Social Sanctuaries in Transition: How Service Design can Transform Bathroom Etiquette

Bock, Caroline Warmdahl ; Lade, Astrid Nellemann

4. term

Service Systems Design, Master

2025

2025-05-26

119 pages

The bathroom is an essential service that has evolved a lot through time. While it is primarily designed for functionality, it is heavily influenced by the context in which it is located. Our project began with a focus on the social and emotional dynamics that emerge in the women’s bathrooms in bars and clubs. These spaces are often described as private, supportive, and even sacred for some. As more social institutions shift from gendered to unisex bathrooms, there is a growing concern about how this transition affects the atmosphere, feelings of safety, and inclusivity. Through desktop research, surveys, and interviews, we found that while unisex bathrooms aim to reduce gender-based discrimination, they can also introduce new issues, particularly around safety and accessibility for women and non-binary individuals. Many express discomfort or fear when using shared spaces, especially in nightlife settings, where the risk of harassment can feel heightened. Historically, women’s bathrooms have offered more than privacy; they’ve served as social sanctuaries. Recent shifts in societal expectations, challenges that function. Our research indicates that many users, particularly men, are unaware of the fear their behaviour may unintentionally cause. The interactions, atmosphere and feelings of safety that make an impact in the bathroom is one that is difficult to describe using classic service design methods. This project is carried out using the five phases of design thinking methodology, in order to maintain an empathetic mindset throughout. Our goal is to raise awareness about the collective responsibility of creating safe shared spaces. To support this, we propose a campaign designed to encourage positive behaviour and invite reflection. The campaign is designed to fit into an existing nightlife safety initiative that the Copenhagen Municipality is working on. As part of the solution, bar/club owners will receive a safety kit containing the physical campaign materials, and a checklist for basic improvements that can foster a greater sense of safety.

Speculative Design ; Service Design ; Unisex Bathrooms ; Awareness

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