Redefining Public Restrooms in the United States
Findings
1. Search is the main function of WorldCat and many of the other functions of the website are based on the search function.
2. Information is not clearly and efficiently displayed in the item-detail page (the most visited page on the website)
3. The list feature is the only existing community-relevant feature on Worldcat and the functions to create new lists or add items to existing lists are unintuitive.
My Role
User Research
Ideation
UX Design
Team
2 User Researchers
2 Developers
1 UX Designer
Timeline
August 2023 - December 2023 (16 weeks)
Tools
Figma
Qualtrics
Miro
Notion
Google Suite
This project was the outcome of a class named 'HCI Foundations by Dr. Carl DiSalvo' at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Initial Exploration
The project began with a focus on exploring the challenges faced by gig workers, such as rideshare drivers and couriers, in accessing basic amenities during their shifts in the United States. To find more details about their difficulties and experiences, we briefly spoke to 15 users of public amenities across Atlanta, including public areas such as Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Beltline.
By brief interviews, these are the insights we gathered about our users:
Through our observations and interviews in Atlanta, we discovered partnerships between gig platforms and establishments like McDonald's, transforming them into accessible restroom facilities for workers. This insight prompted a broader exploration into public amenities to unfurl the needs, preferences, and challenges faced by diverse visitors. This made us revisit our conversations with our interviewees to realise that public restrooms are often perceived as unclean and unsafe.
User Research
User Characteristics
Following the formation of the problem statement, we identified distinct user types as follows:
Survey
Next, we moved on to designing a survey with the following goals in mind:
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To understand what factors impact users’ public restroom experience.
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To understand current barriers while using public restrooms.
We created flyers and put them up along the Atlanta Beltline, Piedmont Park, and Georgia Tech Campus to encourage people to complete our survey. Additionally, we shared digital flyers with individuals and groups through Slack, Instagram, and Reddit.
We collected responses from 43 participants, most (74.41%) of whom fell between the ages of 18-24 years. We collected responses from females(70%), males(26%) and other genders(4%). Here are the most relevant metrics we received:
KEY FINDINGS
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Most of the participants (83.7%) responded they avoided using public restrooms and Cleanliness is the primary reason.
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79.07% of participants prioritize the availability of essential amenities (e.g baby changing stations, sanitary products) as key improvements they desire in public restrooms
These insights led us to define our research question:
How can we transform public restrooms into clean and inviting environments, ensuring hygiene for everyone?
Interviews
We conducted 30-min interviews with five participants aged between 23 to 27 years of age with the following goals in mind:
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To understand the hygiene-related concerns people have while using public restrooms.
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To learn about the current practices users undertake when they use public restrooms.
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To recognize the potential improvement areas with the most scope for improvement.
FINDINGS
These are the hygiene-related issues that were highlighted during our interviews:
Ideation
To identify the potential areas for design intervention, we conducted a task analysis of an individual's journey of using a public restroom
From this exercise, we recognized two major areas for intervention :
Keeping these areas in mind, we brainstormed ten ideas for oue solution:
We also converted a few of the ideas into story boards:
IOT Restrooms:
Smart mirrors, Entrance Kiosk, and Dynamic Stall Indicator
Among the ten concepts generated by our team, a few were pre-existing solutions, while others posed challenges for implementation in a public setting without a heavy reliance on technology. Some of these ideas were not directly aligned with our primary project focus, which is cleanliness.
Our solution implements IoT systems with embedded sensors to detect the functionality of the restrooms (e.g. sinks, soap dispensers, toilets, etc.), the availability of stalls and supplies.
Smart Mirrors
The IoT mirrors exhibit the status levels of taps and soap dispensers, while also initiating a 60-second countdown upon tap activation. This encourages individuals to wash their hands thoroughly, thus promoting cleanliness.
Status-indicating Kiosks
The kiosks at the entrance of the restroom display the status of each stall, sparing patrons the unpleasant task of testing doors to find an available restroom. Should all stalls be unavailable, a QR code directing users to the nearest restroom is presented on the screen. Our solution is color-coded and includes stall status descriptions for accessibility to blind users.
