In this body-positive era, multiple groups that were formerly silent have developed a public voice – larger-size users are now mobilizing to make it more likely that spaces designed are comfortable places for them to be.
Kim Severson, in the March 12, 2019 edition of The New York Times (“For Larger Customers, Eating Out Is Still a Daunting Experience,” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/dining/larger-customers-restaurants.html), reports that, “About 40 percent of Americans over age 20 were classified as obese in a 2017 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” She also quotes Cheryl Durst, the CEO of IIDA: “’We are in a great cultural moment where people are talking about equity and inclusion, and size falls into that,’ said Cheryl Durst…Design that considers the physical attributes of the people who use a space, as well as how they use it, is fast becoming popular, she and others said…’The good news is that people are thinking about it sooner, as opposed to retrofitting after the fact,’ she said. ‘But is it top of mind? No.’”
To comfortable serve larger customers, Severson reports that restaurateurs have, for example, “added movable furniture, wider booths and chairs that meet industry standards for people who weigh as much as 400 pounds.” Wider walkways streamline travel by larger customers. Severson’s article identifies organizations that review the in-place experiences of larger people and other groups of interest to empathetic designers. It is illustrated with compelling photos.
It seems likely that sooner rather than later the public discussion of designing for larger individuals will expand to include workplaces. When it does, the most positive outcomes will ensue when offices in use signal that users are respected and recognized by their employer – sentiments that have been linked to enhanced employee mood and performance. Workplaces can and must “fit” the people who work in them.
Sally Augustin, PhD, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com). Research Design Connections reports on research conducted by social and physical scientists that designers can apply in practice. Insights derived from recent studies are integrated with classic, still relevant findings in concise, powerful articles. Topics covered range from the cognitive, emotional, and physiological implications of sensory and other physical experiences to the alignment of culture, personality, and design, among others. Information, in everyday language, is shared in a monthly subscription newsletter, an archive of thousands of published articles, and a free daily blog. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.