Msc in Interior Design
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://192.248.9.226/handle/123/13236
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- item: Thesis-AbstractThe Influence of graphics on contemporary commercial interiors in Sri LankaWeerasinghe, CJS; Wijetunga, NMRGraphics as a subject was established in the higher education sector in Sri Lanka during and after 2000 with the expanding industry expectations and technological evolution in the industry of print and advertising. With the immergence of television in 1980’s and the availability ofvideo cameras in the country in 1990’s, the influence ofinstallation art graphics and theatre rapidly grown over technology. However graphics for commercial interiors not well established in Sri Lanka until 2010, with the developments in print industry and technological application graphic application for contemporary commercial interiors has become a new pathway ofgraphic implication for living and commercial spaces. In the universal context graphics as a visual communication language was established with modem art. The immergence ofgraphics as a communication medium evolved into workspace or environmental graphics, which eventually developed as a subject for commercial interiors. Research question of this study spans from the understanding graphics as a communication language for commercial interiors and its functionality as a feature ofthe design. The aim of the study is to investigate social and economical values involved in commercial contemporary interiors in Sri Lanka. To achieve the aim of the study the objective of the research is to understand the influence of graphics for commercial interiors. Whilst in the process of influences a background study ofmodem art in Sri Lanka and its reflection on graphics from street art to interiors leads to connect with the next objective which is the understanding of graphics as a visual language and its functionality in commercial interiors. This paper discusses the history of graphics in Sri Lankan context and its application for commercial contemporary interiors with a study of fundamental theories from both interior design and graphics. Although graphics had been merely treated as software that develops images or simply text in the context of Sri Lanka - creating a methodology specifically for the study concentrating on qualitative methods by a comprehensive theoretical study of both subject disciplines interior design and graphics, lead to well-established criteria of8 factors to evaluate commercial interiors for the research study. This criteria was then justified with a quantitative study of user experience to understand the effectiveness of graphics for commercial interiors. Selection of case studies is limited to contemporary commercial interiors with graphic elements. Results established through the evaluation of criteria leads to an interesting path of how recently the technological expectations have been met with graphics in the commercial interiors and its implication not only restricted to aesthetic appearances but rationalistic approach due to social and economic changes ofthe country. The findings ofthe study leads to a path establishing a criteria to investigate interior case studies concentrating graphics primary feature and the background of evolution of graphics in the context of Sri Lanka questioning the implication of graphics as a medium of communication for commercial interiors. These contributions for the subject graphic design and interior design in the context of Sri Lanka, leads to a subject path evolving new technology applicable for interiors ‘Experiential graphics’ which has been thoroughly discussed over online resources in universal context.
- item: Thesis-Full-textThe Effects of retail interior environment on customer shopping behavior with special reference to fashion market in Sri LankaRatnayake, JC; Weerasinghe, GTraditional retail activities, ‘pola' and ‘kade' have also upgraded in order to compete with the modern retail format in Sri Lanka. The scale of the Sri Lankan retail market is anticipated at in between 25-30 billion (USD), out of which organized players constitute only three percent. At present Sri Lanka’s spending patterns resemble western nations, whose populace needs extra way of life merchandise and aspiration of luxury items. Sri Lankan customer has been stimulated with international lifestyle and need more requirements. The rising living standards of Sri Lankans' are converting their spending styles and choices in the direction of greater first-class branded goods and services. Customer needs fuels the modern-day retailing and the heart of the growth of modern-day retailing is the 'Customer'. The significance of environments in retail context has for long been identified both among practitioners and researchers. The research problem of this study was "How the interior environment genuinely affects the customer behaviour in designing fashion retail stores in Sri Lanka?” The study explored interior environments and their effects on consumer behaviour with special reference to retail fashion design market in Sri Lanka. It provided a systematic over view of concept of interior designed atmospheres and their effects on consumer behaviour in fashion design retail context by employing Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model. In addition to the traditional store stimuli of social factors, design factors and ambient factors, study introduced merchandise factors as a stimulus within fashion design retail stores. Further it incorporated with both intellectual and intuitive evaluations as customers ‘internal states. The specific research objectives of the study were to investigate: • The effects of store environmental factors and merchandise factors on intellectual evaluation toward store and merchandise, respectively; • The effects of intellectual evaluation toward store and merchandise on intuitive evaluation toward store and merchandise, respectively; • The effects of intellectual and evaluation towards store and merchandise on approach-avoidance behaviours. The study conducted in the context of fashion design retail market in Sri Lanka and shopping intercept survey methodology employed to collect the data and data analyzed by using a structural equation modelling approach. Further the study provided research implications, managerial implications, and avenues for future research.
- item: Thesis-Full-textThe Impact of interior layout on human behavior : a study of co-working spaces(2019) Thilakarathne, S; Hettiarachchi, AACoworking is a trending topic in the working world since the new millennium. Its productivity in creative matters is increasing the validity of the subject steadily. At the end of the war, with the bloom of the economy, Sri Lankan coworking got a huge rise in the working community with its IT and tech-based businesses. As it is a new concept to the country, the impact of Sri Lankan culture in adapting to coworking should be examined in future adjustments and growth. Hence, as the first research of the subject area, a broad framework was developed for the use of future researches. The Theory of Proximity and the Five Coworking Core value system paved the ground for the research. The case was elaborated under-identified four parts for the consistency in the rationale which was build up in the process. Since the Theory of Proximity has not studied priorly in Sri Lankan interior design field, it was necessary to study the cultural aspect of the participant coworkers towards the coworking concept, except to analyzing the layout design. Two Colombo-based well-known coworking environments were examined Co-nnect and Likuid Spaces. Also, the results showed both the coworking environment layout arrangements and co-workers’ attitudes should improve in being true to the core values of core working. This research provides a universal framework for future researches in analyzing the adaptability of the coworking concept to any context of the world. Moreover, it sheds light on the Sri Lankan interior designers, business researches and venture capitalists towards new opportunities in business.
