Library Design Considerations

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Library design considerations

 Technology. Today’s libraries must provide easy access to technology. Carrels and desks

should be equipped with the necessary outlets and ports, and there should be plenty of

computer tables scattered throughout the library to meet user need. Storage shelves for

different types of media, including CDs, is also important to consider during the library

design phase.

 Accessibility. The library must be accessible to its demographic. Children’s areas should

feature appropriately sized shelving, tables, and chairs. Many of today’s computer tables

are adjustable, making them easy to use for people of all heights, as well as while sitting

or standing. Wheelchair accessible furniture is also necessary.

 Lighting. Good lighting is key in any library, and should comprise a combination of

natural lighting, overhead lighting, and table lighting. Today’s library furniture often

comes with built-in lighting to improve the patron experience. In addition, many shelving

units also come with lighting features that make it easier to find and see displayed books.

 User-Friendliness. Today’s libraries must be easy to use. Strategically placed

information desks reduce user stress, help orient the visitor, and ensure that there is

always a place to ask where to find materials and service.

 Comfort. The best libraries are those that have welcoming atmospheres, and are

attractive and inviting. While every library will have a slightly different layout, it’s

important that comfortable seating areas, designed for both individuals and groups, are

included in the library design.


Planning Considerations of a Coffee Shop

 Water Aside from the coffee bean itself, there is the water. After all, over 98% of the

liquid in a coffee beverage is water. That being said, the quality of your water source will

be a crucial element of the success of your coffee shop business.Among the things to

consider when choosing a water source are the levels of chlorine, silica, total dissolved

solids and pH. All of these will directly affect the taste of the coffee you will be serving.

 Supporting Sustainability and Balance In order to be sustainable, a coffee shop must

be able to make thousands of transactions on a daily basis. Many elements will either

work for or against this, such as the ergonomics of the actual shop, its location, and what

else besides coffee it will sell.

 Design The design of the coffee shop you choose will make a big difference to its

profitability. Everything from the coffee-making area to payment system used must be

efficient and designed to be conducive to human movement. Staff must be able to move

comfortably from one area to another, and customers must have clear paths to order and

pay for their items.

 Understanding Wastage A fact of coffee shop ownership is wastage. And the reality is

that keeping shelves scant and holding onto products longer than you should will not

inspire customers to enter or return to your establishment. Customers will want fresh

products as well as variety. Without these two elements, your business can quickly slide

into failure.

 Interior Design The set up of the room is what a customer will notice first when they

walk in. The best design allows for a free flow of foot traffic through the coffee shop.
Give the course of entering, ordering and seating, or exiting, priority. The furniture in a

coffee shop should be placed around that concept. Even when seating is limited, there

must always be a clear path to the exit without causing any disruption to the flow of foot

traffic.

 Theme From the font used in the name of the cafe to all the cafe tables and chairs, the

theme should stay consistent throughout everything. Owners could choose to make their

coffee shop cosy, fancy or rustic. The important point is to keep all the design relatively

similar in order to keep the theme consistent. Having a well thought out theme will make

customers feel that they are getting more than just a coffee.

 Colour Scheme Different colours evoke different emotions in people; this is also called

colour psychology (Morin, 2014). The colour scheme largely depends on the theme. If a

cafe owner is looking to create a relaxed environment they use low lighting and relaxing

colours like shades of blue, lavender, pale grey, etc. On the other hand, for a more

energetic and modern environment furniture in bright colours like shades of red, yellow,

and white should be used.

 Seating Designs The ultimate consideration, when designing a cafe, should always be

given to the space available. The theme will play a big role when choosing furnishings

but the available space is always priority. Bars along with comfortable seating like a

walnut bar stool are a great idea since they fit along a wall and take up less space. Bars
lined up against a window will be a customer favourite. Since coffee shops and cafes are

continuing to generate sales and are predicted to grow continuously entrepreneurs should

take the above pointers into consideration when designing a cafe. A company that offers

various coffee shop friendly furniture like tables and chairs in various colours, folding

tables and chairs, bar stools and much more is AJ Products.

