Prototyping new environments for waiting

THE BAD LOBBY EXPERIENCE enhancing the waiting lobby

I’m focused on improving how we:

navigate through this space,interact with this space,and spend time in this space.

Cargo for Nomads

Design research and proposal for a senior capstone project

by Joshua Lindman

http://lindmancargo.wordpress.com

Prototyping new states for work and travel

Industrial Design Program http://www.id-uarts.org

School for Design College of Art, Media, and Design

© 2012

University of the Arts320 South Broad StreetPhiladelphia PA 19102

http://uarts.edu

A final deliverable for IDES 431 Design Theory + CapPrep - Fall 2012

coordinated by Jason Lempieri and Jonas Milder

Improving the waiting room experienceprototyping new environments for waiting

Design research and proposal for a senior capstone project

http://orrdesign.wordpress.com

waiting

communication

relaxing

reading

transitioning

cool down/warm up

uniting /gathering

what happens in a lobby?

primary research

what is allowed what isn’t allowed?

sleepingeating

talking on the phonekissingplaying

raising voiceyelling crying

exercisingundressing

laying down

drinkingeating

reading/textingtalking

what is allowed what isn’t allowed?

“There is no place I can go that feels as comfortable as home, I like to identify my own space. I like the feeling of leaving the rest of the world and entering my own”

What about this environment makes you feel comfortable?I like that area in the back over there next to the fire-place. It’s dimmer, I’m less in the spotlight. It looks warmer.

And why is that?Because it’s less exposed, the lights aren’t so bright and there’s a little area to sit. I like the clustered furniture and decor, there’s texture and dimension in that area.

Why don’t you want to be exposed?People could see my imperfections. I am hidden over there, it makes me less nervous. When I get nervous it makes me hot and the only way I could be comfortable is if I could take my clothes off, sweat makes me uncomfortable.

What else makes you uncomfortable?When my imperfections are put on blast, this cleared-out space and bright sterile floor with reflections, it’s too stark. The white colors of the marble floor and walls make me skittish on this side of the room, too. Way too sterile and clean. I like warm colors and soft furniture.

Why is that?

Ainye j.

theatre student, in philadelphia PAage: 20

primary research

Interviewed while in this hotel lobby:What about this place makes you feel comfortable?

Why don’t you want to be noticed?

Why are there so many choices?

Interviewed while in this hotel lobby:

Why is that?

“I just come up and ask the representative where things

are over and over again”

What about this place makes you feel comfortable?not too much, actually. I guess the chairs and couches over there.

because it’s out of the way, no one will look at me and wonder why I’m here.

Why don’t you want to be noticed?I don’t like to feel like I don’t have anything to do, I need to listen to something or watch something so that there’s a focus. If not than maybe people with focus on me. When the focus is on me, like out in the middle of the floor, I get overwhelmed in that space because there is too many options and choices.

Why are there so many choices?Because I’ve never been here before, and I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t want to mess up in front of people because it’s my first time. This environment is so unfamiliar to me, If you weren’t here I would probably ask the person at the front desk up there where to go. I don’t know what to do when I’m that overwhelmed.

Matt g-k

food prep/restaurant employeeage: 27


What about this space makes you feel comfortable?

Why does that make you feel comfortable?

And when do you feel like this?

“I don’t like feeling over-whelmed [in public space]

and not knowing how to act or what to do.”

I like when a lot of people rush in and fill the lobby, I can go into the background.

Because then the attention is diverted from me, and why I’m here. When I’m just standing here I don’t know what to do. I like it when there’s something to focus on, when the activity is clearly defined. But when I’m just waiting, I don’t know what to do.

Bes e.

grad student in port-land, maine age: 25

primary research

There is too much focus on the individual, sometimes public environments such as bars and cafe’s put too much individual pressure and focus on each person on each other unless there is an event happening such as watching a sport game. This shifts the focus from individuals to a group-activity. Without this it is uncomfortable to speak loudly without someone looking at you. Sound doesn’t matter, it’s not about a singular sense it’s about the overall focus.


What do you mean?

What is the difference to you?


