Observing the everyday

The act of taking a shower is, for many of us in the 1^st world, a daily ritual. Thus the need for good product design and concise use of anthropometric and ergonomic data is that of a vital one. The first area in which good design can be seen within the shower environment is when looking at the way the water is drained, slightly angled flooring is a very common means in which this is done. This, alongside grooved or patterned flooring which is often seen in moulded shower basins allows water to flow away with ease (whilst also offering friction to help remove the risk of slipping when the basin is wet).

Next the factor of how a single shower system can be designed to suit the mass majority must be addressed, the vast majority seem to choose the simplest option, adjustability. This is most noticeable when looking at the shower head, through using grips the height and pitch of the shower head can be modified with ease in order to suit most all users.

In addition to this, the heat and strength of water flow can also be adjusted, this is a hugely important and necessary factor on any modern shower system as it allows the user to have control over the experience. By doing this you offer variety in its use, another example of where this takes place is when looking at the variety of shower heads on the market, many now offer different settings in how the water is designed to be released (e.g. Jet, light shower or a mix of both.)

Another factor of the design is the way in which the water is stored inside the unit, rubber seals are used on joints to contain water within the system itself whilst a hose, encased in metal ring tubing to strengthen the tubing and help insulate the water runs from the control/feed unit to the shower head. All these pieces are designed to be fitted together with threaded locks in order to allow for it to be taken apart for easy repairs and replacement of parts without the need of a specialist.

All these factors make for a very reliable and thought out system, however there are also some bad aspects to the act of taking a shower. Due to the constant daily use, often lime scale begins to fester in the rubber holes of the shower head, thus stopping the water flow or causing the water to fire out at an angle as opposed to straight down to the floor. Also in the case of a family house hold, often the water boiler cannot keep up with the rate of use and thus the latter people tend to not experience the same temperature as those going first. Both these factors are issues that could be rectified with some design innovation however, I feel that it is necessary to point out that these factors are not the fault of the shower unit, but rather external factors that cause implications on the experience at hand.

Link to image used: https://www.tritonshowers.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/4/image/1230x1230/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/i/mixer-shower-thames-mini-sequential-exposed-list.jpg