Designing a counterterrorism trash bin

Through the case study of designing a counterterrorism trash bin, we reflect on the approach to design-led crime prevention developing at the Designing Out Crime Research Centre at the University of Technology, Sydney. We describe and explore the complexities of the CT bin design process, highlighting how the technique of reframing the problem was central to the development of the design. By analyzing the CT bin product using common environmental criminology frameworks, we highlight an apparent paradox of these frameworks: that they are useful for description and evaluation of products, but are seemingly less useful for actually designing products. We suggest this paradox stems from the origins of these frameworks and argue that what is required is a greater focus on studying the features, qualities, and information present in design processes that produce products effective in designing out crime.