Learning Resources

Abstract: As new spaces, services, and experiences are being designed and redesigned on campuses, many teams are engaging users (and non-users) in the planning process. Where engagement goes wrong is when it doesn’t connect to your audience or your objectives. So how do you ensure that input from your engagement is contributing to an effective and intelligent design? Using our work at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and SUNY Fredonia as case studies, we’ll show you how to align your method of engagement with participant type, diversify input and unpack findings, and optimize the experience for participants.

Abstract: This article looks at how behavioral research can be an effective tool to use during the redesign process of university plazas. It also summarizes the research that was conducted at University Union Plaza at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), a 30-year-old plaza that is scheduled to be redesigned. Through the use of behavioral and cognitive mapping techniques, this research illustrates how people react to various design characteristics of the existing plaza and how this affects the way they use the space. The research was used as a tool to analyze the positive and negative design attributes of the existing plaza and to provide recommendations for its redesign. The research method described in this article was an effective way for Cal Poly planners to analyze the plaza’s existing design and provides justifiable recommendations for its redesign. This research has not only been beneficial to planners at Cal Poly but can also be useful for professionals at other university campuses interested in redesigning plazas and communal areas.