Bad Designs on Campus - Example Submission
Doors to Pierpont - Where do I push?
Submitted by: Yakko Warner, Master's Student, Mechanical Engineering
Problem description: Leaving Pierpont can be a challenge at times. When approaching the west exit doors (depicted below), one sees nothing but bars on the doors that are completely centered on each door. There is no indication as to which side the doors should be pushed. To complicate matters, the push-side pattern on these doors (all hinged on the left) is not consistent with other push-side patterns in the Pierpont building, such as the northeast exit (hinged on the right and left.)
Proposed solution: Ideally, the push bar would not extend to the hinged side of the door (see example from Pierpont Connector west exit, below left). This push mechanism guides the user toward the side that should be pushed. In the event that the door is already installed with this ambiguous feature, a sign could indicate to the user the appropriate side to push (example from EECS west exit below right).
