How to Turn "Wants" into Perceived "Needs"

Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, is considered the father of "public relations", modern advertising and even our consumerist culture. In this BBC Video, we learn that "Public Relations" was a fancy word for "propaganda", a word tainted by its use by and against the Germans in WWI. We also learn how we are continually manipulated by what we see, hear and are made to feel.

For an interesting read, you may want to look at Bernays' 1928 work, "Propaganda". 

Are Shopping Malls Like Casinos?

“The mall needs to be spacious to account for dozens of stores, but not so big that the distances tire shoppers; the building needs to let in light and air, but not so much that it competes with display lighting; and customers should get a little lost, meandering from shop to shop, but exits need to be easy to find in an emergency.” From http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/engineering/gonzo/the-worlds-18-strangest-malls#slide-1 (Accessed 2015.01.21)

Your Job:  Choose a mall that you will visit in the next week. Take this list of questions with you.

Name of Mall:

Upon entering, which direction do you go?

What stores do you see first?

How do you go from escalator to escalator while going up or down 2 floors?

Is there natural light?

What feeling does the lighting give you? Does the light affect the store displays?

What do you smell? What do you hear? What feelings do these things give you?

Can you find a clock?

From the landings, what can you see?

Is it easy to find a restaurant that is not in the food court?

Where is the food court in relation to the entrance?

Can you find a washroom easily? Where are the washrooms?

Is it easy to find the exit?

Finally ... think of the answers and ask yourself why the mall has been designed this way. How are we being manipulated?