Society

Emmanuel Orim

Designed Exposure: How the Student Commute Shapes Daily Energy, Mood, and Stress

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Hello, my name is Emmanuel Orim, and I am a Nigerian-born, Toronto-based creative attending my final year in the Professional Communications program at Toronto Metropolitan University. My interests revolve around communication design, experiential marketing, and branding storytelling/design/strategy. My work focuses on refining the brand experience during an organization’s phase in a brand’s lifecycle. Whether it be development, maintenance, or resurgence,my aim is to improve upon the work of the brand during its stage of the cycle. By focusing on brand values, positioning, and association, as well as adapting methods and modes of messaging, we enhance how the audience experiences the organization to produce results that align with the brand strategy. My studies in communication have given me a strong foundation for my career, specifically in understanding how meaning is generated and distributed through different media, symbols, and representations. After graduation, my goal is to continue working in branding and help organizations create experiences that connect and resonate with people.

This study examines how the sensory and spatial design of public transit environments affects daily energy, mood, and stress among student commuters. Using an autoethnographic, multi-day approach, commuting experiences on the TTC were documented through pre and post-commute self-assessments and environmental recordings. Findings show that high crowd density and noise increase stress and reduce energy, while lower-intensity environments may support recovery. Sensory load was found to influence daily capacity more than commute duration, with effects extending beyond the commute itself. This research reframes commuting as repeated environmental exposure and highlights the importance of sensory design in shaping well-being and everyday functioning.

Lightning Talk

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