Designing for Research and the Researcher—Human-Centered Design in Laboratories

What happens when a laboratory is designed to support the research but not the researcher? High-performance laboratory environments must do more than meet technical and safety requirements—they must also support the diverse people who use them. Human-centered design should be a fundamental principle of laboratory design, creating environments where people with a wide range of physical, sensory, and cognitive needs—including those with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent—can work safely, comfortably, and effectively. But how do we balance these various needs?

This interactive presentation will explore design strategies that balance laboratory safety and performance with accessibility, inclusivity, and user comfort. The speakers will share survey findings from a range of laboratory environments to examine what current laboratory users value, need, and experience in their workspaces. Through discussion and interactive examples, participants will consider how seemingly small design decisions can significantly affect usability, safety, and inclusion—and how designing for diverse users can create better laboratory environments for everyone.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies that not only enable excellent research, but also support the people who make that research possible.

Learning objectives:
1 Describe the principles of human-centered design and their relevance to laboratory environments.
2 Recognize how laboratory design decisions can affect occupant safety, accessibility, comfort, and well-being.
3 Evaluate design strategies for balancing laboratory performance and safety with the diverse physical, sensory, and cognitive needs of laboratory users.
4 Apply inclusive design strategies to create laboratory environments that support a wide range of users and abilities.