human factors design

The things we interact with need to be both understandable and usable.

Option E: Human Factors

Unlike the toaster shown, products should be user friendly. This applies to the cars we drive, the tools we use and the various computer devices we depend on to access information daily. Sadly, many products are not very usable. Mobile phones with unusable micro buttons, DVD recorders that cannot be understood, toasters that burn, jars with lids that cannot be removed. These are not failings on the part of the consumers – what is needed is a better and more people-centred design approach.

Option E: Human Factors

“Human factors” and “ergonomics” are interchangeable terms—the term “human factors” is more commonly used in some parts of the world, such as the United States (US), and the term “ergonomics” is more widely used in other countries.

Human factors analyses the interactions between humans and other elements in a system, and then applies principles, information and data to a design to

maximize human well-being and system performance. Human factors design ensures that products, organizations, environments and systems are compatible with the needs and limitations of people. This can help to reduce the stress on

people, as they will be able to do things faster, more easily, more safely and make fewer mistakes.

E.1.1 Identify the objectives of human factors design

Ergonomics is the application of scientific information concerning the relationship of human beings to the design of objects, systems and environments.

The objectives of human factors are many:

Human factor design considers the effectiveness (completeness and accuracy), efficiency (speed and effort), engagement (pleasantness and satisfaction), error tolerance (error prevention and error recovery)and learnability (predictability and consistency) with which activities can be carried out

and

How human values, for example, quality of life, improved safety, reduced fatigue and stress, increased comfort levels and job satisfaction, are enhanced.

E.1.1 Identify the objectives of human factors design

TaskTask: Research information about different aspects of ergonomics and answer the following questions.

What are the three main branches of ergonomics and what are they mainly concerned with?

8.1.1 Visibility

A key usability design is visibility.

Visibility: It Should Be Obvious What a Control Is Used For.

If I press this button, what will happen? If I want to unlock the door, what control should I use?

A system with good visibility allows the user to easily translate goals into actions.

“If I were placed in the cockpit of a modern jet airliner, my inability to perform gracefully and smoothly would neither surprise nor bother me. But I shouldn't have trouble with doors and switches, water faucets [taps] and stoves. ‘Doors?’ I can hear the reader saying, ‘You have trouble opening doors?’ Yes. I push doors that are meant to be pulled, pull doors that should be pushed, and walk into doors that should be slid.” The Design of Everyday Things by Professor Donald Norman.

What are the different controls used for?

With a partner describe …• why visibility is an important consideration in

human factors design

Visibility: It Should Be Obvious What a Control is Used For.

If I press this button, what will happen? If I want to unlock the door, what control should I use?

A system with good visibility allows the user to easily translate goals into actions.

Visibility: It Should Be Obvious What a Control is Used For.

More bad visibility

One last one

What do you think this handle does?

E.1.2 Describe why affordance is an importantconsideration in human factors design

• Affordance: It should be obvious How a control is used.The system should provide “strong clues to the operation of things”. A button affords pushing, a handle affords pulling, etc.

• The user should know how to operate a control just by looking at it.

When designing something we need to make it obvious what a control is used for – this is visibility.When designing something we also need to make it obvious how a control is used – this is affordance

Affordance is all about things being intuitive

HOW?

Buttons afford pushing…Dials afford …On a door, handles afford… , whereas push plates afford ….Cords afford …Handles on cups afford …

With correct affordance designers can predict and control how a user might use (interact) with products

Task:

Consider how the use of a handle on a door that needs to be pushed open can confuse users, and how in an emergency this might impact on safety considerations.

How would you operate this water pump?