“I usually just ask right away [when I enter], I don’t want to

waste my time”

Aimee g.

3D printingtechnician

age: 23

What about this space makes you feel comfortable?

I like the whiteness of this open space, it makes it feel cleans. Although over there in the sitting area it looks so fake.

What do you mean?Well in large open space like this it’s nice for things to feel clean and fresh, but I feel like the sitting area is dirty because of all the mixed colors and patterns. They’re too complementary, It’s giving me a headache. In intimate space at home this would work, but not in a public environment.

What is the difference to you?This situation we are in is out of my control, and that makes me feel uncomfortable. I like neutral colors and white open space when I’m in public, and I like warm colors when I’m home in space that I control. I don’t even want to feel at home here, I don’t like that it’s trying.


Uncomfortable is when there is nothing to focus on, when there is no event for everyone to watch if you are in a small group of people in a larger space. bars make me feel comfortable because i’d inebriated, and also the lighting sets the mood.

Environmental lighting has everything to do with the crowd it attracts. sport bar lighting is different than other types of bars’ lighting, and I think dim lighting attracts older people and brighter lights attract a younger audience like clubs and sports bars.

Comfortable is not enclosed audio - but not too much no direct source of sound - this makes me feel more connected to environment ambient sound consumes you - all encompassing experience. natural light is preferred, if not reflection and interaction with light.

Uncomfortable is if I can hear my heartbeat - if it’s too silent I feel isolated no echoes - deprived of senses on converse.

wIf too many people are talking at once it’s frustrat-ing such as loud restaurants and when you can’t listen to everyone who is speaking.

Comfortable is adjustable and cushioned chairs. Rooms with calm colors such as white or off white walls. The walls are very crucial to me, they make the space. It is defined by the walls. They are the barriers of vision.

Uncomfortable is when tables and chairs don’t match up in height and size. Also when a chair is very minimal, small, and hard it’s uncomfortable.

It happens when you’re crammed with other people without a focus or activity is uncomfortable. Waiting to do something without being offered seating is tough, or when people don’t know where to stand in line. Sometimes this happens in dr offices but sometimes in restaurants when you’re waiting to be seated there can be anxiety built.

Ryan h.father and lawyer philadelphia, PAage: 41

Ernest b.dance studentbrooklyn, NYage: 21

comfort is:

All Informants primary research

What makes you comfortable in space?

What is uncomfortable?

Comfortable is either really packed or really secluded. big spaces should be open and smaller spaces should be filled with people. I’m also comfortable in dim or low lighting with friends and familiarity like at a party.

Why is that?





Can you describe uncomfortable in space?

When does this happen to you?

Pat v.pizza chefage: 22

Comfortable is adjustable and cushioned chairs. Rooms with calm colors such as white or off white walls. The walls are very crucial to me, they make the space. It is defined by the walls. They are the barriers of vision.

Uncomfortable is when tables and chairs don’t match up in height and size. Also when a chair is very minimal, small, and hard it’s uncomfortable.

It happens when you’re crammed with other people without a focus or activity is uncomfortable. Waiting to do something without being offered seating is tough, or when people don’t know where to stand in line. Sometimes this happens in dr offices but sometimes in restaurants when you’re waiting to be seated there can be anxiety built.

Michael o.graphic designer corning, NYage: 66

Billy w.military computer

tech. in bensalem, PA

age: 25

Linda o.mother/makertioga county, PAage: 60

Becca g.film student insan francisco, CAage: 20

Mike t.design student

philadelphia, PA

age: 22

Andrew o.human resourcesportland, MAage: 24

Micah b.animation studentsyracuse, NY

age: 22

Kyle k.audio production philadelphia, PAage: 31

comfort is:couches/soft elementssound/music

soft furniture

comfort is:open spacehigh ceilings

off- lighting

visual

uncomfortable is:low ceilingsfeeling squashed/trappedcrowded/narrow space

uncomfortable is:bad (fluorescent) lighting hard chairs

comfort is:having personal safe areacommunity spacenecessities availablelike-minded community

open space

uncomfortable is:fluorescent lightingtoo close to other peoplebroken facilitiesunshared space

