Name: Designing for Behavior: How Space Planning Shapes Student Conduct
Start: 2026-11-20T16:15:00-0500
End: 2026-11-20T17:15:00-0500

Designing for Behavior: How Space Planning Shapes Student Conduct

Friday November 20, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EST

Creating effective study environments is essential to supporting student success, especially as academic libraries face increased demand for quiet, focused spaces. At the Eugene McDermott Library at the University of Texas at Dallas, staff found that furniture selection, layout, and sightlines influenced noise and disruptive behavior more reliably than policy enforcement alone. This session reframes space planning as a behavioral intervention by illustrating how intentional design can shape conduct amid rapid enrollment growth and post pandemic shifts in student behavior.
Drawing on five years of behavioral data, QR based noise heat maps, and iterative redesigns, we highlight clear furniture and behavior correlations: lounge seating, large group tables, and movable soft chairs tend to attract social clustering, while anchored single seating, study carrels, structured layouts, and improved visibility significantly reduce disruptions. We introduce a practical Behavior by Design Toolkit to help libraries assess spaces, map behavior patterns, and select furnishings that reinforce desired norms. Attendees will gain evidence-based design principles, heat mapping templates, and guidance for furniture decision making. These insights extend beyond quiet zones. The same behavioral patterns inform the design of group study rooms, collaboration hubs, and learning commons, demonstrating how intentional space planning creates environments that naturally support their intended uses.

Speakers

Travis Goode

Assistant Library Director, University of Texas at Dallas

Travis is the Assistant Library Director for Public Services at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he oversees Access Services, Information Literacy, Interlibrary Loan, and Research Services. He is an active member of ALA and ACRL, committed to advancing the ethics, intellectual... Read More →

Friday November 20, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EST

Breakout, Buildings & Operations

2026 Core Forum

Travis Goode

Attendees (6)

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2026 Core Forum

Travis Goode

Attendees (6)

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