User Centered

Clearly, even the design of something as deceivingly simple as a urinal can have a myriad of issues to consider and design around.

If this article on urinals isn't "studying the design of everyday things," then I don't know what is.

I will add this adecdote though. These sensors almost never work for my son, presumably because he's too short (he's almost 5). Of course, this is frustrating for me because he's trying to be good citizen and flush all the time. If he goes unchecked/unmonitored, I'll walk in to find him moving his hand all over this thing trying to get it activate, completely defeating the point of "touchless." I've noticed that most of the times, he's still (what appears to be) in an acceptable range of the sensor- ie, it's right at or even below his eye level, but it still doesn't "see" the little guy.

New readers: I do try to keep the linked to articles to a minimum. I save those (when applicable) for publishing to Usability in the News instead. But sometimes I think there's a good connection, or someone happens to write something that I've been thinking about (ICE always beats me to the punch).