Weather

Imagine you’re looking out the window, and it’s a rainy and gloomy day. This picture may energize you—for some, a cloudy day is like wrapping up in a blanket. Some people feel down when they think of such a day. They long for sunshine and bright days. Weather can affect moods and, in turn, people’s willingness to do activities. The weather can shape our perception of the world.

Let’s say you are a roofer installing roofing tiles on homes or a homeowner who just woke up to leave the house for work only to discover a foot of snow fell last night. The new-fallen snow means your roofer self will have a slippery day ahead. The homeowner version of you has an unexpected 30 minutes of shoveling snow in your future.

Weather conditions can impact emotions and real responsibilities. These conditions sometimes expose misalignments with design, such as tires that have become worn with wear misaligned with rainy conditions. They can also reinforce positive experiences, such as a bright spring day that energizes someone who regards sunshine as a sign of hope. When designers consider weather as a factor of experiences, they are more likely to catch ways these variable conditions impact experiences and how products, services, and systems can support desirable outcomes.

• Air temperature
• Rain
• A tornado
• Dense fog
• Pleasant breezes

When designers research a setting’s weather conditions, they understand how physical conditions beyond people’s control shape their choices and comfort and how design functions. When designers determine how products, services, and systems perform in various weather conditions, they can better determine how to adapt design existing outcomes and create new ones that match the weather demands.