CPSC 444 L2B FacilityFinder - Blog Update #1

This blog post will include the original project proposal, and the updates to the project direction. It will also include 3 task examples to illustrate the plan for the project.

Original Project Proposal

The UBC Campus Washroom Guide (BB - L2A)

It will offer a user-friendly interface for quickly locating washrooms across the UBC campus. Key features include a real-time location-based Emergency Mode for urgent needs, detailed information on washroom availability and accessibility, and user feedback integration for continuous improvement. This app aims to enhance campus experience by ensuring convenient and timely access to washroom facilities for students, staff, alumni, and visitors.

Project Update

To get this project started, we have decided to focus on building access, we have limited our scope to washrooms on the UBC Vancouver campus, and we have identified a few details that a user may look for when trying to find a washroom.

Firstly, we want to focus more on the user's ability to access the washroom in the first place. Some information that would be necessary for the user include building access (ex. public access, private keycard access), building hours, accessible entrance locations, and any ramps or elevators that may be necessary to access the washroom.

Secondly, we wanted to clarify our scope to be washrooms on the UBC Vancouver campus. This would provide a wide variety of washrooms and building types to work with, and it would be easy to find participants to test the interface. While washrooms and building access are the focus with this first interface, future work could expand to other amenities on campus such as water fountains, showers, microwaves, etc.

Finally, we have identified some information that a user would want to know when looking for a bathroom. As the location of men's, women's, and gender-neutral washrooms may vary, being able to filter the results would be important. Similarly, the user may want to know if a washroom is busy as this may affect factors such as privacy, cleanliness, and wait time. The user may also want to know if there are other features such as baby changing stations, menstrual product dispensers, or sharps containers.

Task Examples

Task Example 1: Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a biomedical engineering and experimental medicine graduate student at UBC. Jeffrey’s partner works on campus as well and he considers himself to be well familiar with general campus amenities. On days when they are both busy, they utilise UBC’s daycare service for their child. Jeffrey, his partner, and their child (Geoff) will often meet on campus after work/class before deciding on dinner plans. Geoff – being 13 months old, requires regular diaper changes. He prefers to do so in male bathrooms that have a changing table as he doesn’t like occupying the accessible bathroom unless absolutely necessary.

Jeffrey knows of 2 bathrooms on campus that have changing tables. One in his department’s building, and another close by to his and his partner’s usual meet spot. On occasion, his child will need a diaper change while he is exploring a new area of campus. During these times, Jeffrey typically opts for returning to 1 of his 2 safe bathroom spots as he is unfamiliar with which surrounding buildings have (ideally male) bathrooms with change tables, which buildings have restricted access, and where specifically the bathrooms are located within each building, etc.

Task Example 2: Karen

Karen is a parent taking photos of her son by the UBC fountain before his graduation ceremony. This is her first time on campus, so she is unfamiliar with the facilities. The ceremony is starting soon, so she wants to find a washroom nearby that she can access quickly without much walking since she is wearing uncomfortable shoes. Since it is a later in the day, she is not sure which buildings are open to the public and which ones need keycard access, such as those that are locked after a certain time. It would take some time to check each building for access and facilities, and she is not sure which one will be easiest to access for her. She can ask her son for directions, and he is able to direct her towards a building, but she does not know where to go after entering the building and needs a way to find further directions.

Task Example 3: Marie

Marie is a new teaching staff member at UBC and requires a wheelchair to move across campus. She has not had an orientation of the buildings she is teaching in and is not familiar with where facilities are located. Marie has a very busy schedule, with lecture blocks right after each other. She needs to find a washroom between her classes that is wheelchair accessible. She also wants to find a washroom that is close to her next class but worries about washroom availability with many students also using this time to use the restroom.