Kristin King
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Interior DesignCalifornia State University, NorthridgeKristin King is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Interior Design at California State University, Northridge. Her teaching and research are grounded in human-centered design, with a focus on how material, sensory, and construction systems shape lived experience. She integrates interior and lighting design with environmental psychology, exploring how environments influence well-being, inclusion, and equity.
Her current project, Rethinking the Classroom Through a Trauma-Informed Lens, employs immersive tools and trauma-informed design principles to reimagine learning environments that support student success. This work was recently featured in the November 2025 Issue of Delve Magazine, Designing for Healing Section, presented to the Attachment and Trauma Network in February 2026 at The Learning Brain Exchange Conference, and along with her co-author will be conducting a workshop, Creating Places & Spaces that Foster Regulation and Resilience at Carpe Diem in April 2026. She has also contributed to the California State University Basic Needs Consortium, examining how design can address issues of access and well-being for college students.
Kristin’s scholarship includes a chapter in Reconstructing Perceptions of Systemically Marginalized Groups (2023), where she applied the psycho-sociocultural framework to highlight the role of basic needs in shaping campus climate and student outcomes. Across her research, she emphasizes design as both a pedagogical method and a social justice tool, using space-making to foster empathy, wellness, and inclusion.
Through her interdisciplinary collaborations, national presentations, and applied projects, Kristin advances the idea that design is not only aesthetic but transformative, a medium for equity, resilience, and human flourishing.
From Research to Implementation: Trauma-Informed Wellness Spaces in K–12 Schools
Students and educators face rising stress, anxiety, and dysregulation, yet most K–12 schools lack spaces designed for emotional regulation and psychol
…Students and educators face rising stress, anxiety, and dysregulation, yet most K–12 schools lack spaces designed for emotional regulation and psychological safety. This university led research and design project addresses that gap through the implem
…Students and educators face rising stress, anxiety, and dysregulation, yet most K–12 schools lack spaces designed for emotional regulation and psychological safety. This university led research and design project addresses that gap through the implementation of five trauma-informed wellness rooms across a K–12 system, each tailored to specific developmental stages. It translates trauma-informed principles into practical interior strategies, inclu
…Students and educators face rising stress, anxiety, and dysregulation, yet most K–12 schools lack spaces designed for emotional regulation and psychological safety. This university led research and design project addresses that gap through the implementation of five trauma-informed wellness rooms across a K–12 system, each tailored to specific developmental stages. It translates trauma-informed principles into practical interior strategies, including calibrated lighting, intentional color use, spatial sequencing, and adaptable furniture systems to support well-being.
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