Human Factors in Public Facilities Design

Abstract

This article describes research examining people's perception of public facilities to show how consumers' beliefs can be used for environmental design and maintenance. In this study, beliefs about the negative aspects of public restroom environments were investigated. A total of 199 participants rated the level of various elements relevant to safety, design, and security. Cleanliness, better ventilation, and better maintenance were perceived as the greatest problems of public restroom designs. In general, females gave higher ratings. Many of the problem factors can be addressed using HF/E expertise.