? Does the list of example frictions resonate with you?
Ready to get started? Have a question that’s not covered here? Let’s chat about your project in more detail, make a customised plan, and go through exactly what to expect next. You can request a meeting through the website, Facebook or call me on 0410 151 790.
I can't wait to meet you!
