Toby Israel, a visionary founder
spreading the word about Design Psychology
“One of the best, most relevant speakers I have encountered in … years.”
-Boston Residential Design and Construction (participant evaluation)

Talks & Workshops

As a national and international keynote speaker or small group presenter, Dr. Toby Israel presents her interactive lectures and workshops at:

Architecture, planning and interior design conferences and firms.
Homebuilder, psychology, education, healthcare, corporate and
other gatherings.

Lectures: (Click on each title for full descriptions)

NEW Women by Design: Transforming Place and Self
In the past, a ‘woman’s place was in the home.’ Now women are place-makers creating dynamic lives and spaces and transforming themselves in the process. In this session, Dr. Israel will explore the life and work of renowned female designers who transformed their space as they grew and developed in their personal lives and careers. Through inspiring case study examples, Israel will show how she used Design Psychology’s ‘design from within’ process to help women facing major life transitions create spaces that support their positive growth and change. In this ‘hands-on’ presentation, female and male attendees can learn how they, too, can use Design Psychology to design homes and other places of flexible size, configuration, color, materials and memory that nurture our deepest sense of self.
(One or two hour lecture)
Using Design Psychology to Create Ideal Places
How can Design Psychology be used to create authentic, fulfilling places for designers, clients and users? Dr. Israel introduces this new field, defined as “the practice of architecture, planning and interior design in which psychology is the principal design tool.” She gives examples of how Design Psychology is applied to real projects including residential, institutional and corporate projects. Participants complete hands-on exercises from the Design Psychology Toolbox that they can apply to the everyday practice of creating homes, communities and public places.
OASIS: Healing by Design Psychology
How can you use Design Psychology to create home, community and/or healthcare settings that enhance healing? Dr. Israel discusses the important role environmental design can play in creating an oasis in the face of stress, illness or following personal or catastrophic disasters. Through “hands-on” exercises, she illustrates how attendees can determine the personal, nurturing associations they/their clients have with color, fabrics, furniture and special objects. Case study examples provide insight into ways such a “Design Psychology Blueprint” can be used by designers, healthcare professionals and homeowners seeking to create a healing oasis by design.
(One hour lecture)

Workshops: (Click on each title for full descriptions)

Using the Design Psychology TOOLBOX to Create Ideal Places
In this hands-on workshop, participants learn how to use a variety of exercises from the “Design Psychology Toolbox” to explore their own and their client's intimate connection with place. By mastering exercises exploring past, present and future sense of place, participants learn how to successfully “design-in” social and psychological space-use requirements. Those taking this workshop gain a meaningful and rigorous programming method that they can use the next day in their own architecture, planning and interior design projects.
Scholar-In-Residence
Dr. Toby Israel presents a series of seminars, workshops and public lectures “in residence” at institutes and university departments of interior design, architecture, planning and psychology around the USA and abroad.

Contact: info@designpsychology.net