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home / programmes / research associates / 2003 / safe and sensual
Mary Wagstaff / Design Products
safe and sensual:
improving the bathing environment for older people
click for larger image
One in two European adults will be over 50 by the year 2020 but for many older people, using the bathroom induces anxiety. The shower in particular is seen as complex and difficult to use and an accident waiting to happen.
As a consequence, says Research Associate Mary Wagstaff, "Many people with the physical impairments of age deny themselves the therapeutic benefits of regular showering because they just don't feel safe or comfortable."
Wagstaff, an RCA graduate in Ceramics & Glass, teamed up with German company Hansgrohe, Europe's largest shower manufacturer, to explore the challenges that older and less able people face in the bathroom and develop a new design approach that includes their needs.
Illustrated concepts
The study began in October 2001 with a market analysis of existing bathroom products, a questionnaire asking 100 people - young and old - to describe their bathing habits and preferences, and the development of initial design concepts based on feedback from a lead user group. These included illustrated proposals for pressure-sensor tile taps, shower tiles and a shower seat, captured in a publication for Hansgrohe entitled 'Waterfall'.
The second year of the project broadened its scope from generating new product concepts to a company-wide initiative to make Hansgrohe's design strategy more socially inclusive right across all its development. As Hansgrohe head of design Michael Kiolbassa explains: "It became no longer about designing a special product for older people but about instilling a whole attitude in the company for inclusive design."
A user forum attended by six older people, carried out in Hansgrohe UK's showroom in Esher, Surrey, evaluated existing company products and highlighted a range of strengths and weaknesses in relation to ease of use. These findings were then explored in a workshop in Germany for senior Hansgrohe managers across a range of business disciplines, led by Mary Wagstaff. The cognitive, physical and visual impairments of ageing were simulated using props such as special tinted glasses so that those in charge of Hansgrohe's product and sales development could see for themselves the challenges faced by older bathers.
Insights generated by this process were translated into a set of inclusive design guidelines for Hansgrohe to adopt. "What we've learnt will go into our products step by step when we have meetings with our designers," says Michael Kiolbassa.
Design guidelines
Ethnographic studies in older people's homes added a fresh round of user research to the project and further design concepts were generated in order to make the total bathing environment more accessible. Hansgrohe's interest in how space is used resulted in a proposal for a continuous prefabricated ribbon to form shelving, shower seat, toilet and basin within the bathroom.
Mary Wagstaff shot and edited a ten-minute documentary which captures the entire project on video, illustrating its key design principles, activities and concepts. Other outcomes from the study include the publication of corporate guidelines, presentations and reports designed to sustain Hansgrohe's commitment to inclusive design in the long term.
"This project was completely new for us, our first attempt to deal with the over-50s," says Michael Kiolbassa. "It made the problem visible for us. Good design is not just about the form of the product but also its functionality. This is especially true in relation to something complex like a shower panel."
research partner: Hansgrohe