Introduction

One broad, overarching concern of the essays in this section, “Large,” is how the design of shared spaces impacts community and designer. In thinking about spaces for the many, these authors consider how designers can approach a project and to what ends. Orr and Sanders focus on the ocean liner and bathroom, respectively, as case studies in how interior design can affect users, making them feel welcomed or not. Schneid and Brooker explore the power of traces and ask us compelling questions about memory, what is retained, and the practice involved in addressing these questions. Whether an ocean liner, subway station, museum, or bathroom, the subjects of these essays are harnessed by the authors to explore how designers engage with these communal spaces and the collective activities that take place within them.