Jill Pable

The Importance of Interior Design Professionals’ Engagement in Policy Development to Effect Change for Underprivileged Individuals

The authors propose that designers can contribute toward design (and associated policies) for disadvantaged individuals in meaningful ways and discuss the potential that environmental psychology holds for the development of low-income housing. Increasingly, the intricate situations of our culture require systemic approaches to addressing problems in ways that complement the core skills and knowledge that designers possess. Designers have an ability to think broadly about problems and to create innovative approaches to contemporary issues. A Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) project is discussed as an holistic model of support which integrates inclusive methods of solution-seeking. In an effort to expand their guidelines for low-income supportive housing to include more human-focused design considerations, the FHFC approached the university to seek out the authors, who had the knowledge to help them with this endeavour.