Retail Store Planning Consideration

 Store Design: The use of strategic floor plans and space management, including

furniture, displays, fixtures, lighting, and signage. Website designers and user experience

(UX) researchers use space management techniques and web design principles to

optimize e-commerce websites. We’ll further discuss a variety of popular retail floor

plans later in this article.

 Customer Flow: This is the pattern of behavior and way that a customer navigates

through a store. Understanding customer flow and the common patterns that emerge

when customers interact with merchandise based on the store layout is critical to retail

management strategy. Physical retailers are able to track this using analytics software and

data from in-store video and the wifi signal from smartphones. For example, solution

providers like RetailNext provide shopper analytics software for retailers to understand

flow and optimize the customer experience based on in-store video recordings. The

technology also exists to track the digital customer flow and online shopping behavior.
Using “cookies” and other software, online retailers can track customer behavior,

including how customers interact with their website.

Playroom Planning Considerations

 Count your Dollars and Cents. Deciding how much to set aside for your child’s play is

very much a personal decision. And one that you should come to terms with early on in

the project, so that it lays the expectations for the designer and helps with other smaller

decisions that you’ll need to make along the way.

 Keep Safety First Since a playroom would likely be the place where your kids spend

most of their waking hours in, it is important to make sure everything is childproof. Of

course, this does not mean that design has to be compromised during the process. Alex

Yang from Quirky Haus advises, “When we talk about a playroom for kids, nothing is

more important than child safety. We need to make sure that the playroom has a design

that attracts the child, entices them to stay in it, without compromising on safety. This

means eliminating sharp edges of custom carpentry or shelves and cabinets, and ensuring

the height of the furnishings is appropriate for the child.”

 Consider the space and storage required As Vester Chia from Love Home points out,

one of the most important things you have to consider is the layout of the room. Space

planning is the most important factor. There must be sufficient space for storage and

space for activity. In terms of storage, you can consider a mixture of built-in storage and

ready-made shelves and cabinets that are accessible and within the reach of your child.

Shelves that can accommodate both books and toy boxes usually work best to keep

clutter at bay.
 Consider child’s age and siblings Paul Chang from Beaux Monde advises parents to

think 3 to 4 years beyond the child’s current age and then plan according to that age. He

explained that it will help us to design and create a room that will remain relevant to the

child’s needs in the longer term.Also if your child has siblings, then it makes sense to

plan for areas where they can interact together, and share the space. Ask questions like,

“What can they do together?” or “What would each one like?” and then think about how

you can combine those interests within the same space.

 Consider your child’s interests / preferences Does your child like to draw, or is she a

budding bookworm? Knowing your child’s interests and natural inclinations will help

you identify important elements that you want to include in the playroom, such as:

 bookshelves

 toy shelves

 activity table

 reading corner / chair

 stationery and craft supplies

Lactation Room Planning Considerations

 Size A minimum footprint of 7 feet by 7 feet is recommended as it allows for a 5-foot

radius circle with 24-inch deep counters on two walls. Other configurations such as 10

feet by 5 feet work well, too.

 Location Lactation rooms should be located in a safe area accessible to all. They should

not be located in areas that would not be suitable for the preparation and storage of food.
 Privacy Install a user-operated deadbolt for privacy. The best locks are indicator dead

bolts that display an “occupied” message to discourage interruptions.

 Sound Privacy Walls should reach up to the structure above to minimize sound

transmission over them into adjacent spaces. Install sound attenuation in walls to

minimize sound transmission. Install fabric panels, curtains, carpeting, or other sound-

dampening materials to minimize echoes.

 Chair Provide a task chair suitable for a workstation. Seat, back, armrest, lumbar,

tension, and height adjustments are preferable. Casters are also important to allow the

user freedom of movement when hands are occupied with bottles of milk and pump parts.

