Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design
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Browsing Department of Clothing, Textiles & Interior Design by Author "Sibley, Jeannie Carter"
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Item Post-Occupancy Evaluation in Interior Design: Ferguson Center Cafeteria(The University of Alabama, 1981) Sibley, Jeannie CarterEvaluation has been cited as the overlooked component in architectural design today (Sanoff, 1977). By definition, evaluate is a transitive verb meaning "to determine the significance or worth usually by careful appraisal and study" (Webster, 1965, p. 287). In the vocabulary of the interior design profession, evaluation is the study of an existing environment in terms of design criteria which measure its success in meeting objectives based on the wants and needs of its users. The process, post-occupancy evaluation, is considered one of three essential steps in systematically gathering information regarding the ways people use existing environments: evaluation, programming and design (Sanoff, 1977). The responsibility of the designer is the need to identify, understand and meet often conflicting and demanding expectations and requirements by people for the built environment. The people using a building should be recognized as a principal factor in the success of the designer's work (Harrigan and Harrigan, 1976). Designers cannot address a design problem without reference to the needs of the users of a facility. "A good deal of the conscious intention behind any design, as well as various decisions about its elements, are expressed in terms of its consequence for social behavior" (Gutman, 1972, p. 340). Therefore, the human factor should be taken into account and incorporated into the evaluation process (Sanoff, 1977) .