"Sketch and talk" : drawing lines between humans, the interior, and stuff - design methodologies for well-being in prisons, forensic psychiatric hospitals, and special residential youth homes

How can we understand the design of interior spaces in prisons, forensic psychiatric hospital and special residential youth homes? These spaces are unfamiliar to most people, though we have "visited" prison cells and patient rooms through documentaries and films. For some reason we tend to take the design of them for granted, but how come they are designed the way they are? Living these spaces means living an everyday lifeworld in the tension between heavy security measures and rehabilitation -between incarceration and care. Yet, what meanings do these environments create for the individuals who inhabit them day and night?

This dissertation explores the relationship between individuals and the physical environment within Institutions of Care and Incarceration (ICI). Given the limited existing research on the meaning of interior design and objects in ICIs, one of the primary objectives of this dissertation is to contribute to the design research field and the broader discourse on ICIs. The analytical process is guided by a phenomenological approach, focusing on the lived experiences of individuals incarcerated in instructional care settings. It is worth noting, however, that both the methodological and theoretical approaches may hold relevance for fields beyond design.

The interest in designing for compulsory care environments originates from the author's practical experience in creating interior objects for these institutions. This experience has subsequently driven academic research parallel with his practice, and a vast amount of hours has been spent in the field. The primary emphasis has been on developing ethnographic design research methods, specifically the Sketch and Talk, customized for high-security care environments. An essential tool of this methodology involves on-site sketching with pen and paper, capturing the lived experiences of participants within cells, patient rooms, and social areas. Several of these sketches, illustrating these environments, are presented in the dissertation.

Undoubtedly, there are significant opportunities to implement the potential for designing for well-being, and this dissertation proposes new approaches through the Sketch and Talk method. It posits that by 'restraining" ourselves and adopting a perspective that allows us to see 'what is actually going on,' we can build knowledge by 'borrowing' lived experiences and understanding the connections between people, interior design, and 'stuff,' both ontologically and epistemologically.

The author's intention is that this dissertation can provide support to governmental agencies, architects, designers, clients, patients, youths, and other stakeholders involved in designing or contributing knowledge to the process of creating new institutions. The aim is to encourage an approach to design in which interior design and objects are not solely considered in relation to economy and traditional methods of designing for care but are also regarded as ethical and existential considerations. This perspective presents an opportunity to foster new horizons of change and hope.

Bio:

Franz James holds the position of associate professor in furniture design at Campus Steneby, University of Gothenburg. In addition to his academic role, he is a practicing designer and partner at Healsafe Interior. He specializes in designing therapeutic environments and self-harm resistant products for care settings such as prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and youth homes.