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Issued:22/03/13
Bathroom use and behaviour is the subject of an exhibition in Turkey which showcases the work of a Sheffield Hallam University-led design project in collaboration with the Istanbul Technical University (ITU).
The "loolab" exhibition at ITU aims to pose questions to members of the public to establish insights into bathroom rituals which will be used to create and inform ideas for new bathroom designs.
Professor Paul Chamberlain, head of Sheffield Hallam's Art and Design Research Centre and director of Lab4Living, is leading the project and is at the exhibition which opened this week in Istanbul.
He said: "The project shows our commitment to user-centred design and it gives people an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences of bathrooms, a topic rarely discussed. We have developed creative ways to engage people in this sensitive issue.
"The loo-lab project is focused especially on developing understanding of older users experiences and encourages inter-generational and cross-cultural discussion which we believe will inform better bathroom products for the future."
The project will consist of a series of exhibitions over the next few months and the launch of a social media site (www.loo-lab.com) which will provide opportunities for people to contribute their own thoughts and feedback. A group of 30 older people engaged in a workshop in conjunction with the exhibition.
Berrak Salgamcioglu, MSc and Design Researcher from the Department of Industrial Product Design at ITU, said: "Engaging older people in this way is a new approach that has great value for academia and industry and has a positive impact on the older participants who can contribute in the creation of new products."
The project is funded by the British Council's UK-Turkey Higher Education Partnership programme and supported by world-leading bathroom manufacturer, VitrA and coincides with Turkey’s Respect for Older People Week and the United Nation’s International Water Day.
The current exhibition also includes work from design students from Sheffield and Istanbul Technical University. Students from both universities used social media sites Facebook and Twitter to exchange ideas about bathroom design in Turkey and the UK, with a particular focus on the impact of culture, sustainability and the ageing population.
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The project name "loo-lab" is also a play on the equivalent to the word "loo" in Turkey, where the bathroom is referred to as "room 100".
Roger Bateman, who teaches furniture design at Sheffield Hallam, said: "This project is a great example of an international collaboration which combines expertise in teaching, research and industry.
"Students from both universities enjoyed a really engaging exchange of ideas and the exhibition is an excellent way of encouraging even more user-informed discussion on design."
As part of the project, second year furniture design student David Manning was awarded the chance to travel to the exhibition in Istanbul to share his ideas and work with exhibition visitors and to meet with representatives from VitrA.
Sheffield Hallam has a strong reputation for using consumer-focused research to influence and improve design, with previous projects such as Engagingaging encouraging a better understanding of how design could improve the lives of senior citizens.
The exhibition, which runs at ITU until March 29, is due to tour around various locations in Turkey, culminating with the International Design Congress in Istanbul in November.
