Social Sanctuaries in Transition: How Service Design can Transform Bathroom Etiquette
Authors
Bock, Caroline Warmdahl ; Lade, Astrid Nellemann
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-26
Pages
119
Abstract
Bathrooms are an essential everyday service shaped by where they are located, not just by function. Our project examines the social and emotional dynamics in women’s bathrooms in bars and clubs, which are often described as private and supportive spaces. As more venues move from gendered to unisex bathrooms, new questions arise about atmosphere, safety, and inclusion. Through desk research, surveys, and interviews, we found that while unisex bathrooms aim to reduce gender-based discrimination, they can also introduce new challenges, especially for women and non-binary people. Many users feel discomfort or fear in shared spaces—particularly in nightlife settings, where the risk of harassment can feel higher. Historically, women’s bathrooms have served as social sanctuaries, and changing societal expectations are putting that role under pressure. Our research also indicates that many users, particularly men, are unaware that their behavior can unintentionally cause unease. The subtle interactions and atmosphere that shape feelings of safety are hard to capture with classic service design methods. To keep an empathetic focus, we used a five-phase design thinking process. Our goal is to raise awareness of the shared responsibility for creating safe, shared spaces. We propose a campaign that encourages positive behavior and reflection, designed to fit into an existing nightlife safety initiative by the Copenhagen Municipality. As part of the solution, bar and club owners will receive a safety kit with physical campaign materials and a checklist of basic improvements that can strengthen the sense of safety.
Toiletter er en grundlæggende hverdagsservice, som formes af stedet, hvor de er placeret – ikke kun af praktiske behov. Vores projekt undersøger de sociale og følelsesmæssige dynamikker i kvindetoiletter på barer og klubber, som ofte beskrives som private og støttende frirum. Når flere steder går fra kønsopdelte til unisex-toiletter, opstår nye spørgsmål om stemning, tryghed og inklusion. Gennem desk-research, spørgeskemaer og interviews fandt vi, at unisex-toiletter har til formål at mindske kønsbaseret diskrimination, men samtidig kan skabe nye udfordringer, særligt for kvinder og ikke-binære personer. Mange føler ubehag eller frygt i delte rum – især i nattelivet, hvor risikoen for chikane opleves som større. Historisk har kvindetoiletter fungeret som sociale frirum, men skiftende forventninger i samfundet udfordrer denne rolle. Vores data peger også på, at mange brugere, især mænd, ikke er bevidste om, at deres adfærd uforvarende kan skabe utryghed. De subtile interaktioner og den atmosfære, der former tryghed i toiletrummet, er svære at indfange med klassiske servicedesign-metoder. Derfor anvender projektet design thinking – en brugercentreret designproces i fem faser – for at fastholde et empatisk perspektiv. Målet er at øge bevidstheden om det fælles ansvar for at skabe sikre, delte rum. Vi foreslår en kampagne, der opmuntrer til positiv adfærd og refleksion, og som er tilpasset en eksisterende nattelivs-indsats i Københavns Kommune. Som del af løsningen modtager bar- og klubejere et sikkerhedskit med fysiske kampagnematerialer samt en tjekliste over grundlæggende forbedringer, der kan styrke trygheden.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords