The Friluftsliv Response: Connection, Drive, and Contentment Reactions to Biophilic Design in Consumer Environments

Abstract It is well documented that context and physical surroundings impact consumers. However, little is known about how to direct the overall design of an environment to enhance consumer experience. Evidence suggests that design principles that tap into the benefits of response to nature may serve to improve the well-being of people in the environment. While research on the implications of such design for consumer responses is growing, a conceptual framework that delineates these responses and their effects on experience has not been established. The current research develops, proposes, and tests a conceptual framework for consumer responses to environments that incorporate materials, textures, shapes, colors, and patterns that quote nature. It shows that when present in a consumer context, these biophilic design elements elicit what we label the friluftsliv response: a response characterized by a positive connection to place that elicits both drive and contentment-based affective reactions. The results indicate that consumer environments rich in biophilic design elements can positively influence important marketing variables, such as situational consumer anxiety and retailer choice.