Tidy up the Train Toilet - design of the MooVe concept

Tidy up the Train Toilet - design of the MooVe concept

Louts, T.E.

Sonneveld, M.H. (mentor)
Loth, M. (mentor)
Meier, M.C. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Industrial Design

Master of Science Design for Interaction

2011-07-05

This report describes the research and design process resulting into „MooVe?, a train toilet concept designed to increase user involvement in maintaining toilet cleanliness. As a master thesis project, the process was carried out at the Product Development department of NS [Dutch Railways] in Utrecht. » The department sets new train specifications based on customer research; » The results of this project contribute to the improved design of future train toilet. This project explored possibilities of introducing: Innovative train toilet features that optimally motivate and facilitate users, to keep the toilet tidy. The research addressed user-attitudes towards keeping the train toilet tidy, of any usage-dirt. » It was found users are particularly cautious in use, when they do not experience cleanliness. The current lack in tools results in considerable effort, required from the users willing to tidy. Both disturb the motivation of users to make an effort in tidying up; » Privacy was found to allow excuses of users: “not to tidy up, even when one notices the toilet is in need of tidying up”. It negatively affects the moral judgement (to self-justify) not-to-make an effort in tidying up. Users are optimally motivated and facilitated to tidy up, by introducing train toilet features that: trigger the user?s moral to tidy up; and enable users to maintain (at least) crucial issues of cleanliness, with ease. Particularly moral users with the anti-littering norm on their mind are now likely to make sure the toilet if left neat and tidy. » To prevent users from self-justifying not-to- tidy up, motivating features were designed to trigger the user?s moral through increased social awareness and an increased sense of –possible- social rejection (by toilet users and by train passengers). In this way, the „demoralising? effect of privacy on users was counteracted, not privacy of the user itself; » In addition, experiencing less anonymity (from toilet users and from train passengers), by reducing the contrast in anonymity (in the toilet and in the train), was envisioned to encourage the user?s moral to tidy up. » To prevent disturbing the user?s motivation by either lack of tools or lack of cleanliness, facilitating features were designed to maintain cleanliness of crucial cleanliness elements, with minimal user effort to satisfactory results; » In addition, perceiving how these features –having been used- benefit the cleanliness of the toilet to the present user?s advantage, was envisioned to encourage use of the features. An experiential prototype study was set-up to test the concept, in a research setting. » Because the behavioural sciences of research into social pressures and motivations are outside the scope of this design project, the prototype study was intended as indicative-only in obtaining the design goals. » By using the prototype, it was determined whether the concept features were: not disturbing privacy or toileting; were noticed by the participants; and were used as designed. » In addition, indications of reduced anonymity were sought. » Key conclusions and recommendations to NS are listed here.

Train toilet
Persuasive design
NS
Motivation
User centered
Cleanliness
Toilet

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:7821623e-cf1e-4abe-a268-7c0913cd4750

2012-07-05

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2011 Louts, T.E.