The BYU Library study carrels are over 40 years old. One Saturday in May 2014, I taught an all day Innovation and Design Thinking boot camp for BYU students. BYU Library leadership had asked if I could have students tackle the challenge of redesigning the study carrels. We took the challenge on, and a few days later presented three design plans to the library. The library continued to work with those designs and refine them with the BYU Woodshop.
Now two prototypes are available. Which one do you like best? A or B?
Key features:
- USB outlets
- Electrical outlets
- Shelf
- Undershelf light
- Whiteboard
- Foot rest (on one prototype)
- Wrap-around desk
- Translucent window to provide more light (not visible from the angle of my photo)
Items that didn’t make it into the final prototype
- Pillow 🙂
- Option to create a standing desk
- Option for a close-able door to provide some privacy
Depending on BYU student feedback, these carrels will begin to populate the Harold B. Lee library over the next 5 years. And who knows, perhaps they’ll still be around in 50 years.
