one week of research

The spring quarter has officially started, and that means it is time to really get rolling on this project. The next nine and a half weeks will be mostly self-governed; the faculty seem to really just be in the background, available for advice when needed.

I've given myself this first week to do some literary research, and have made it through one complete book so far: "Ladies and Gents," edited by Olga Gershenson and Barbara Penner. Even though the book focused a lot on gender differences and equalities in public restrooms, it had some particularly interesting insight into cultural norms and female urinals. The book also talks a lot about the social taboo of the subject of toilets, defecating, and urination. It also proposes that public toilets are not as female-friendly as they are male-friendly because they are largely designed and manufactured by men.

This frames the problem (redesigning the portable restroom) as a physical and psychological one; not only must the space be more accommodating, but it must encourage a popular revision of common attitudes around toilets, bathrooms, and the public.