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Continence concerns can result in older people limiting the time that they are away from home and the distances that they are willing to travel. This in turn reduces their quality of life and goes against the drive towards social inclusion and active participation within the community. However public toilet provision is not just an issue for older people - it is important for people of all ages, from parents with children to people on medication.
Vandalism, cost of upkeep, extended closure and inaccessibility are amongst the issues that affect these facilities and there is an opportunity for design to play a key role in improving services.
This project, part of a three-year study led by Brunel University under the New Dynamics of Ageing research programme, aims to generate design solutions that will improve toilets for an ageing population and is now in its second year. Research was conducted to understand the perspective of two distinct groups - those who use public toilets and those who provide them. Both groups will be kept involved throughout the project to give feedback on concepts and prototypes as work progresses.
Nearly 100 interviews were conducted with users focusing on the ageing process. This gave a snapshot of how the human bladder ages and how toileting needs differ. People were asked about their experience of toilet facilities when away from home: many difficulties, anxieties and limitations were uncovered. For many people, it was important to express the central role that public toilets play in the planning and enjoyment of a simple shopping trip or a night out.
"Poor public toilet provision can reduce quality of life not just for the elderly but for people of all ages..."
To organise the issues from respondents and consolidate the amount of data gathered, four representative personas were created to communicate and highlight the central concerns. Each character profile represents a group of interviewees in terms of age, location and lifestyle, and highlights specific concerns with toilet facilities due to age, health or family situation. The four personas are: a young woman with irritable bowel syndrome; a middle-aged man with a young family; a retiree with some age-related health problems and a locally based octogenarian with limited mobility.
Nine areas of focus came from this research: journey, provision, hygiene, security, privacy, location, architecture, product design and user experience. Concept designs were created around the first theme of journey, looking at planning the day and finding good-quality facilities. These include a system that helps people see which toilet facilities are available before leaving the house and a rating system that allows the users themselves to give feedback on a particular facility whilst drying their hands. Ideas were presented to some of the original interviewees for feedback.
During the next phase of the project, organisations that provide and maintain toilet facilities were interviewed. These were organised into public bodies such as local authorities, regional authorities and planning departments, semi-public facilities such as stations, parks and shopping centres, and private facilities such as department stores. The manufacturers of permanent and temporary toilet facilities were also interviewed.
The nine areas that the users focused on were presented to this group, but the concerns of the providers were more angled towards financial constraints and problems regarding accidental or intentional misuse. The final year of work will integrate this research to develop a range of design ideas to improve toilet provision and services for both users of public spaces and providers alike.