Status-indicating Stalls
Our design aims to foster a safer, healthier, and more secure environment through a self-regulating, transparent status system. This transparency empowers users to make informed decisions before entering the space while providing maintenance crews with crucial data to address issues proactively. By doing so, restrooms maintain a healthier level of cleanliness, and users are alerted before encountering unpleasant situations.
The color code is as follows:
Green (Transparent): Available and suitable for use
Yellow (Transparent): Running low on supplies but still usable
Red: Out of order or too dirty to use
Grey: Occupied
Maintenance Crew App
n the event of a malfunction detected by the IoT system in one of the restroom stalls, prompt notification is swiftly sent to the designated maintenance crew.
Upon receiving the notification, the maintenance crew members click on the alert, which redirects them to a dedicated restroom information page. Within this page, comprehensive details regarding the issues within the restroom are available, along with specific maintenance tasks required for resolution.
Equipped with this information, the maintenance crew quickly discerns the tasks at hand and is well-informed about what needs attention to restore the restroom to optimal functionality.
Design
We first started out by making a moodboard and curating a collage of colors, textures, and images that encapsulated the essence of our creative vision. This visual roadmap became the foundation upon which we built our design system, setting the tone for the entire creative process.
Next, we developed a comprehensive design system, detailing every aspect of our design, from color palettes and typography choices to layout principles and interaction guidelines, to ensure seamless and harmonious consistency of our design across all our products and platforms.
Usability Testing: Discount Evaluations
To test our solution, we opted for usability tests with five participants. These tests were conducted in two parts: assessing the in-restroom experience, and testing the maintenance app.
During the first test phase, participants were guided to engage with our design and perform specific tasks:
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Task 1: Read the screen at the entrance and select an available stall.
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Task 2: Enter the restroom and locate a suitable stall.
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Task 3: Identify an appropriate sink with an operational faucet and soap dispenser.
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Task 4: Wash hands.
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Task 5: Report any issues with non-functional sinks.
Following task completion, participants were asked to complete a post-task survey. This survey focused on evaluating their agreement with statements reflecting their experience with our design. The survey data was utilized to assess user satisfaction regarding perceived cleanliness and security.
During the second phase of our usability test, we instructed participants to evaluate the app intended for use by the maintenance crew.
Tasks included:
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Task 1: Navigate through the backend maintenance app.
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Task 2: Review the detailed page for the restroom requiring service.
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Task 3: Identify specific tasks required for the restroom.
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Task 4: Access and complete the first task from the list of to-do tasks.
Following the completion of these tasks, we conducted focus groups to gather participants' thoughts and insights regarding our design.
FINDINGS
Restroom Smart System Usability Testing Results
Participants successfully completed all tasks. Based on our observations, participants understood the meanings of color cues we embedded in stalls and quickly picked the available stalls. Participants also followed the guidance shown in the smart mirror and found functional sinks, soap dispensers, and dryers. All Users found the system straightforward and self-explanatory.
Comfortable Interaction
Most participants stated that they would imagine most people would feel comfortable while interacting with the system, suggesting a positive user experience.
Non-hygiene Related
The system was not perceived to significantly enhance the hygienic experience in the restroom.
Maintenance App Usability Testing Results
Font Size
Feedback indicated that the font size in the bathroom overview section of the app was considered too small, potentially leading to readability issues.
Bathroom Overview Accuracy
Users emphasized the importance of ensuring that the bathroom overview in the app accurately reflects the real layout of the restroom. Participants suggested adding a door to each stall in the overview to provide a better orientation.
Reflections
Through this project, we've come to understand that not every problem necessitates a groundbreaking solution, often existing technologies can be effectively leveraged.
Moving forward, we envision several avenues for improvement and expansion:
Conduct Interviews
Given the opportunity, we plan to engage maintenance crews to gather their insights and perspectives on the challenges we've addressed and the solutions we've proposed.
Enhance Features
We aim to augment our restroom system by integrating additional functionalities such as pet parking stations and drinking water stations, enhancing the overall user experience.
Prototype Development
Our next step involves constructing a tangible prototype for real-world testing. We recognize the importance of conducting actual testing with end-users to refine our solution effectively.
Consider Technological Viability
As we progress, we'll carefully evaluate the feasibility of implementing advanced technologies like transparency-changing doors on a large scale. Balancing innovation with practicality is crucial in ensuring the sustainability and scalability of our solution.