Emotional Wellness Hubs designed for intentional reconnection with yourself and those around you
JMKAC Emerging Artist Cohort 2026
John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) Ranked #6 Best Art Museums in the United States
Human-Centered Emotional Wellness Hubs
Human-centered design experiences for all ages that made people feel connected, introspectively, with themselves and community through intention-driven questions, color, and space.
My Role
Experience Design, Concept Development, Spatial Design, Installation, Research Design, Data Collection, Participant Engagement.
Selected Recognition for these spaces:
Awarded an Art Patron Award
2 Kids’ Choice Awards
Families, couples, and friend groups alike stayed with dwell times of 30min- 1 ½ hours
Interested in creating an experience together? Let’s connect.
JMKAC Emerging Artist Cohort 2026
Client
John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC)
Sector
Arts & Culture, Experiential Design, Wellness, Community Engagement
Challenge
Design an immersive, human-centered environment that encouraged visitors of different ages to slow down, reflect, connect with others, and explore their emotional experiences through color, space, and intentional prompts.
Experience
As part of the JMKAC Emerging Artist Cohort, I designed immersive emotional wellness experiences that transformed gallery spaces into environments for introspection, connection, and shared expression. Visitors could sit, talk, write, reflect, or simply rest while engaging with spatial elements, color, and interactive questions.
To better understand how visitors responded to the experience, I also designed and conducted an exploratory field study with 22 participants, combining self-reported stress responses with wearable physiological data including heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV).
Impact
150+ visitors engaged with introspective questions and interactive wall prompts
Visitors spent 30 minutes–1.5 hours engaging with the installations
Received an Art Patron Award and 2 Kids’ Choice Awards
Research Findings Below!
Art & Wellness Research Study
Hypothesis: Exposure to an art & color-driven immersive environment will reduce stress, increase feelings of calmness, and improve physiological well-being.
Study included:
UX research questions to investigate design components
Collected HRV data using Apple Watches
Gathered participant feedback
Collaborated with a former SpaceX engineer, Morgan Fuller, to work on data analytics.
Impact:
22 participants contributed data to the exploratory research study
71.4% of participant sessions showed increased HRV across the study sessions (meaning your nervous system is relaxing)
Median HRV increased 9.3% relative to initial baseline measurements
The findings provided an early signal that interactive art experiences can be associated with measurable shifts in physiological response, while highlighting the importance of further research with larger groups and controlled conditions.
Testimonials