comfort is:informal/personablewarm colorswarm lightingwooden elements/

chairs

uncomfortable is:graymetal chairsunfamiliar

uncomfortable is:hard surfacessharp/fluorescent lightinglarge square rooms

comfort is:plantssoft elementsearth tones/palette diffuse lightingalcoves

uncomfortable is:too quiet with other people /no visual oraudio interestfocus on individual

uncomfortable is:seating doesn’t fittables awkward heightlack of space/tight proximity

comfort is:musicambient lightingfamiliar crowd

comfort is:mellow musicwell-litsmells within space

uncomfortable is:loud musicbad smellsdirtydimly lit

comfort is:an interesting focuscenter/fountain to viewothers in space

primary research

what is uncomfortable?(largest words were the most popular reasons to be uncomfortable to users polled)

what is comfortable?(largest words were the most popular reasons to be comfortable to users polled)

bars and cafeswaiting to be seatedart storesh&m carstight hallwaysloud barslobbiesgrocery storeselevators dr officeswaiting lines

specific uncomfortablespaces

primary research

what space?

secondary research

communityconsumer historical/educational

public (indoor/outdoor)professionalintimate

types of space -

types of public space -

space influences behaviorand is unnoticeable to most users

consumer space3 spaces of same/general purpose = coffee

secondary research

Cake and the Beanstalk12th and Locust St

Good Karma10th and Pine St

Boars Head Convenience 6th and Locust St

human behavior within space

Color- contrasting,warm orange and blue

Lighting- lit by natural light through windows, and spot ambient lighting

Proximity- tight space, 3 foot hallway space, long hallway opening sitting roomcounter to order is very close to entrance

Menu Placement- in natural line of

vision/low and straight in front of you

Cake and the Beanstalk - happy customers

small + clear layoutcustomers show little confusion in process to order

human behavior within spaceGood Karma - confused customers

Color- light green, white and off-whites

Lighting- natural light and large bright lights on ceiling

Proximity- spaced out tables, counter to order is far away from entrance. this adds confusion to the waiting line, very disjointed line causes confusion

Menu Placement- off to the left side and above natural line of vision, leaving

customers searching for area to order

spacious + cold + emptyproximity of chairs may be so far apart it distances people too much

secondary research

Color- white and brown

Lighting- fluorescent and natural lighting

Proximity- tightly packed shelves and isles, many different heights of shelvingthere’s a pillar to the left as customers order blocking the hallway that leads to sitting room

Menu Placement- straight in front and above as customer orders and pays

Boars Head Convenience - confused customers

jumbled + crampedallows for zig-zagging filled with many packed isles

view from this point

enter

identify line/where to order

find menu

interpret menu/decide

place order

wait

receive

i’m interested in everything in between the consumers entrance and exit

hotelenter

look for front desk/lineassess wait/

wait in line

called on/check in

find elevators/parking

locate room

theatreenter

locate box officewait in line

called upon/buy tickets

locate entrancelocate restrooms

seated

appointment

retail

restaurantairport

pharmacy

secondary research

coffee shop

locate room

human behavior analysis - inside

kimmel center - lobby spacelook straight back & up. lots of open wandering space.ticket booth located off to side- unnoticeable

look towards the front-desk, which is usually the place they need to go. it is a large space that is sectioned off into smaller areas with added soft elements, brings back to human-scale.

double-tree - lobby space

politics of space?

if buildings could speak - People In Places Exercise 3 consumer spaces on the same block - S. 4th St.

very clear not clear

Store Front- hand-made wooden patchwork

Building - old, run down row home

Color - bright red

Style/Added Elements - intentional window

display/west coast brands of apparel

Communicates- young/hip/handmade/sporty

Store Front- thrown together, unintentional

“display”

Building - run down row home

Color - neon blue

Style/Added Elements - eclectic/elaborate

Communicates- quantity over quality, sloppy,

mixed styles, full of stuff

Store Front- plants hanging, organic brands show

from inside on shelves, warm lighting from inside

Building - dated facade, free standing

Color - faded pink, rusty metals

Style/Added Elements - benches outside,

awnings, giant neon bottle sign on top

Communicates - friendly, home-town,

trustworthy, community

secondary research

designersdetermine who’s objective a design (object/environment) will respond to.

