Designing for the Six Human Needs: A Behaviour-Centred Framework for Emotional Connection in Physical Spaces

Abstract

The conditions surrounding human behaviour are shifting in ways that directly affect how people experience interior spaces. This paper introduces a practical framework that adapts the Six Human Needs model for interior design and links it with research from environmental psychology and motivational theory. The Design Behaviour Interaction Model describes how human needs may shape emotional states, behavioural patterns, and the way people interpret physical environments.Methods combine thematic analysis of more than twenty design briefs, alongside structured observational analysis of user behaviour conducted over a two-year period across hospitality, workplace, and transitional environments (including cafés, restaurants, offices, and waiting areas), supported by a targeted review of psychological and acoustic literature.A case study of Penny Black Jazz Club illustrates how lighting, acoustics, materiality, proximity, and cultural cues can contribute to emotional clarity and strengthen connection, significance, and social ease. Observed patterns suggest increased focus, social warmth, and memory retention associated with specific environmental conditions.The paper argues that behaviour-centred design can reduce misalignment between designer and client and support the creation of environments that remain emotionally meaningful across generations.

Keywords: Behaviour-centred Design, Human Needs, Environmental Psychology, Interior Environments, Behavioural Design, Spatial Behaviour

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007375