Humanising Social Distancing

Polimi, Masters Thesis, Creative Industries Lab, 2022. For my master thesis I explored how we might improve the experience of social distancing at the checkout area of supermarkets during COVID-19. How can behavioural science be used to make social distancing more intuitive, and consequently slow the spread of the virus? The final outcome is a new customer-controlled checkout product service design specifically focused on the cashiers’ checkout area. The concept is built upon the COM-B behavioural model for change. The findings for the design proposal is based on a case study analysis, interviews with a behavioural design expert and store manager, ethnography, a survey and a supermarket site analysis. The methods aim to create a highly user centred approach in order to humanise the practice seemingly going against our human nature. It also aims to explore the use of empathetic methods within design to nudge towards more empathic behaviours within pandemics. The overall goal is to reduce conflicts and overcrowding as they were identified as core problem areas.

Next hopes to humanise the cashier experience of social distancing by facilitating interactions which they have control over.

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