WEEK THREE: PROXEMICS

I know everybody had their personal spaces disturbed by other people more than once. Edward T. Hall was the one who developed the term of proxemics. Hall stated that the social distance while communicating with people associates with the physical distance.  There are 4 different types of spaces that are used when people are communicating with each other and each of them have different distances.

• Public Space
• Social Space
• Personal Space
• Intimate Space

Distance of Spaces

Public space distance is about 12 to 25 feet. Public space is mostly used for public speaking. A good example would be listening to a teacher give a lecture. 

Social space distance is about 4 to 12 feet. In this space you start getting closer in distance. In this space for example, you are socializing with acquaintances, working with your clients, or talking to a professor. 

Personal space is about 1.5 to 4 feet. This is the space where you are at a comfortable distance from your family or friends, for example. People are very territorial about their personal space and will get angry and feel uncomfortable if people they don't know are violating it.

Airport seating is a good example showing the lack of personal space

Intimate space is about 0 to 18 inches. This space is used for those who are intimate with each other. 

Proxemics is essential to designers to make a space comfortable and to make it the way it should be used. There are certain situations when you need more personal space, but if you have an easy way of getting out of it, then you won't need as much personal space. People bring their personal space with them everywhere they go.