 Table/Counter Provide a minimum 20-inch deep by 30-inch wide plastic laminate or

solid work surface for the pump and bottles to rest on in front of the task chair. Provide a

30-inch wide clear knee space beneath the counter. Provide above counter outlets at the

work area. If a telephone is provided, it should be within easy reach of the work area.

 Sink Provide a sink and faucet combination deep enough to wash bottles and pump parts.

 Goose neck or kitchen type faucets are recommended. If possible, locate the sink adjacent

to the work area.

 Lighting and HVAC Task lighting should be provided over the sink and the work area.

Overhead lighting is also appropriate if light levels at the work surfaces are adequate.

Temperature should be maintained year-round at a comfortably warm level such as in a

dressing room.

 Install a thermostat in the room to increase user control and thermal comfort.
 Milk Storage Install a midsize or compact refrigerator for milk storage. Under-counter

models help conserve floor space but should not take up the knee space beneath the work

area.

 Accessories Useful accessories in a lactation room include a trash can, a paper towel

dispenser, a coat rack or coat hooks, a full-length mirror, a magazine rack, and a bulletin

board. If many mothers will be sharing the room, installing a clipboard or bulletin board

outside the door will help schedule room use.

Planning Considerations of Kiosk

 Storage Space vs. Display SpaceThe value of your product often dictates your storage

needs. For example, cellular kiosks prefer not to leave their products on display

overnight, even with security measures in place. They require secure storage space that

can easily accommodate all the items on display. Traditionally kiosks achieve this by

making use of split cabinets, where the bottom or rear portion is solid and designed for

storage, while the top portion is the showcase. At Milford Enterprises, we can help you

design storage and display spaces that are outside the traditional box, giving your kiosk a

unique look while meeting all your needs.

 Walkthrough vs. Traditional Kiosks These are the two primary styles of kiosks. As

their names suggest, walkthrough kiosks allow customer to physically enter the space and

move among displays, while island kiosks are self-contained with customers on the

outside of the displays. Each option has unique benefits:


o Walkthrough kiosks offer more display space and an interactive customer

experience. They have an intimate, boutique feel, encouraging customers to

browse and explore products.

o Traditional kiosks offer more storage space and better theft protection. Customers

can easily locate a salesperson to ask questions and make a quick purchase.

 Customization Most kiosk design companies offer standard models that may or may not

be customizable to your needs. Why settle for something off the rack when you can have

a one-of-a-kind kiosk built to meet your exact specifications and needs? At Milford

Enterprises, we build kiosks from the ground up. We don’t have a showcase of models

for you to choose from: our design team sits down with you to create a unique kiosk all

your own. Everything is done in house, from design to manufacturing to delivery,

assuring your kiosk will meet all your quality and design expectations.

Planning Consideration of Food Court

 Theme development is the primary consideration when planning a Food court design

layout which requires proper planning and designing. Not only this, it requires a lot of

other elements, such as market and competitive research, financial modeling, and

emerging and fading trends. If you are looking for the perfect food service facility

planning process, you also need to consider various ‘what-if’ scenarios, such as supply

chain issues, brand evolution, and brand portfolio management.

 Ventilation Every restaurant planner must consider ventilation as an important element

of safety and comfort when planning food court design layout. Proper ventilation

provisions in a restaurant help eliminate smoke and unwanted smells, offering a healthy
environment to the staff working in the kitchen. When it comes to possible options to

ensure proper ventilation, you can go for exhaust fans and strategically placed air vents.

 Storage is a good example of functional and operational design that is not a part of an

interior design curriculum. When planning food court design layout, restaurant designers

usually find a gap between the design and functional aspects, if they lack deep

understanding of the restaurant industry. If you are planning to store a lot of equipments,

ingredients and deliveries in your warehouse without paying any additional amount,

storage is an important factor that you need to consider.

 Lighting is a specialized area to consider when thinking of food service facility planning.

A restaurant without a well-thought out lighting plan is like food without salt. Lightning

is a major factor that captivates wallets and moods, a good example being low lighting

which has the ability to make people feel relaxed, while candles create a romantic

atmosphere.

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