clear or unclearspace can be:

not clearJeremy Barbour

architectdesigned grand central

stations kiosks

and leaves consumers with a feeling

space analysis: 20 questionstertiary research

why is it warmly lit? why are all the lights on?why is the door open?why does it smell like incense?why are the products out of packaging?why is everything so soft?why are you allowed to touch everything?who goes into this space?who is this for?who is this not for?why does it feel this way?why are the materials mostly natural?why are products clustered instead of given space?why is it mostly red and yellow?why does it allow such small isles?why are objects clustered together? why is the ceiling slanted?how long do people spend here?how closely do people interact in this space?

why is the color palette so limited?why is it red and grey?why is there chrome and silver?why is everything at waist level?why are people leaning?why do people come here?why is it carpeted? why isn’t there any natural materials?why is the lighting fluorescent?why are there mostly adults here?what would a kid do here?why are they using so many graphics?why are there so many stations throughout the store?why is it set up like a maze?why are there so many phones mounted on the wall?why is it cool in here?what do people come here for?how long do people spend here? how closely do people interact in this space?

to be intimatebecause there is no 1 light sourceto welcometo give a feeling and attract certain customersless formal, creating living-room environment to encourage touch and comfortto create informal environment/conversationpeople who are interested in fair-trade and organic people who want to care for the worldpeople who focus on warrantiesto encourage people to buyto give a feeling of hand-made and naturalarranged in-formally and not elevated to high designwarm colors is intimate and invitingnot for a lot of peopleto create a scene and feelingto create an environment of “shack”roughly 20 minutes to 30 minutesvery closely- encourages intimacy

to be clean and streamlinedto feel sterile feeling of new/future/technologyperfect leaning heightbecause they’re waiting to see a representativeto get their phones serviced or buy a new onenoise level controlsterile and clean bright so you can see everything- no mystery because there is nothing at child’s levellook up at counters and wonderpeople respect and come for certain brandsto break up sections due to taskto lead you through- like a storyto allow you to play with products while waitingprofessional and formalto get their phones fixedbetween 10 minutes and an hourpeople keep personal space

ten thousand villages - walnut st

verizon store- market st

precedents

to be intimatebecause there is no 1 light sourceto welcometo give a feeling and attract certain customersless formal, creating living-room environment to encourage touch and comfortto create informal environment/conversationpeople who are interested in fair-trade and organic people who want to care for the worldpeople who focus on warrantiesto encourage people to buyto give a feeling of hand-made and naturalarranged in-formally and not elevated to high designwarm colors is intimate and invitingnot for a lot of peopleto create a scene and feelingto create an environment of “shack”roughly 20 minutes to 30 minutesvery closely- encourages intimacy

to be clean and streamlinedto feel sterile feeling of new/future/technologyperfect leaning heightbecause they’re waiting to see a representativeto get their phones serviced or buy a new onenoise level controlsterile and clean bright so you can see everything- no mystery because there is nothing at child’s levellook up at counters and wonderpeople respect and come for certain brandsto break up sections due to taskto lead you through- like a storyto allow you to play with products while waitingprofessional and formalto get their phones fixedbetween 10 minutes and an hourpeople keep personal space

Lobby space/transition space is intended to tell a story, planned to deliver in time and physical dis-tance. This environment is created to enhance this experience. teamed with MorrowSound True 3D.

Nokia World Conference Center Barcelona, Spain

Sensations: Sound, Light, Color – demonstrates the use of sound, light and color to create the feeling of well-being in living and working environments. Included award-winning Finnish design elements.

Four Freedoms Park – Lobby installation features drawings and photographs, for the upcoming ground-breaking of the Louis Khan-designed park on New York’s Roosevelt Island (35 years in the planning). The sound-scape features natural envi-ronments taken from the sounds of the island itself, recreated in the Steelcase Lobby.

