Email: cheryllu66888@gmail.com
Instagram: @cherylluu0
Background Research
For my project Holding On, I began by researching various social phenomena that explore themes of time, patience, and waiting. One significant area that stood out to me was the gender disparity in public restroom access, where women are often faced with long queues while men can access facilities almost immediately. This ongoing issue sparked my interest, and I focused on how this experience of waiting impacts women and highlights broader societal inequalities. Through this project, I aim to raise awareness of these unequal experiences and prompt action towards more equitable public space design.
Background Research
Biological and Practical Needs
Restroom posture: Women generally need to sit or squat, whereas men can stand, which is often quicker.
Clothing: Women may need to remove or adjust more clothing, such as pants, skirts, or tightly fitted attire, which takes additional time.
Menstrual care: Women may spend extra time changing sanitary products like pads or tampons during their menstrual cycle.
Functional Needs
Urination frequency: Women often have smaller bladder capacities than men, leading to more frequent restroom visits.
Caregiving responsibilities: Women are more likely to assist children,
elderly individuals, or those with disabilities in public restrooms, which can extend their time spent.
Hygiene and Facilities
In public restrooms of the same size, a men's restroom can often accommodate 12 urinals and 2 stalls, while a women's restroom of the same dimensions can only fit 10 stalls.
The unequal experience of restroom use between genders inspired this project.
Women typically spend significantly more time in restrooms due to biological needs, clothing adjustments, menstrual care, and caregiving responsibilities.
This disparity is exacerbated by the traditional 1:1 ratio of male-to-female restroom stalls, despite statistics showing that women, on average, take 89 seconds compared to men's 39 seconds.
This inequitable design leads to long queues and frustration for women in public spaces, highlighting an urgent need for gender-sensitive restroom design.
Inspiration of Hooding On
The inspiration for Holding On is rooted in the personal and social experiences of waiting, particularly in public spaces. I drew from real-life observations and my research into the way waiting and time are often gendered. Observing the stark contrast between the quick access men have to restrooms and the long queues women face, I sought to visualize this experience in a creative and impactful way. The "crossing legs" gesture, which conveys the urgency and discomfort of waiting, became a key visual symbol. I wanted to capture this frustration while also offering a fresh perspective on the issue.
Inspiration of Hooding On
The inspiration for this project stems from the design of public restroom signs, which have long relied on simple, effective visual elements to guide users. By analyzing various restroom signs, key design elements were identified that informed the development of this project.
Traditional restroom signs, using universally recognized gender symbols such as a figure in pants for men and a figure in a skirt for women, provided a foundation of simplicity and clarity. This minimalist approach led to the adoption of a straightforward design to ensure the concept of urgency is immediately recognizable.
Additionally, color coding in restroom signs-blue for men and pink or purple for women-was used as an intuitive method to differentiate spaces. This inspired the decision to use a color gradient to visually express the growing urgency in waiting time.
Poster Display
This week, we printed our final poster in A2 size for the class exhibition. All the posters were displayed on the wall, providing a visual showcase of everyone's creative work. The variety of design approaches and layouts from my classmates offered a wealth of inspiration, especially in terms of typography and composition. Seeing how different design choices work in such a large format really helped me refine my own approach and consider new possibilities for presenting visual information.
The experience also emphasized the importance of spacing and alignment in creating an impactful poster. The diversity in execution made me appreciate the fine balance between creativity and clarity in design, further informing my future design choices.