A comprehensive usability evaluation of EquiPad's in-stall period product dispenser, conducted as a student project.
EquiPad aims to address key challenges menstruators face in accessing period products (availability, quality, price, privacy) by offering free and comfortable products in all US public restrooms.
Their patent-pending in-stall dispenser provides both tampons and pads, designed for intuitive user operation and efficient restocking by maintenance staff.
EquiPad sought to evaluate the usability of their dispensers to support their upcoming soft launch in Summer 2025.
Evaluate and identify usability issues of the current Equipad prototype to understand the ease of use of restocking and dispensing.
Diverse representation across age groups and user types
Primary users who have personal experience with periods
Custodial staff and facility managers
Gender identity breakdown included 4 female-identifying participants, 2 male-identifying participants, and 1 non-binary participant, ensuring diverse perspectives on the product's usability and appeal.
Moderated in-person testing with an early prototype using think-aloud protocol
Used to allow for natural conversation to emerge while still collecting valuable data about the product.
Pre- and post-study questionnaires used to collect demographic information and experiential data
Persistent issues that may harm users or completely prevent product use. These findings require immediate attention and resolution.
Issues occurring relatively frequently that disrupt product use or lead to unpleasant user experiences requiring design modifications.
Issues that distract users or occur rarely, disrupting pleasant user experience but not preventing core functionality.
Our usability study revealed critical insights that will significantly impact EquiPad's design iteration and market readiness. The findings are systematically organized by severity level, with each discovery supported by quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback from both custodial participants (CP) and menstruator participants (MP).
Task Description: Participants were instructed to dispense a pad. Upon completion of the task, the dispensing function was discussed.
The average time for dispensing one pad was 8 seconds - significantly longer than user expectations for a simple dispensing task.
Every single participant commented that they found the dispensing task difficult to complete.
The opening of the dispenser was too narrow for the pad to be easily dispensed, creating friction and user frustration.
Widen the dispenser feeder opening or reduce the size of pads to ensure smooth, efficient dispensing that meets user expectations for speed and ease of use.
Task Description: Participants were asked about the overall feel and appearance of the prototype.
Participants consistently expressed discomfort with the transparent viewing panel, saying it was distracting from the product purpose.
Users found the transparent panel off-putting, stating, "The viewer is off-putting, I don't want to see that when I'm sitting in the stall." (MP2)
Participants cited practical maintenance concerns ("The glass is just something else to clean/polish" (CP1)) and noted the panel wasn't necessary for tasks like restocking ("I typically restock the toilet paper dispenser by reaching up to feel for the cardboard, I don't need to see to restock." (CP1)).
Reduce the size of the viewer significantly or remove it altogether to improve aesthetic appeal and user comfort.
Task Description: Participants were instructed to dispense a pad. Upon completion of the task, the dispensing function was discussed.
Participants struggled to complete dispensing tasks with the thick pads provided, leading to user errors and frustration. "I feel like I'm wrestling [with the prototype]." - MP1
Errors caused by thick pads were noisy and could be embarrassing during in-stall use, compromising discrete dispensing. "Discrete dispensing is really important" - MP1
Final pads in a roll lack sufficient length to reach the dispenser opening, meaning roll ends could be wasted.
Reduce pad thickness and add a mechanism to extend the end of the pad roll to prevent waste while ensuring quiet, discrete operation.
Task Description: Custodial participants were asked to compare their current routine restocking procedures at UW to the EquiPad prototype, focusing on the process of restocking the dispenser.
The comparison revealed significant time and efficiency concerns that could impact adoption among maintenance staff.
"It's like, slightly time consuming... in the mornings, when you are rushing, you have a whole bunch of stuff to get done, like restocking bathroom products, and taking extra time to do that [restocking the EquiPad] could be a little irritating." - CP1
Custodial participants praised their existing UW dispenser for requiring low maintenance, minimal cleaning, vendor compatibility, and proper product fit.
CPs found little compelling reason to switch from their current effective system to the more time-consuming EquiPad solution.
Collect additional feedback from bathroom service/maintenance professionals and redesign restocking process for greater efficiency.
Task Description: Participants across all testing sessions were asked to evaluate the overall design of the product and provide feedback on its concept and specific components.
Users across all testing sessions provided consistent feedback about the product's overall design, with many suggesting improvements to both the general concept and specific components. While 100% of participants found the product concept interesting, none expressed desire to use it again in its current form.
Increase product appeal by shifting away from the modular design approach to enhance user experience and improve adoption potential.
Janitorial participants unanimously agreed that lock and key mechanisms were necessary for the dispenser, validating EquiPad's security approach.
Users provided extensive feedback ranging from process incompatibilities to industrial design critiques, giving the design team abundant opportunities for improvement.
Testing sessions proceeded smoothly with participants feeling comfortable sharing honest, constructive opinions throughout the process.
Modify dispenser design to increase dispensing efficiency and reduce task completion time. This includes widening the dispenser opening, reducing product waste, and internal design modifications.
Remove the viewer panel and add clear signage to increase clarity of use while improving aesthetic integrity and user privacy comfort.
Create various product sizes to accommodate both small and large institutions with different capacity.
Potentially add QR codes linking to instruction pages for both dispensing and restocking as a means to provide ongoing user support and reduce confusion.
With only 8 weeks to complete design, administration, and data analysis, the study faced significant time pressure that limited the depth of certain analyses.
Inability to compensate participants reduced participation among custodial and menstruating users who were initially interested, limiting sample size and diversity. Graduate student status and limited contact information for custodial staff made recruiting diverse participants beyond campus particularly challenging.
EquiPad Dispenser Usability Study