Steelcase lobby NYC

precedents

www.cmorrow.com/portfolio.html

www.cmorrow.com/mobisite/portfolio-mobi.html

precedents inspirations

http://www.whatruwaitingfor.com/about-the-waiting-room/

“People in Places, Experiencing, Using and Changing the built environment” By Jay Farbstein and Min Kantrowitz

As adult humans we view the world from a different perspective than adolescent humans. This is not only because our perception of the environment is altered with age, but also because of location of senses on the body. Most of our strong senses are located on or around our head. this means people at different heights perceive the world slightly differently.

“The Structure and Dynamics of Organizations and Groups” by Eric Berne

analyzing the idea of “group” and breaking down into categories.“open congeries” and “enclave”

“The Hidden Dimension” by Edward T Hall

“space is a system of communicating”

inspirations

“Please Touch Merchandise”by Lawrence Williams and Joshua Ackerman

“people taking part were not aware at all that the tactile sensa-tions were having any influence on them. Findings like these sug-gest that many touch experiences within retail spaces can shape how customers shop. Certain firms are using such ideas to good effect.”

culture informs user“we experience space through the expectations we bring to it”

waiting

communication

relaxing

reading

transitional

cool down/warm upuniting /gathering

what happens in a lobby?

continuing research

ScentsSmells make a direct hit to emotion-al centers of our brain. They have a unique ability to evoke moods and memories. It’s no surprise that Bloomingdale’s, Jimmy Choo, Hugo Boss, Victoria’s Secret, and scores of other retailers use scents to stimu-late positive and associative moods and enhance our perception of their brands and products.

Studies show that the right scent can increase our perception of the quality of products and brands. Certain smells—for instance, leather, lemon, vanilla, and baby powder in a shoe store—are also known to get people to stay out shopping longer.

Pine, that quintessential holiday scent, can evoke a feeling happi-ness, earthy wholesomeness, and nostalgia. It’s just the right mix to get early holiday shoppers in the mood to buy. Another holiday fa-vorite smell, peppermint, increases physiological arousal and engage-ment and heightens alertness among shoppers.

ColorsColors create more than a scene. They’re loaded with symbolic associa-tions and influence our moods and perceptions. Red and green are the predominant colors of the season, and while each affect us in different ways, both can push us to spend more, and spend in curious ways, over the holidays.

MusicTraditional seasonal favorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” get people into the holiday spirit, which for most consumers includes an association with spending and generosity. More importantly, classic holiday music evokes nostalgia. Recent research shows that nostalgia elevates posi-tive moods and helps people feel better about themselves. They feel more connected to others and sense more continuity and meaning in their lives.

Nostalgia powerfully evokes the past in a rosy haze. Particularly in uncertain economic times, nostalgia transports people from the present back to a time that felt more under-standable, more familiar and within one’s control. After all, no matter what your past was like, you know what happened next—and that makes life feel more certain. Being eased into a sense of comfort and warmth is a recipe for increased spending on gifts in stores.

TouchBecause we’re significantly more likely to buy what we touch, retail-ers carefully design stores with roadblocks and tactile displays that encourage shoppers to handle the merchandise. Recent studies show that what we’re touching can even alter our decisions regarding completely unrelated financial mat-ters. For example, in one experi-ment people who held a warm pad invested 43% more money than those holding a cold pad.

Our eyes are naturally drawn to-ward the center of displays, where retailers often place the priciest items. The second most alluring placement is just to the right of center, the spot where right-handed people are most likely to grab first. A smart shopper will also look down, up, and to the left, to make sure all options are considered be-fore making a purchasing decision.

how do you effect what is happening?enhanced

sensory experience

by altering what you seewhat you hearwhat you smellwhat you tastewhat you touch

continuing research

senses inform > testing

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planned testing:suggested interaction

enhanced participation experimental lighting

proximity/arrangement of chairsalternative audio experience/trip

texture and pattern choice/material choicefood and drink offering

specific enhanced scent placementtemperature control/very warm and very cold

visual

audio

touch

smell

taste

senses inform > testing

project timeline

wk 1-4

wk 5-8

wk 9-12

wk 12- graduate

manipulate space/test ideas

prototype refinement

test new prototypes in space

refine prototypes/packaging

Documents

Prototyping new environments for waiting