The Contribution of Design to Social Interaction: A Case Study of the 2023 Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Social interaction among people in public spaces is an important way to strengthen community ties. Therefore, this study seeks to shed light on the significant role of interior design in increasing the quality of exhibition-built environments. Which in turn affects human behavior, which may lead to enhanced communication between visitors. In addition, the results guide the designer to the most effective design features to build spaces that help social interaction. The research took the Biennale of Islamic Arts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a case study representing contemporary religious exhibitions. It investigates the impact of lighting, furniture layout, and space planning on interactive behavior among visitors. And these aspects will be measured by applying the triangulation method: field observation, semi-structured interviews, and survey, spread randomly, among biennial local and international adult visitors (n = 114, women n=71 and men n=43). The results illustrate that employing design features around users’ preferences (Human-centered design) within public interior spaces influences the visitors’ behavior and willingness toward social interaction.