PERSONAL ESSAY

“One day, the need for space makes itself felt…It comes to us without warning. And never goes away.”, Auge highlights from an advertisement (Auge 4). This phrase truly speaks volumes when we think about non-places such as parking garages. It can be used as a metaphor portraying how our parking garages on campus were just another non-place, somewhere we didn’t think much of or gave any attention to, until tragedy gave it an identity; one no one ever saw coming. And truly, the memories of the lives that were lost will never ever go away. The feelings associated with parking garages have always been dark, cold and lonely. There is a dire need to reinvent this non-place into a place. One which people can have an experience past just walking by or parking their vehicle.  

As little as we give parking garages importance, we must remember that everyone’s journey each day is made up of many moments. Each moment contributes to that journey and can make a true impact, no matter how little it may be. Once we begin to implement interior design, among other design practices, into the parking garages, we will see how one’s journey is transformed and furthermore that of an entire community. Auge points out that the identity of a community isn’t necessarily dependent on spatial context, but more so on spatial arrangement. This identity of the community forms through identity with a space, through assembly and unity (Auge 45). This is a large opportunity, as our abilities in what we can do, apply directly to what needs to be done. This is where design can be powerful. As Auge points out, Super-modernity naturally occurs in non-places (109). This is important to keep in mind, as design can mitigate this, simply by redefining the user’s purpose in the space. 

Through design, we can create a new identity and face for parking garages on campus. We can make them somewhere people feel more significant, and not just another passerby; one of many. When people feel more significant in a non-space, that alone begins the journey of transformation to make it a place. When parking garages become places people can tie an experience of significance to; no matter how small, this recreates their perception. Perception is everything when it comes to personal experience, and suddenly you have a cyclical shift. Over time, experiences shape perception and perception impacts experiences. Just think of something you’ve done over and over…and over. As you experience it repetitively, your perception of it changes. And as this happens, so does your experience of what you’ve done, as you don’t see it the way you once did or perhaps understand it in new ways upon repeating it. These two things impact each other infinitely. This allows us to see that even a simple change can create a bigger positive effect than we originally anticipated.  

If we, as designers take responsibility for our abilities to create change and our awareness of the possibilities, then change can happen. Although coercive strategies can be effective; such as putting fencing up on the higher garage floors, they can also be redundant in solving the problem long term or even having an impact beyond just one garage on campus. When you reinvent the identity of one or two parking garages, you begin to change people’s experiences. As aforementioned, experiences impact perception and it suddenly becomes cyclical. Motivational strategies such as disruptive innovation design, can start this domino effect, creating a larger impact far beyond one or two garages. It is important to continue making progress towards this change because our intention behind the change isn’t the limitation within which it exists. If we begin giving people simply the opportunity to experience these non-places, as places, then we have done our jobs as designers. It is key not to forget that we are not the only designers in this process of change, but that our users are the most integral part, as codesigners. Once we fully accept this, we can be humbled through empathy and understanding, which is vital to design. The ability to make true lasting change starts here.