HMW improve the outside seating experience in public spaces?
The Problem
- Not enough scenic outdoor seating areas on college campuses
- People want a place to escape from daily stresses through ease and convenience.
- Space to bring people closer to nature, while allowing them to both relax and diversify study spaces on campus
Key Insights from User Research
- A lack of power outlets and tables prevented people from studying effectively outside.
- Outdoor spaces should be in close proximity to classrooms and lecture halls for easy accessibility.
- People seek quiet and peaceful places to study or relax in.
- The environment should be aesthetically pleasing and welcoming.
- There should be a sense of privacy yet still within a public space.
Convergent Thinking
- More outlets outside
- Add tables to existing benches near classrooms
- A calming, aesthetic waterfall fountain
- A center wall that anyone can write a nice note on
- Make the crowded areas feel more private
- Make tables larger
- More seating on memorial glade
- Outdoor “rooms”
- Retractable shade screen
Divergent Thinking
- Retractable shade screen
- A calming, aesthetic waterfall fountain
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Retractable Screen
User grabs folded screen attached to the chair → pulls it to open → shade is now over user’s head and blocks sun from laptop screen → user likes working outside now on a laptop
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
High-Fidelity Prototype
Insights from Usability Testing
- make the shade fold in half instead of multiple folds like an accordion
- support structures should be stronger so it would be easier to open and stay
open on its own
- shade should be umbrella type material
- since the shade would rest on the back of a chair add a way to adjust height of shade to accommodate for different heights of people
