Behavioral Architecture

1. What are examples of architectural design that you consider to be epic failures?

An example of architectural design that I consider to be an epic failure is doors. Some doors are designed in a good fashion and signs or visual clues tell you whether to pull or push on the door. However, some doors you have no idea how to open them. I have also encountered doors that you know you are supposed to push them. The only problem is you don't know what side to push on. Another failure with doors is the placement. I have been to store (meijer) where the entrance is on the left side. This can be very confusing to the user since we are a very right-handed culture.

2. Good, Bad & Ugly. Choose a building on K campus & analyze its behavioral and visceral usability.

A building that I think has good architectural design is Hicks. Not only is Hicks very appealing, but it is also very behaviorally sound. When inside Hicks you know how to get to a certain place. The visual aids and clues help a lot in navigating through it. The aspect that I like the most about Hicks is the openness. If you are confused about how to go to the second floor you can just look. Everything is so wide open that you can see the stairs and possible routes to your destination.

3. What is the flaw in the current design process? How could this problem be fixed?

The current flaw in the design process is the lack of feedback. People must first use a building and experience the good and bad aspects of it before a substantial amount of feedback can be administered. I think that this is a very difficult problem to address. During the design process of a building you must think of every aspect and consider all possible pros and cons of the design. This will help to predict the possible flaws in the design.