User Interviews

Recruitment Criteria

Notes from User Interviews

Sample Questions

Can you describe your last experience of using a hotel bathroom? What was it like?

How is your experience different in the hotel bathroom as compared to the one at your private residence? Can you think of few ways in which you use this space differently?

What in your opinion is the best thing about hotel bathrooms?

Are there any specific preferences that you have for your room’s bathroom? If yes, do you communicate this?

Is there any part of the grooming experience that you felt could have been different?

Do you feel limited, obliged or constrained in any way when using a hotel bathroom?

Share a story about one of your experiences in the hotel bathroom?

Since the topic of bathroom grooming rituals in hotels is a fairly relatable but subjective experience, I decided to approach people

• Who were from diverse backgrounds.

• Travel frequently (for leisure and/or for work).

• Have travelled to numerous places internationally to uncover if I would find any common ground while targeting a breadth of stances and varied stories and on the topic.

I reached out to people using Instagram, LinkedIn and through posting flyers locally in Pittsburgh.

I also tried reaching out to hotels in Pittsburgh (namely, The Kimpton Hotel Monaco and The Omni William Penn Hotel) however there was much hesitation with respect the use of information from the interview for commercial purposes or there was no relevant person I could find speak with.

However, I got positive responses on social media and a chance meeting with an avid traveller at a seminar I attended who I later interviewed.

The difference in usage of a hotel bathroom v/s private bathroom (at home) was answered mostly in context of experiences in public bathrooms.

• Privacy was a key concern. All dislike compromise of privacy in a context that can be considered new and unknown.

• Accessibility of the availability of space brought up as an important factor that determines comfort in the experience.

• None identified sustainability as a priority although thought it was a "nice" initiative. Did not exactly find it to be a limitation/constraint but were mostly indifferent to sustainable practices as a way to enhance the experience.

• Importance of good design, functionality and relevance of amenities provided was acknowledged as a point in improving the experience, especially in budget hotels or in experience of shared facilities.

Activity Plan

Intent of Co-design Activities:

• What are the expectations with a given context of a hotel bathroom with respect to the money paid for it?

• How much time does one spend in the different parts of the grooming experience in a hotel bathroom and why?

• What are the thoughts & feelings running through them during that time? What are the metrics to measure one’s experience in a space designed for them?

Key Takeaways

• High Sensitivity - smallest elements can create a complete switch of emotions.

• Details are important.

• Maximizing physical sensations v/s Enjoy mental stimulation (2 types of people).

• Private activity - barely any discussions or talking amongst one another except when required.

• Designed their own Airbnb bathrooms with absolute essentials and priorities vary very slightly.

• Each person takes either very less time or a lot of time to pick elements - utility vs experience enhancement. But all want to take maximum advantage of all things available in the hotel bathroom context.