I think its great that solutions are being designed, some are probably helpful, personally I like the Amsterdam one but there are others that are quite outlandish and leave you to wonder whether they are just a gimmick. The one above for example where people are toasting with beer looks unfit for purpose. It must be very cumbersome to be able to eat or drink like that.

This also in the pic attached seems impractical. How are you supposed to have a conversation with other people??

Hello,

It is true that solutions (or attempt at solutions) are being devised, but we also need to look at the bigger picture.

What I mean is, there are talks about a vaccine hopefully being delivered by the end of the year. I know that many expoerts say this is unrealistic but my point is, whatever solution is implemented today, it won't be needed for ever.

Hopefully in a couple of years this will be a thing of the past.

Regards,

J. White

Posted by: @jwhite

Hopefully in a couple of years this will be a thing of the past.

Yes, hopefully, but what about now?

Many businesses can't afford not to have these solutions and survive. Theres already a few that have either cut people or said they wont reopen.

This was from a couple days ago https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53221516

We need something that allows people to be with each other minus the risk. Otherwise the coronavirus will be the last of our problems.

@alex do you have the links for the photos you attached? I'm curious, especially about the last pic with the face shields.

Posted by: @whitakerarms

@alex do you have the links for the photos you attached? I'm curious, especially about the last pic with the face shields.

The first picture comes from this CNBC article; the second one from Euronews; the one with the masks is from Business Insider.

Thanks.

About those face shields, all the pictures appear to be CGI, there does not seem to be a working prototype, at least from the article.

Posted by: @whitakerarms

Thanks.

About those face shields, all the pictures appear to be CGI, there does not seem to be a working prototype, at least from the article.

Even if they were made they look extremely impractical. Imagine trying to really drink something or eat a slice of pizza!

Hi all...

This is an interesting topic - I am fascinated by the products that are being engineered to respond to this virus. I like the shields above because they allow you to dine out with relative safety. Like Jane, I'm not sure about those inflatable face shields. In principle they sound nice but just by looking at the concept I don't think they will turn out to be very useful.

The greenhouses in Amsterdam are promising. They give me a sense that the Dutch know what they are doing.

A fundamental problem is for any business to be able to balance the social distancing requirement and still be able to make a profit. Many restaurant owners I saw in the news said they would not be able to open again if they are to reduce customer occupancy down to about 50%. I understand that. You need to make a living off your profit margin which is offset against fixed costs like rent, electricity, etc. but, if you don't have enough revenue it may be a hard proposition. For instance in one of the articles you can see a few businesses that are using mannequins to separate patrons. Whilst it sounds good, I do not know how many business owners will be able to afford that.

I also do not subscribe to the notion that this is a time limited event. Because of globalization and the increase of air travel, another pandemic may be just around the corner, so this seems like a good time to create new ideas.

Will all they be effective? Probably not. But it is important that these experiments continue.

Thanks all for the contributions so far... I've come across this article

How a California gym is using plastic pods for workouts during coronavirus

At Inspire South Bay Fitness in Redondo, California, owner Peet Sapsin knew he had to get creative for his clients to feel safe coming back in the door.
In addition to cutting class sizes, Sapsin and his wife have created individual plastic workout pods for people to take classes while still maintaining social distance.

@alex, this is great way to isolate people while working out and is a 'quick fix' to a larger problem. 

At a more detailed look at this picture I've noticed a few things:

1. While exercising you are breathing harder, expelling more droplets, and as science now suggest that the virus is aribourne for a few hours.  With the cubical you are essentially concentrating the area with droplets/particles.
2. Will these be just single use for the day and then cleaned for the next day? What worries me is that the air expelled or breathed in will stay enclosed in that area with some drifting into the other circulation outside the cubical.  Gyms are enclosed spaces with mechanical/cooled air circulated through them.  This is not an ideal situation as the air is not fresh and any particles will roam freely.
3. Who will clean the equipment after use? Is it the responsibility of the person who used it, will use it or the staff?  There is a responsibility here.

A better suggestion would be to open all windows to allow fresh air into the space, cross ventilation within the area.  Generally large gyms have over 60% glazing (mostly fixed), these are for the aesthetics. 

The downside of this is that most people visit gyms because of the cooled environment as they work out.  Opening windows will change that depending on the weather.

Just a few musings

Nazart

I've been biting my tongue about this DeZeen article

Layer designs Wes Anderson-informed cinema seat for life post-coronavirus

I wish I did NOT have to share this in one of my first posts, but I need to get over this. It's things like these that make me really angry 😤 

What's right with the article

Pointing out new business solutions for Covid-19.

What's wrong with the article

Everything else, such as

• Describing the product as "a seat for social distancing in cinemas", then clumping all seats together in the pics.
• Making the article more about design than a matter of public health.
• Using marketing ploys that distract from the goal of protecting users.
• Conceiving the idea of removing your mask in an enclosed space as acceptable.
• Making this about the economy as opposed to wellbeing.

Starting with these pictures

This is what health officials have been trying to avoid: people sitting too close!

Then there's the quote about colours

Layer's Sequel seats are coloured in light pink and blue pastel hues reminiscent of Wes Anderson films like The Grand Budapest Hotel.

This gives the seat "a connection to the world of cinema" as well as distinguishing it from the black and red tones typically seen in cinemas.

which is an indication that the article is not serious about what the product is supposed to do: keep people safe.

And what about

Each seat features a protective screen that can be used to provide a barrier between each member of the audience.

That's great to hear. Except for the fact that you are not addressing social distancing.

Imagine an infected person sitting down, then taking their mask off (because who doesn't enjoy popcorn), then sneezing. That's all you need to contaminate anyone in a 8m radius! See this article

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/coronavirus-covid-sneeze-fluid-dynamics-in-photos/

This is what happens when journalists who are supposed to write about design stray from their field of expertise.

Sorry for the outrage but I needed to get this off my chest!

Chris

Hello,

Ventilation is critical to the mangement of airborne diseases. There is a reason why people on cruise ships and other confined spaces get more sick

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Ventilation-in-the-context-of-COVID-19.pdf

Regards,

J. White

@foundational

I agree with the sentiment of your post, although there is some merit to the idea. For instance, the copper threads are meant to have antimicrobial properties. The UV-light used to sterilise the seat behind it in-between film screenings also has potential.

So let's hope more ideas are generated that are based on this, minus the risks you highlighted.

Yet another article about the importance of ventilation to reduce Covid risk. These guys monitor CO2 build-up to assess safety levels.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/19/us/gym-ventilation-covid-trnd/index.html