Where Feng Shui and UX intersect

You may be curious about the connection between ancient Chinese philosophy and UX design, but the link is not as distant as it may seem.

Originating around 6,000 years ago, Feng Shui, which translates to "wind" and "water," focuses on the spatial arrangement of objects in relation to energy flow (chi). It emphasises arranging surroundings optimally for harmony and user-friendliness, whether it's an office, bedroom, or entire building. This encompasses layout, framework, materials, and colours. Similar to how an interior designer arranges furniture for easy navigation, a UX designer applies analogous principles to crafting a mobile app.

The ultimate aim remains consistent: to create an intuitive, user-friendly experience. Thus, Feng Shui can be seen as an early precursor to modern UX design practices.

Other designers agree regarding the correlations #

“Feng Shui, to me, is a bit like a decorator/interior designer/ display manager/luck enthusiast. At the end, it’s about creating a flow that is comforting for your market/audience/customers. So what does all that got to do with UX? Well, I know its silly, but that’s how I got myself into UX, implementing Feng Shui into my design and development process for the web” — Winston Huxley

The Koi Fish (what it represents) #

It's universally true that nobody enjoys encountering a barrage of 10 pop-up ads within their apps, much like how we dislike stumbling over socks strewn across the hallway. While this comparison might seem trivial at first glance, consider the revered symbolism of the koi fish in Chinese culture.

The koi embodies qualities of longevity, good fortune, success, courage, and resilience, as evidenced by its remarkable ability to swim against currents and upstream. Introducing a koi fish into one's home (or work environment) may imbue these principles into one's life.

Ok, that’s all for this one.