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Description
Public space design cannot be a one-size-fits-all project. It has often failed to reflect diversity and inclusion usually by overlooking women and minority groups in current design thinking and practice (Chuko & Chen, 2016; Geddes 2019; Sokolowsk, 2019). Due to cultural and religious diversity, designing inclusive spaces with women’s preferences in mind requires a novel mindset reflecting a tailored sensitive approach to the respective group (Huang & Napawan, 2021). This study explores how an empathic approach can be important in receiving designed public spaces by Muslim women in the United States and seeks conditions that make fitness centers inviting to their religious-cultural preferences and inhibitions.This study examines the following research questions: 1) How can incorporating empathy help with the lack of diversity and inclusivity in design? 2) How do we teach and practice empathic design? During the pandemic, with Covid-19 limitations, these questions were divided and answered through three research settings: a design studio class, fitness centers for Muslim women, and design professionals. Each of these settings was discussed in a separate study chapter answering the following sub-questions: a) How does design empathy within the design process shape students’ understanding of an inclusive and diverse design? b) How does fitness centers design align with empathy design principles? How do Muslim women perceive and experience inclusivity and diversity shortcomings in fitness centers? How can this knowledge inform empathic design? c) What are the challenges design professionals face in implementing empathic design in practice? What are the ways to overcome these challenges?
Mixed methods research and empirical case study approach, including surveys, semi-structured interviews, and field notes, was employed to answer these questions. The findings include the effectiveness of integration of empathy in design education, the discovery of insufficient diversity and inclusion within observed fitness centers and the affirmative likelihood of designers to incorporate empathy rigorously in their design process. These findings are crucial for designers who want to practice effective, competent empathy-driven design with accountability. The conclusion of this study confirms that integrating an empathic approach empowers minority women by promoting the awareness of equitable public spaces. This in turn increases the usage and implementation of public women-friendly locations. Keywords: Design empathy_ Accountability_ Inclusivity_ Minority groups _ Equity design_ Women-only space_ Fitness center_ Muslim Women _ Hospitality design _ Participatory Design
ContributorsDarvish, Taraneh (Author) / Talebi, Shahla ST (Thesis advisor) / Cheng, Chingwen CC (Thesis advisor) / Pfeiffer, Deirdre DP (Committee member) / Rohd, Michael MR (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022