Equitable Design Solutions

Equitable Design Solutions is a UC Irvine Senior Design Project led by Professor Natascha Buswell. The ethos of the project group is rooted in the belief that engineering design should transcend mere functionality to embrace inclusivity and accessibility for all. As mechanical engineering students, we don't often go beyond conventional design paradigms. Working in the realm of universal design brought the challenge of incorporating a diverse range of perspectives and considerations throughout our design process, ensuring that every decision reflected an effort in understanding the needs and abilities of all individuals. 

A unique aspect of this senior design project was the freedom to choose something that we wished to redesign and make more equitable. We chose to redesign the UCI lecture hall desks. From our own experience, the desks are poorly designed for the needs of students. 

I'll add more photos and my specific parts of the project shortly. For now here is our final design binder.