Lift observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Lift observation - Essay Example Modern lift design aims at providing passengers with more aesthetic enjoyment. The need for mobility within buildings has enhanced the design of lifts to create places of character and destination where people can meet. Lifts bring a sense of ease and pleasure among people. Ethnographic inquiry provides a seamless compatibility of ideas between the researcher’s own observations and other users; lift users. The perception of technical design determines how people interacted with lifts (Carroll, 2000). This research will consider how lift design enhances social interaction. As it has been the case, once people got into a lift, colleagues acted like strangers and dropped their voices to a hush. People rushed into corners and stood motionless. Passengers watched as floor numbers counted to their respective floors. These behavior and technological advancements in lift designs has prompted numerous researchers to study the inherent social interactions. The psychology of the architectural environment determines how the presence or absence of specific design features triggered lift habits (Honey, 2003). This study was based on observing lifts in The Shard; a high-rise building where lift usage is a necessity, and London Underground; where socio-cultural dimensions come into play. The quantifiable and unquantifiable dynamics of these spaces assist in gauging user behavior. Observations were divided into two parts to enhance the amount of data collected. In the first stage, I sat outside the lift banks watching people use the lifts while in the second stage; I travelled up and down trying to blend in with other users. Using the lifts brought about a clear understanding of the experience; from the users’ point of view. Population determined the level of social interaction. In London Underground, the population was higher than that in The Shard. The stations have barrier free access to and from street level. In The Shard, a security desk