Let's Talk Research
Uncovering The Art and Science of Design for People
At BHDP, applied research is a means—not an end—that empowers our design process to be informed, empathetic, and exciting. Asking the right questions, aligning methods, and leveraging analytics produce the critical insights to create transformational outcomes with our clients and their people. Design for people demands a deep and holistic understanding of people, experience, and behavior, which we embrace by celebrating the complex, sociocultural variables linked to how people work, learn, innovate, and heal.
Human-centered design research creates new knowledge and solutions to improve the design of buildings and spaces. It applies existing theories to solve specific challenges and meet particular needs, often involving interdisciplinary collaboration across business intelligence, environmental science, sociology, and psychology.
Applied research thus bridges the gap between theory and practice, providing the necessary groundwork for innovations that directly influence the design of places where people live, work, and grow.
Applied Research in Action
BHDP leverages applied research methods to solve real-world design challenges, utilizing data, insights into human behavior, and predictive tools to inform decision-making and deliver better outcomes. Here are a few ways we apply our design research expertise across markets:
User Experience Research: Understanding People
To create truly effective environments, we study how people experience their surroundings in real time. For one of the nation’s largest banks, BHDP conducted ethnographic research by shadowing staff and customers to understand both the working and retail banking experiences of these user groups. The findings informed design strategies that improved workflow, increased customer satisfaction, and enhanced the banking experience in current and future retail locations. Our human-centered approach enables us to develop spaces that are not only operationally efficient but also emotionally and physically supportive.
Space Optimization: Maximizing Real Estate
Across industries, organizations are rethinking how much space they need and how effectively it supports their goals. BHDP helps clients make informed, data-driven decisions by analyzing how spaces are used, leveraging tools such as occupancy sensors, surveys, and behavioral analysis. In one instance, a global leader in commercial real estate services collaborated with us to evaluate facility usage for one of its high-profile tenants. Our research identified underutilized areas and opportunities to reconfigure space, resulting in greater efficiency, reduced operational costs, and environments that are better aligned with evolving user needs. Whether it’s a classroom, lab, office, or clinical space, we help clients right-size their footprint while enhancing performance.
Behavior Mapping: Enhancing Efficiency in Environments
In complex environments, inefficient movement and workflows can hinder performance and increase stress. BHDP utilizes behavior mapping to track how people interact with space, analyzing movement patterns and spatial relationships to identify inefficiencies. Whether in a lab, classroom, office, or clinical setting, behavior mapping helps streamline operations and enhance overall performance.
Predictive Analytics: Future-Proofing Our Designs
Designing spaces that remain relevant over time requires more than intuition—it demands foresight. BHDP utilizes predictive analytics to enable clients across all markets to make smarter, future-focused decisions. By analyzing trends in behavior, space utilization, demographics, and operational needs, we can uncover patterns that inform adaptable, forward-looking design strategies.
Post-Occupancy Evaluations: Measuring Design’s Long-Term Impact
Design doesn’t end when construction does. Our post-occupancy evaluations, an essential component of our human-centered design research practice, enable organizations to understand how spaces are performing through user feedback, metric collection, and direct observation. For example, a regional theatre company engaged BHDP to assess its redesigned theatre, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of how artists, staff, and over 1,000 audience members perceived the year-old facility, both in terms of its functional design and inspirational aspects. By identifying underperforming spaces and evaluating user satisfaction levels, we delivered insights that not only validated design decisions but also guided future strategies, ultimately helping leadership justify their investment and plan with confidence.
Our Insights
