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Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of how humans interact with their environment and the objects within those environments.
Just about every successful product is ergonomically designed and in modern times, you would find it difficult to find a product where ergonomics has not been considered even if it doesn’t always seem that way.
Anthropometrics
Anthropometrics
Anthropometrics is derived from the words Anthropology (the study of humans) and Metrics (Latin for measurement).
Simply put it is the study of human data. This covers everything from height and weight to the field of vision and provides designers with just about every measurement they would every need.
Anthropometrics provide the data necessary to design products ergonomically so the two areas are very important to each other.
Percentiles
Percentiles
In anthropometric data the word ‘average’ is not used as that would imply that at any given time every human being in the world was measured and the results divided by the number of people. This would be impossible so instead we refer to data by percentiles.
In the image on here ➡️ you can see that the 50th percentile is generally what we might refer to as the average.
Designers try to make their products as accessible as possible so may have to design to fit between the 5th and 95th percentiles.
In the book The measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors, every aspect of human data is considered.
Ergonomics and design
Ergonomics and design
Ergonomics is now a major part of design and an ergonomist is someone whose job is to ensure that products as diverse as cars or pencils are ergonomically sound. Wherever it is important that humans can use products effectively, a company will employ an ergonomist or expect designers to understand ergonomics.
A specialist designer or ergonomist may design the following:
products such as computer mouse or chair.
systems such as a food production facility or production cell in order to ensure maximum productivity while reducing the risk of accidents.
environments such as the interior of a car or aircraft to ensure maximum comfort and safety.
How does ergonomics influence design?
How does ergonomics influence design?
Ergonomics can be a critical factor in the success of a product. If the product cannot be used easily and safely or is difficult to set up and operate comfortably, then will be unpopular with consumers.
There are many factors influencing ergonomics such as:
Colour
Colour
colour which can be used in power switches and dashboards.
What if warning lights were purple or blue meant a kettle was boiling?
Use of colour can be vital in identifying and separating functions.
Lighting
Lighting
the correct level of lighting can also be important. Screens need to be bright enough to see clearly but not so bright that they blind you. Light levels are also important in the home, office and workplace and can often be categorized into task, area, work and flood lighting.
Sound
Sound
sound is also an important factor in products such as phones and satellite navigation systems. Many products we come into contact make sounds or ‘speak’ to us. Lifts, service tills, controls, automated doors, cash dispensers all speak instructions that need to be easy to hear and understand in a variety of languages.
The working triangle
The working triangle
Ergonomics can also be about effectiveness of using products or working in environments in a safe and productive way.
The working triangle here ➡️ is a concept used to design effective kitchens. By reducing the distance travelled between the three main areas - food storage, cooking and washing, you can literally save the person using this from walking hundreds of extra miles each year!
Ergonomics is also linked to health and bad ergonomics in the home and workplace can lead to bad posture and ill health including curvature of the spine, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome loss oh hearing, sight issues, headaches, various forms of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and manuy other ailments.
Where a product will be used or interacted with for long periods or for important tasks, it is essential that good ergonomics are implemented.
these products ‘could’ be considered examples of bad ergonomics.
these products ‘could’ be considered examples of bad ergonomics.
these products ‘could’ be considered examples of good ergonomics.
these products ‘could’ be considered examples of good ergonomics.
One interesting area of ergonomic development is game controllers. Once simply used to move in a few directions and press a button to perform an action, they have become much more complex and ergonomic. Nintendo are pioneers of ergonomic game controllers.
Other brands have started to catch up though.....
Katerina Kamprani's ‘collection of deliberately inconvenient products that have no meaningful purpose’
Katerina Kamprani's ‘collection of deliberately inconvenient products that have no meaningful purpose’
The following photos are examples of intentionally bad design. They are all designed by Katerina Kamprani as a ‘collection of deliberately inconvenient products that have no meaningful purpose’. They are essentially the opposite of good functional design and can make you feel uncomfortable about the thought of using them.
Designs so bad you could hardly use them.
Exam Question (29)
Exam Question (29)
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