Wenwen Shi’s research while affiliated with Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics and other places

Considering the critical importance of public transportation, especially rail transit, in shaping urban landscapes and its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this investigation delves into the architectural intricacies of rail transit environments through the lens of inclusivity. This scholarly inquiry adopts a multifaceted qualitative research methodology that synergizes empirical case studies, the formulation of strategic frameworks, and the application of design methodologies to elucidate and operationalize the principles of inclusive design within the context of rail transit systems.The study embarked on an initial empirical exploration through an in-depth case study of Singapore's Thomson-East Coast Line, where able-bodied participants role-played and engaged in an immersive experience by wearing glasses that simulate mild visual impairment. By coding the data from these on-site experiences, a robust inclusive design framework was distilled, characterized by a tripartite structural hierarchy and four thematic pillars. Building on this foundational framework, the study proposed a quintet of innovative inclusive design prototypes tailored to enhance the tactile interaction points within rail transit environments. These prototypes were further evaluated through the reconstruction of subway navigation scenarios experienced by visually impaired commuters, employing storyboards as a tool for situational analysis. The comprehensive inclusive design framework and the ensuing design prototypes unveiled through this study hold profound implications for the strategic planning and architectural design of urban rail transit systems, particularly within the ambit of nascent urban centers poised to embark on or currently engaged in the development of rail transit infrastructures. This research significantly contributes to the discourse on sustainable urban development and the promotion of social inclusiveness, presenting actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and designers engaged in the creation of more accessible and inclusive urban transit ecosystems.

Can simulating the public transit experience of individuals with mild visual impairments promote empathy in design college students, thereby facilitating their design decisions? The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of a mixed empathy intervention (role-playing and experiential prototyping) on improving design students’ empathic ability and design decisions. The Basic Empathy Scale (BES) and a Design Decision Questionnaire (DDQ) were used to evaluate the empathy and design decision-making of design students (n = 51). Paired sample t-tests, Pearson correlation, and linear regression were used for quantitative analysis of the intervention effects, combined with text mining techniques. Key findings include: 1) The empathy intervention significantly improved students' empathy levels (t = − 2.976*); 2) The cognitive empathy level of students was enhanced (t = −2.276*), specifically in terms of cognitive dimensions, depth, and breadth; 3) The empathy intervention significantly affected students' views on the importance of related design elements (t = − 2.958*); 4) Empathy improvement explained around 36.5% of the variation in design decisions. These findings suggest that during a design practice and education method, role-playing and experiential prototyping can not only help students understand the target users but also enhance their consciousness on design service, thus upgrading their design decisions.

Introduction Environmental therapy theory has been applied in the research of disease prevention, and the effectiveness of using color and graphic designs to assist patients with spatial orientation has been confirmed. Visual-spatial impairments are common symptoms associated with cognitive decline. However, the interaction and driving factors between these impairments and spatial color and graphic designs remain unclear. Methods This paper first discusses the correlation between the characteristics of visual-spatial impairments and environmental factors and then investigates the color preferences of such patients based on the CIE 1976 color system and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Subsequently, the paper explores spatial design strategies conducive to spatial orientation from the perspective of adaptability to pathological characteristics, utilizing case study analysis. Results (1) Pathological characteristics of visual-spatial impairments (such as difficulties in spatial orientation and spatial neglect) are related to environmental factors; (2) Emotional attachment factors play a key role in patients’ perception of satisfaction with environmental colors; (3) Color associations have the potential to strengthen spatial memory. Additionally, interface designs with high luminance, low saturation, and clear color differentiation facilitate patients’ recognition of space. Discussion This paper posits that spatial interface design is a feasible approach to assist with spatial orientation, and it achieves this through a mediating process that progresses from influencing visual stimuli to cognitive memory and then to behavioral orientation. The article provides insights into the operational feasibility of this method.

Recent research has primarily focused on the genealogical relationship between ancestral temple painting and its spatial carriers, highlighting a shift in perspective from artistry to symbolism to kinship. While some scholars have noted the influence of ritual culture on architectural painting, few have explored its kinship relationship with architectural carriers. By incorporating relational sociology theory, this study chronologically reviews events influencing the formation of ancestral temple ritual culture, constructs a developmental model, and conducts case studies on the ethicality of architectural painting art, thus establishing a relational sociology analysis framework. Findings: (1) Ancestral temple architectural painting exhibits the ethicality and educational value inherent in Confucian concepts; (2) Themes such as immortal life, literati and scholars, and common folk simplicity highlight the spiritual and material kinship of ancestral temple painting. The vocabulary used in titles such as "He (rapprochement-和)", "He (reunification-合)", "wealth (财)", "happiness (乐)", "blessing (福)", and "longevity (寿)" reveals a positive transmission of Confucian values; (3) The five main artistic expressions of ancestral temple painting are metaphor through objects (借物喻意), the personification of events (以人喻事), using the past to illuminate the present (借古喻今), expressing aspirations through objects (托物喻志), and pun-based symbolism (谐音寓意); (4) The decorative elements of ancestral temples correspond to the forms of their painting art, with the former extending the space of the tomb sacrificial system and the latter representing artistic inheritance. The development of ancestral temple architecture has formed dual developmental contexts centered on ritual culture and supplemented by academic dissemination, fluctuating with the status of Confucianism. The relational sociology model shows that the political aspects of ancestral temples form a sub-lineage of their ritual culture, closely linked to reforms in the educational system and transformations in building functions, further influencing architectural form and decorative art.