- item: Thesis-Full-textBranding and colour of office interior on staff satisfaction : a study on interiors of private banks of Sri Lanka(2019) Wimalaratna PL; Hettiarachchi AAIn today’s competitive business world private banks are in competition with both state banks and private banks to acquire higher number of customers and accounts for their own financial growth and stability. In this competition the biggest difference the clients notice is branding. Branding differentiates the otherwise similar services and give them value and emphasize them differently. Branding was popular mainly among the communication designers and is widely used by them to create more sales propositions. Branding for interiors recently hiked up with the merging of communication design and interior design in the applications of commercial interiors. Simultaneously, bank office workers spend long hours inside the banks engaged in tedious and monotonous work. They are exposed to all the branding and use of corporate colours that are intended to attract potential customers and retain the existing customers against the rapidly growing competition. The long hours of exposure to these branding and colour in the banking interior, creates effects on the bank staff. The aim of this research is to identify and analyze how branding and colour in the workplace interior effects on satisfaction of its employees. The effect of branding and colour on the bank staff is an area that is not much researched about and hence there is a huge void for research there. Further intention is to find better practices to implement branding and colour in the bank interior for the benefit of both customers and staff, it will be beneficial for the future of the interior design arena.
- item: Thesis-Full-textPsychology of interior space : a study of the impact of minimalism on user psychology(2019) Ranwatta MA; Hettiarachchi AThe functional requirement of a place will not solely depend on the spatial quality of its own. Such spaces itself complement the design input together with the perception of users and the human behavior within the space. Minimalism being popular design movement in the worldwide context but has not merely implemented in Sri Lankan interior context with reference to the gallery spaces. The overall purpose of the study is based on how the aspects of minimalism as a form of design is capable of influencing the mental perception of the user. The notion of minimalism and interior space is what is deconstructed in this specific study, focusing on art galleries as case studies which in turn will provide a better comprehension of how one should approach a design with minimalist aspects as a core foundation. The focus of this dissertation will also look at how one understands the fundamental reactions of the aspects of minimalism in varying contexts and as a result how a mental shift is made in the viewer’s perception of these spaces. The basic design of the study is to research three specific gallery spaces in Colombo and how the interior aspects of these spaces create an emotional state for the viewer. It will also encompass the aspects of minimalism, the geometry of spaces, the use of colour and light, textures and specifically the effect on the user and the user’s response towards these spaces. The Research area is focused on identifying the perception of users on minimalistic characters of the gallery space and the impact of minimalism on user behaviour which will succeed in the functional aspects of the place simultaneously. Thus, the main objective of the research study is to explore the traits of minimalist design in interior spaces that influence the mood of its users, and the relationship shared by these variables. The responsibility in implementing the design solutions sensitively in public accessible buildings to succeed the function as well as to cater the user sensitivity is examined considering the interior context. The necessity of clear design sensibility in terms of achieving the task and application of few minimalistic traits which plays a major impact to succeed the function and impose better impact for the users on their perception through the spatial experiences.
- item: Thesis-Full-textRetail interiors : Reuse of historic buildings as a retail differentiation strategyJayakody, KTS; Wijethunga, RRetail spaces are at the forefront of contemporary interior design because they are updated regularly to stay competitive and appealing. Some of the most innovative and interactive interiors can be seen in the retail sector. Retail design seems to boost the discipline of interior design by creating innovative design solutions. Nevertheless until recent time, when it comes to adaptive reuse design, retail seems to fall short to sectors like public buildings or offices. However after the war this situation has drastically changed in Sri Lankan context. This recent phenomenon on retail reuse was implemented as a part of an urban revitalization project to build up city image through preserving of architectural historic buildings. Today in Sri Lanka it has become a trend that historic colonial buildings without an immediate ‘use’ are adopted for retail function such as shops, restaurants or bars. These retail-shopping complexes have become successful recreational zones and shopping destinations within a short period of time. Most of the time the retail shops located in theses colonial buildings are branded shops with strong brand identities and values. This dissertation aims research on the tension between heritage and retail branding in historic colonial buildings in Sri Lanka. The first section of this dissertation contextualizes the tension between retail and adaptive reuse design and elaborate on the concept of authenticity as mediator. The Research question is how can retail design respect the historic value of the monument while maintain the retail brand Identity? The focus of this dissertation is reuse of historic buildings that from the scale of the building (the interior) and not form the largest scale (urban dimension). The dissertation exists of a general approach towards retail-reuse of various historic building types, based on literature review a classification scheme indication the different buildings strategies that can be suitable for retail-reuse is set up. Specific characteristics of the success full branded retail are identified and 2 case studies are analyzed in a structured manner and is evaluated on 3 different levels: (1) the typological characteristics and the specific Historic value of the building, (2) the specific qualities of retail banding design and (3) the after-life of the project. To conclude, recommendations for the Sri Lankan context are set up, based on comparison of literature and case studies. On the one hand, these recommendations could help retail designers in dealing with the complexity of the retail design of a store within a historic building, on the other hand the recommendations could be applied in evaluating retail- reuse projects as currently retail branding exercise, rather retail led stratergy towards retail activities in historical buildings. By providing a framework for evaluation, a more open attitude towards retail as new use for historic buildings could be possible.