7 ms·

Least Resistance: How Desire Paths Can Lead to Better Design (2016)

33 points by stared 4y ago

ChrisMarshallNY 4y ago
This is a classic (like, probably, thousands of years old) design technique. I wrote about something like it, here: https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/the-road-most-traveled-by/#paving https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/the-road-most-travel...
- eternalban 4y ago
  I remember thinking about this phenomena in arch school musing over the paths taken. It's interesting that OP calls this "desire paths". My thoughts were that these are more akin to orbits, or how rivulets establish a path over dirt, i.e. removed from notions of desiring. But I like the desire semantics. Supressing desire can build excitement. In fact, a very typical architectural device in ceremonial designs is to either slowly reveal, or to reveal and then take you on a long path as you slowly and finally reach a space or object. Architecture is, possibly, all about controlling desire. So collorary to the desire path is 'desire denied/delayed path', equally important to have in a designer's toolkit. [p.s. r/poitry/poetry]
tmilard 4y ago
Yes. This is why it's always nice to keep a budget after the software is released. Morover for version 1.0. To listen, observe and discover the pain points, the surprising routes users make using the software... Then you change the code to stock to the user behavior.
- JohnFen 4y ago
  This is one of the two reasons why I follow a "ignore all software until at least version 3" rule of thumb. The other is to allow time for the software's major bugs to be found and ironed out.
lukas099 4y ago
Taken too far this can cause problems. Many have experienced the over-walked nature park where one can't even tell what the official trail is anymore. I have volunteered in public parks, and one of the difficulties is encouraging the use of the official paths, and discouraging use of the 'social paths' (as we called them), while maintaining the natural look of the trail.
- hummus_bae 4y ago
  You are describing a case where the desire paths are undesirable, as they may allow litter or vegetation growth, or hasten erosion of soil. However, when you mention "even tell what the official trail is" is a desire path still desirable in this case? I mean, if no one knows there is an official trail what purpose does the desire path serve? Or is your concern about having interesting vegetation or whatever spoiled by the desire path? I wonder if there is an optimum amount of desire paths -- where it is still possible to follow the official trail, but interesting diversions are also allowed.
  - lukas099 4y ago
    The desire path was never desirable. You should always stick to the official trail when you are hiking in parks that have them. If the official trail is too wet to walk on, it's too wet to hike that day.
- mcdonje 4y ago
  If the social paths are more popular than the official paths, then why not make the social paths official and let the official paths return to nature?
  - rascul 4y ago
    Sometimes the official paths are made to attempt to minimize erosion and damage that other paths could cause.
  - Arrath 4y ago
    As rascul said there are environmental concerns. There can also be access/ADA issues, like path width or slope/rise:run. Or it may simply be budgetary.
its_ethan 4y ago
There's a reddit dedicated to images of these paths for anyone interested in seeing more: https://www.reddit.com/r/DesirePaths/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DesirePaths/
nayuki 4y ago
This is just like ant pheromone paths.

33 points by stared 4y ago

This is a classic (like, probably, thousands of years old) design technique. I wrote about something like it, here: https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/the-road-most-traveled-by/#paving https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/the-road-most-travel...

eternalban 4y ago
I remember thinking about this phenomena in arch school musing over the paths taken. It's interesting that OP calls this "desire paths". My thoughts were that these are more akin to orbits, or how rivulets establish a path over dirt, i.e. removed from notions of desiring. But I like the desire semantics. Supressing desire can build excitement. In fact, a very typical architectural device in ceremonial designs is to either slowly reveal, or to reveal and then take you on a long path as you slowly and finally reach a space or object. Architecture is, possibly, all about controlling desire. So collorary to the desire path is 'desire denied/delayed path', equally important to have in a designer's toolkit. [p.s. r/poitry/poetry]

tmilard 4y ago

Yes. This is why it's always nice to keep a budget after the software is released. Morover for version 1.0. To listen, observe and discover the pain points, the surprising routes users make using the software... Then you change the code to stock to the user behavior.

JohnFen 4y ago
This is one of the two reasons why I follow a "ignore all software until at least version 3" rule of thumb. The other is to allow time for the software's major bugs to be found and ironed out.

lukas099 4y ago

Taken too far this can cause problems. Many have experienced the over-walked nature park where one can't even tell what the official trail is anymore. I have volunteered in public parks, and one of the difficulties is encouraging the use of the official paths, and discouraging use of the 'social paths' (as we called them), while maintaining the natural look of the trail.

hummus_bae 4y ago
You are describing a case where the desire paths are undesirable, as they may allow litter or vegetation growth, or hasten erosion of soil. However, when you mention "even tell what the official trail is" is a desire path still desirable in this case? I mean, if no one knows there is an official trail what purpose does the desire path serve? Or is your concern about having interesting vegetation or whatever spoiled by the desire path? I wonder if there is an optimum amount of desire paths -- where it is still possible to follow the official trail, but interesting diversions are also allowed.
- lukas099 4y ago
  The desire path was never desirable. You should always stick to the official trail when you are hiking in parks that have them. If the official trail is too wet to walk on, it's too wet to hike that day.
mcdonje 4y ago
If the social paths are more popular than the official paths, then why not make the social paths official and let the official paths return to nature?
- rascul 4y ago
  Sometimes the official paths are made to attempt to minimize erosion and damage that other paths could cause.
- Arrath 4y ago
  As rascul said there are environmental concerns. There can also be access/ADA issues, like path width or slope/rise:run. Or it may simply be budgetary.

its_ethan 4y ago

There's a reddit dedicated to images of these paths for anyone interested in seeing more: https://www.reddit.com/r/DesirePaths/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DesirePaths/

nayuki 4y ago

This is just like ant pheromone paths.