Case study: How you can optimize your bathroom space
By: Nishi Diwan
Tags: Design Thinking, Ux Case Study, First Post, User Experience, Case Study

Coming from a Computer Science Engg background, I always had a sense of Design, since I primarily work with web apps and mobile apps for a living, but had zero (practical) knowledge about it. Having said that, I can’t articulate how happy it makes me write this case study. Recently I got my hands on a UX Kickstarter Workshop by GrowthSchool which led me to my first Design Thinking project ever, or anything even remotely related to UX for that matter 🤭. So my topic for the Design Thinking project was Bathroom and the goal was to identify existing gaps and enhance the users’ experience in that area.

It was decided that our teammates were going to be our users and we were introduced to the 5-step process of Design Thinking beforehand.

So here’s my journey…

EMPATHIZE

The main aim of this segment was to connect with our users and their perspective to (later) comprehend their problems better. I had to put myself in their shoes and see things from their standpoint.

It was a bit tricky to frame questions in the first place, let alone make them conversational 🤐. Most of my questions were unrestricted and I modified them as per each user. Some of my questions -

What is your ideal experience of a bathroom? Talk in detail, understand the behaviour From the ideal experience that you just explained, what all do you think is missing in your current bathroom? Converse more about pain points Talk about major turn-offs and must-haves How many members share the space? Any concerns about safety? (Could’ve framed better by asking about accidents, etc.) Appliances being used currently... Frequency and need for usage

I will be honest, my first interview was not so great and I did not know what I was looking for exactly but eventually, when I sat down and studied the answers, I could slightly get the gist of it better than before. So I studied the answers and made conclusions after each interview which helped me get a clearer idea of the bigger picture.

Finally, the insights I got from the user interviews are as below :

With this, I had just completed my first user interview! 🎊 It was not perfect and by the last interview, I had so much more perspective about what I could’ve asked and how I could’ve asked but could not go back to users due to a time crunch so instead, I followed what our mentor suggested-

“Don’t try to perfect it. Just be yourself. Your imperfection brings your uniqueness.”

DEFINE

Photo by Med Badr Chemmaoui on Unsplash

With the user profiles in hand, the next step was to identify ALL possible problem statements that I could infer and to figure out WHY were they important to the users. As I went deeper into it, I realized that to be able to get into the user’s experience without putting in your speculations was not easy 🥵. A simple concept that helped me was to learn, unlearn and relearn.

After consecutive sessions, I defined my problems as -

Sinks get clogged with hair — the next person faces inconvenience because water does not pass through easily Hard water at home stains the taps — continuous flow of water leaves stains on the taps and showers which makes cleaning difficult Tiles remain wet after use and smooth tiles make the flooring slippery — since the bathroom is frequently used, often the user enters a wet bathroom which feels untidy and also leaves footmarks. There are children at user #1’s home, does not want them to slip and fall by accident. User #2 lives with her grandma. No space to keep the phone — user #3 likes to listen to music and watch series but is often interrupted by nature’s calling. Can he have a seamless experience? The bathroom smells, mosquitoes are breeding —users view the bathroom as a “thinking place” where they would want to feel comfortable and not grossed out or unhygienic. Toiletries are out in the open — my users (college going students and working professionals) are always in a hurry and want to find things quickly, wants organization. Less space for hanging clothes and towels, etc. —sometimes, user #2 has to get dressed in the bathroom itself which needs more space but she finds it congested and is unable to do so.

IDEATE

Based on the above problems, I had to put on my thinking cap and come up with solutions that might solve the problem. My early ideas were a mix of extravagant and thrifty…

Install an automatic suction that pulls everything stuck in the sink (for something that can be manually done, is it worth the cost and effort?)

that pulls everything stuck in the sink (for something that can be manually done, is it worth the cost and effort?) Use matte tiles , avoids slipping (on researching, got to know that it does not solve 100%)

, avoids slipping (on researching, got to know that it does not solve 100%) Have robot vacuum cleaners (hmm, serves the purpose but maybe expensive?)

(hmm, serves the purpose but maybe expensive?) Use taps that are stain-resistant like plastics etc. (encourages plastic use, has its own disadvantages)

like plastics etc. (encourages plastic use, has its own disadvantages) Have inbuilt voice-controlled music in the bathroom (ok, expensive, not sure about feasibility, also not everybody’s priority)

in the bathroom (ok, expensive, not sure about feasibility, also not everybody’s priority) Use a diffuser with a nice smell and pest killing (solves both problems at once)

with a nice smell and pest killing (solves both problems at once) Using space below basin or above the flush toilet (easy to use the existing space)

or above the flush toilet (easy to use the existing space) Expandable hangers according to use (do-able, could it be a discomfort, make it more crowded?)

according to use (do-able, could it be a discomfort, make it more crowded?) A changing room attached to the bathroom (building an extra room in existing households might be an issue)

..but later when I let it rest, I could shortlist my three best solutions as below -

Extendable or Expandable hangers

It can also include a platform to keep stuff if required. This greatly increases the cloth hanging area specific to one of my user’s cases when she has to get dressed inside the bathroom itself. It’ll be a normal-sized hook plate but can be expanded if need be. I think it’s a cost-effective and achievable solution. Using the basin area for storage of toiletries

Most users complained of organization and this seems to be a good and effective use of available space. While serving the purpose, it will also look beautiful. Get a robot vacuum cleaner for mopping the bathroom floor

The issue of wet floors was a complaint of 75% of my users. Since they are in a hurry and cannot wipe it after every use, this automatic cleaner will do the job for them. It moves around the floor once and wipes off all the water making it completely dry. (Might be costly and would need maintenance!)

