6 UX lessons you can learn in the toilet

A toilet against a black and white floor – a place to learn UX lessons
(Image credit: Getty Images)

UX lessons can come from the most unlikely of places. After all user experiences are all around us, in every product we use. And that includes the bathroom. Yes, it may sound unlikely, but there are some important UX lessons that can be learned on the toilet. So next time you head to the loo, forget about a magazine or your tablet. All you need is a little observation to gain insights into how to design goal-oriented, task-based, time-critical user interactions and interfaces. Seriously, bear with us, and head to a public toilet near you.

What we're looking for here is actually examples of bad user experience, and that's where a lot of the most important UX lessons can be learned. A lot of public toilets are a catalogue of design failings, and when we realise that, it should perhaps be no surprise that websites and apps have usability issues if all these years, designers still haven't cracked such a simple everyday activity as our need to answer nature's call. So let's take a look and see what UX lessons we can learn from good and bad toilet design. 

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Chris How is an experience lead at Webcredible, a UX agency in London, and is one of the organisers of UX Camp Brighton. He also rides horses and makes salami.
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