Your Brain on Design: the Relationship between Neuroscience, Design and our Wellbeing

Have you ever wondered why certain designs last the test of time, while others turn out to be fads? Or questioned how colors can actually create biological responses, such as hunger or sleepiness?

Designers are learning from neuroscientists how the physical environment can improve overall health and wellbeing, but also spur healthier behaviors and support neurodiversity.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Columbia Business School, with a BA in Behavioral Sciences and an MBA in Management and Marketing, Charrisse Johnston was a Wall Street strategic planning executive before turning to interior design. She is currently Principal and Co-Founder of StudioSALT, a new architecture, interior architecture, and design strategy firm based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Most recently, Charrisse was a Principal and the firm-wide Interior Design Practice Leader at SteinbergHart, an award-winning architecture firm with offices in California and Shanghai. In 2017, the 2-year-old interiors practice was named one of Interior Design magazine’s Rising Giants; one year later, its ranking had risen from #65 to #38 out of the list of 100 firms.

Prior to joining SteinbergHart, Charrisse spent nine years at Gensler, where she designed learning and commercial workspaces, and later managed the Work 3 design studio.

Charrisse is a Fellow and former Chair of the National Board of Directors of ASID, the 25,000 member American Society of Interior Designers. She is a member of the editorial advisory boards for Contract and Interiors & Sources magazines. She has lectured around the world, served as a juror of international design competitions, and contributed to scholarly publications related to interior design. Charrisse particularly enjoys speaking with design students and emerging professionals about the impact of interior design on improving human performance and well-being.