PROTOTYPE

I went ahead with the second solution since it was a common problem for users which needed solving. So I finally chose to use the basin area for the organization of toiletries!

I had also thought of a cupboard kind of thing above the flush toilet but then it could be a bit unreachable. Also, there could be a risk of things falling into the toilet 😅.

My Solution —

My arguments in support of the solution —

It solves the user problem of organizing the toiletries.

of organizing the toiletries. Keeping in mind that my users had complained of congested space, this solution does not require extra space, and instead, it uses the existing unused area in a very efficient manner.

in a very efficient manner. It is super organizable and can be customized with more/fewer drawers and shelves as per every users’ individual preference.

with more/fewer drawers and shelves as per every users’ individual preference. It also hides the basin pipe in a beautiful way and is also useful for storing all bathroom related things in one protected place without leaving it out to dust and germs.

in a beautiful way and is also useful for storing all bathroom related things in one without leaving it out to dust and germs. It also adds a beautiful vibe to the bathroom much to some of my users’ likings.

vibe to the bathroom much to some of my users’ likings. Using stone or ceramic material can be easily cleaned and doesn’t get damaged with the use of water as compared to wooden shelves or cupboards in the bathroom that are at risk of damage due to water. Since my users are college going students and working professionals with minimum time to spare, they will spend less time cleaning.

TEST

The next step was to get feedback from my users on the solution.

Iteration 1 :

Most users were satisfied with the solution…

“Really awesome ! ” “The design looks elegant…” “This is really good 🌟”

While they agreed that it was a brilliant idea, they also offered constructive feedback which brought me to my biggest learning so far in this project.

“My bathroom does not have a basin” (Yes I forgot this basic question in the first interviews 💢) “Soap, shampoo, conditioner, scrub, etc. should be easily reachable”

I realized that even though half of my users were okay with the product, it was completely ineffective for user #2, and user #1 had some trouble. So I decided to ask more questions based on the feedback and reiterate.

Iteration 2 :

After a long brainstorming session where I tried to somehow modify my current solution to make it usable, I kept reaching dead ends. So I scraped this solution and tried looking at it from a different perspective altogether. My understanding of toiletries was incorrect and I did not consider the inclusion of basins inside the bathroom. To provide users with easy access near the bathing area, I finally landed at a different solution based on the correct understanding.

My Solution 2.0 —

The dispenser is easier than squeezing out of a bottle, don't you think? 😉

My arguments in support of the solution —

It can be easily installed as per users’ preference and doesn’t particularly require a basin area.

as per users’ preference and doesn’t particularly require a basin area. The transparent containers indicate when they have to be refilled.

indicate when they have to be refilled. Dispensing is a very easy task even while bathing.

Features of the dispenser that makes it more usable

The big openings ensure that minimum spill and less cleaning.

ensure that minimum spill and less cleaning. It also has a hook structure at the side which can be used to hang mini towels or loofah, rubber band, hairband as the user suggested in the feedback.

at the side which can be used to hang mini towels or loofah, rubber band, hairband as the user suggested in the feedback. This design is also rustproof , which means water won’t damage it.

, which means water won’t damage it. Users can finally get rid of bottles laying around and falling in the bathroom. They have a fixed solution :)

User feedback and rating: They seemed happy with the usability of this solution!

“Good idea, affordable solution 👍” “Awesome, it’s easily installable rather than building the whole basin again! 👌” “Good, this solves my problem!”

While it took some time to go back and start all over again but that’s the price you pay to learn. But what we should remember is To err is to Human.

I really appreciate my users’ feedback, it gave me an opportunity to fix and present something which really does justice to their problem.

I believe that there was still a scope of improvement in the given solution, but due to a shortage of time, I couldn’t manage extensive feedback. ☹

MY TAKEAWAYS

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

✔️ My biggest takeaway was Design for the users. The fact that it is only they who matter. A solution may appear very simple to the designer, but to the users, it resolves their problem and that's what counts 😊!

✔️ Having practically done the project, I got a better understanding of all stages and the overall importance of each.

During the program, when it was instructed to not assume, I reassured myself of not doing so but here I am, guilty of the same 🙊 I quite get now what instructors meant when they repetitively said to have comprehensive interviews and ask the most basic questions.

All in all, it was an excellent experience for my first time 🏆 I hope to keep learning and growing with the same enthusiasm 🔥

#StudentForLife ✌