The study of clan paintings reveals a shift in perspective from art aesthetics to cultural connotations to cultural identity, yet literature seldom discusses the relationship between art and kinship culture. Taking the murals of ancestral hall architecture in Guangzhou as an example, this paper utilizes text mining to identify factors influencing its decorative art. It reveals the traditional rites' artistic expression through dimensions of characters' demeanor and the transmission of content values, offering a fresh perspective for heritage value research. Findings: (1) themes and implications are mostly oriented towards positive value transmission, transitioning from idealistic layman life to the realism of lower-class existence, emphasizing humanization; (2) the extroverted portrayal of characters contrasts with the dignified, restrained etiquette of traditional rites, with some characters' portrayal and facial expressions exuding approachability; (3) murals conveying positive emotions are mostly related to longevity, auspiciousness, fortune, and heroic deeds, while those conveying negative emotions mainly involve elderly male figures, reflecting a content bias related to characters; (4) historical allusion murals with complex content reduce the emotional resonance and arousal efficiency of the viewer; (5) incomplete mural content increases negative emotions in perceivers, highlighting the impact of mural preservation on emotional resonance. To delve into the formation of clan painting art, it is essential not only to interpret the diversity of its patterns but also to demonstrate the representation of its social attributes in decorative art. The formation of clan painting decorative art exhibits kinship cultural attributes, epitomizing the essence of traditional ceremonial thought.

This study aims to optimize the evaluation system of inclusive design in urban parks, emphasizing the systemic nature of sensory, cognitive, and motor capacity support and exploring its role in park design practice. Based on the capability demand model, this study constructed indicators through literature collation and focus group discussion and assigned weights through hierarchical analysis to finally construct the Park Inclusive Design Index (PIDI). Then, the PIDI was utilized to assess the inclusive design performance of 48 urban parks in Hangzhou, China. The results of this study show that the overall inclusive design level of parks is relatively low (the average PIDI < 70), especially in the provision of cognitive support (cognitive-related indicator < 4). Meanwhile, comprehensive and specialized parks performed better in inclusive design compared to community parks and leisure parks. The level of inclusive design is moderatory correlated with the park renovation time and the park area, and strongly correlated with geographic location (scenic spot parks perform better; the parks in the old city perform worse). Ten indicators in the assessment scored below 2, which reveals the current status, shortcomings, and general problems with inclusive facilities in Hangzhou’s urban parks. This study integrated the needs and ability differences of people into the indicators, providing an assessment framework with broad applicability. Inclusive performance is a long-term process, and the implementation of the evaluation framework will provide a reference guide for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of urban parks across China and even around the world.

The global prevalence of dementia is on the rise, and existing medical models can no longer fulfill the pervasive need for intervention. Dementia is incurable, but the identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) provides a window of opportunity for early intervention. The environmental therapy theory has been widely adopted, however, the implementation pathways and empirical evidence for cognitive behavioral interventions are still limited. The role of interior layout design as one of the environmental elements in guiding human behavioural patterns has been demonstrated by numerous scholars and extended to be explored in relation to perceptual and cognitive behavioural dimensions. There has been a great deal of research on Wandering Behavior In Patients With Cognitive Disorders in the medical field, but only sporadic reports in the field of design. Employing an “environment-behavior-neuroscience” research approach, this paper constructs the relationship between wandering behavior, cognitive function, and environmental factors, and explores the possibility of environmental intervention to improve cognitive functions. The study shows that: 1) The wandering patterns of dementia patients can be guided through landmarks; 2) There is a direct relationship between the depth of spatial communication and the layout, and optimizing the spatial layout can foster communication and theoretically have a restorative effect on cognitive function; 3) Centripetal layouts are more effective in behavior guidance, while multicore circulation path layouts can accommodate the wandering needs of dementia patients. As dementia is incurable, early intervention is the most effective approach, making this research highly valuable.

The gradual loss of certain good cultural genes in the traditional ritual system is, to some extent, driven by the value orientation of the art of ancestral hall decoration. This article uses wall paintings as a medium to uncover significant variables affecting the decorating of ancestral hall murals and to analyze the culturally formative relationships underlying their art from a ceremonial perspective. It depends on textual excavation. The analysis demonstrates that: (1) the 521 murals generally transmit positive content; (2) the shift in the painted figures’ seating and grooming from formal to casual represents the fading of ceremonial concepts; (3) The control of economic costs may be a possible explanation for the large number of figures in crouching, skirting, and side-lying postures in wall paintings; (4) The fact that the colors employed in the garments of the figures from the Ming and Qing dynasties don’t follow the folk color scheme demonstrates that the creative production at that time was not constrained by a lot of ritualistic considerations. The study concludes that the absence of an educational component in the arts is a contributing factor to the diluted nature of traditional rituals in modern China.