COVID'19 Surface Contamination
User Research | Brainstorming | User Testing
Duration: 3 Months
Research paper published at ICoRD'23 (International conference on Research into Design) conducted by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Authors: Swetha Konduru, Anushka Gurjar, Hardik Saxena, Siddhi Sardana, Brajesh Dhiman
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Research Title
To attempt the scope of contamination due to unavoidable touching of public surfaces within the educational campus mitigating the spread of covid infection.
Introduction
How does surface contamination occur?
COVID-19 is a viral respiratory disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV. It is transmitted through droplets through the air, direct contact with the person, or surface contact.
Droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces are the most frequent transmission modes of COVID-19
Direct contact with devices such as elevator buttons, door knobs, table tops, computer mice, and keyboards can contribute to the spreading of viral diseases.
Contextual Inquiry in Karnavati University
We started our research by observing the people and their lifestyles in the university campus. We had interesting conversations with the students and staff and identified problems that could provide us with scope for research.
Commonly touched public surfaces
Listed below are the most populated places in the campus are the corresponding commonly touched surfaces. Overall we observed that door handles, table tops and water taps were surfaces that were unavoidable to touch but also the most commonly touched.
Converging the Problem
Based on our findings and the observations made, we conducted a card-sorting activity to group all the various observations made into categories. These categories in turn formed the basis for us to choose the most prevalent problem at hand and frame the research statement.
We observed that people identified the spread of covid virus mainly through hygienic environmental surfaces and crowd density.
Expert interview with doctor
Our interviewee is Dr. Devender Sardana who is a general surgeon practicing for more than 18 years.
Key takeaways from the interview:
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It takes 10-12 mins for the coronavirus to contaminate any surface.
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The virus lasts on the surface anywhere between 2hrs to 7 days depending on the type of surface.
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One of the main reasons of surface contamination is improper sanitization and disregard for impacts brought on by the virus.
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Our immune system also plays a major role in this context.
Secondary Research
Contamination based on Porosity of Surfaces
The spread of the coronavirus through surface transmission occurs mainly when droplets from the infected person fall on a surface and an uninfected person touches that surface. The virus can survive on a variety of porous and non-porous surfaces.
On porous surfaces, studies report an inability to detect viable viruses within minutes to hours. On non-porous surfaces, viable viruses can be detected for days to weeks. The apparent, relatively faster inactivation of the virus on porous compared with non-porous surfaces might be attributable to capillary action within pores and faster droplet evaporation.
COVID-19 Surface Life
Case Study
University of Arizona
The study showed that just a single doorknob can spread germs throughout office buildings, hotels, and health facilities within hours. In that study, researchers applied samples of a virus to doorknobs and tabletops. Within two to four hours, the virus had been picked up by 40 to 60 percent of workers and visitors in the facilities and could be detected on other frequently touched objects.
Design Intervention
Based on the primary and secondary research conducted, we went on to prioritize a specific surface which we will be working upon. We decided to work on brainstorming solutions to minimize surface transmission of virus through door knobs.
User Testing
User testing is done by adopting a weighted matrix tool known as Pugh chart. It is a useful decision-making tool that helps to evaluate multiple entities based on specific evaluation criteria weighted by importance. The scores given by the users also help in rethinking the design process and facilitate iteration.
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Sample Size : 37
Background : Students from different urban cities studying at Karnavati University.
Sampling : Random Sampling method
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Shown below is the preview of the response of user 1.
Analysis of Results
In our survey, we identified that the highest value which was 62.7% was given to the handheld device by the users. While 12% was given to the Foot lever and 25.3% to Foot Pedal.
The design evaluation conducted inclined towards people's preferences towards designing a physical intervention as a user-centered portable door assistance device to facilitate the opening and closing of doors to minimize human contact with public surfaces and therefore reduce the spread of COVID-19 through contaminated surfaces.
Product Features and Description:
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Portable
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A wide surface enables users to provide more pressure while pressing.
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Used for holding railings in a bus.
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Can resonate with a wide variety of age groups.
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There is a clear distinction for both ends so that only one of them comes in contact with the surfaces.
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It is a cost-effective product, easy and handy to carry.
My Experience on presenting our Research Paper
ICoRD'23 was a 3-day conference packed with research papers delivered by speakers from various countries. It was exciting for me to deliver my first paper in front of such a sizable crowd. The audience gave us both encouraging and constructive feedback. They prompted me to reflect more deeply on the product's usability and its wider application. It was a fantastic learning opportunity.
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