Give me some space!!

How much personal space do you think you need? Do you like to be really close to people when you’re talking or hanging out? Or do you not like to be touched and tend to feel more comfortable at an arm’s length from people?

While some of this is up to individual preference, personality traits and culture, there are some general standards for what is considered intimate, personal, social and public space.

Proxemics is the study of personal space and the refers to the amount of space individuals
need, to exhibit normal behavior and have effective interpersonal communication.

A research study done by Mike Sheppard at the University of New Mexico-

• Public Space ranges at least 12 feet or more away from the individual. This would be include strangers on the street and even other people in cars next to you in traffic. 

• Social Space ranges from 4-12 feet from speaker. This would easily include people around a table, in a classroom or at a party. This might include acquaintances and friends. 

• Personal Space ranges from 2-4 feet from the individual. This would include people eating together, friends watching TV together or playing a game. This space is generally reserved for the people that we are closer to. 

• Finally,  Intimate space, is up to 2 feet away from the body. It’s rare for someone to enter this space for an extended amount of time, especially when it is unexpected.

As you can see in this picture, my foot is in my roommate's

 intimate space and it has obviously made her very uncomfortable. 

Proxemics come into play in designing both residential and commercial facilities because intentional design should always have the end user in mind.