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Integration of ergonomics in the design process: Conceptual, methodological, and practical foundations
Abstract
The scientific discipline of ergonomics has become increasingly important not only in the workplace but also in the realms of academia, science, and the day-to-day lives of individuals. Its anthropocentric perspectives and approach has led to the development of a theoretical and practical framework in which a fundamental goal is the optimization of human well-being—initially in the workplace, but increasingly so in other domains of human life.
... Ergonomics and design should establish a methodological relationship, complementing each other through their common interests, objectives, and procedures, such as the user's well-being, health, and safety (Zapata, 2011). To do this, ergonomics knowledge should be incorporated in all phases of the design project, from the conception level through correction and awareness (Barbosa and Guimarães, 2010), which would have clear impacts on the quality and nature of the proposed design solutions, adding value to the final product, namely in its usefulness, efficiency, effectiveness, satisfaction, readability and accessibility (Rubin and Chisnell, 2008). ...
... Of course, ergonomics and design process should work together since the very beginning of the project process, but ergonomics are not always considered in projects (Barbosa and Guimarães, 2010) and education has a primary role in the formulation of a new mentality, presenting and applying it throughout the whole design process (Zapata, 2011). ...
This paper aims to present the results of a critical diagnosis about the presence of human factors and ergonomics contents into the academic curricula of industrial/product design in Portugal. This study is part of a PhD research focused on product design curricula’s adequacy to business challenges. Based on the gathering and interpretation of several Portuguese design education curricula, it turns out that the introduction of the practice of HFE is rarely linked with the design studio course, operating isolated, mostly as a theoretical course. However, the approach of human factors and ergonomics should be more practical and better linked with the design studio curricular unit. As previous conclusions of this study one can point out that there are better results in the education field when the HFE principles are earlier transmitted in the education process, which would have clear impacts on the quality and nature of the proposed design solutions, adding value to the final product. This way, students could be more prepared to respond with more social sustainable projects, increasing the chances of being more prepared and adjusted to the market and its demands.
... (ISO 9241-210, 2010, p. 12 rares sont les auteurs qui proposent l'intégration d'une démarche ergonomique au processus de conception de produits matériels (Aoussat, 1990 ;Quarante, 1994 ;Duchamps, 1999 ;Garrigou, Thibault, Jackson, & Mascia, 2001 ;Sagot, Gouin, & Gomes, 2003 ;Chitescu, Galland, Gomes, & Sagot, 2003 ;Daniellou, 2004). Et encore plus rare sont les auteurs qui proposent son intégration au processus de conception du design produit ou industriel, nous pouvons citer Quarante (1994), Morel (2006, Guerlesquin et Sagot (2009), Naël (2010, Saenz (2011) et Nelson (2011. ...
... Les approches en ergonomie ont pour objectifs fondamentaux l'optimisation du bien-être de l'homme et la satisfaction des besoins des personnes, objectifs depuis longtemps considérés dans le domaine du travail, mais qui le sont de plus en plus, aujourd'hui, dans d'autres domaines de la vie quotidienne, dans des environnements collectifs ou particuliers (lieux publics, maisons, etc.) (Saenz, 2011). L'ergonomie est encore trop souvent utilisée pour corriger les situations (de travail ou de la vie quotidienne) qui exposent souvent les personnes à des risques de santé (Darses & Montmollin, 2012;Brangier & Robert, 2012). ...
Lévolution des modes de vie conduit à une évolution des besoins et des souhaits des personnes, en quête «d'expérience », de « bien-être » et de « plaisir » à travers les produits qu'elles utilisent. Les entreprises doiventaujourd'hui satisfaire et séduire ces personnes de plus en plus exigeantes, en étant source d'innovation et denouveauté. Ainsi, elles s'intéressent de plus en plus dans leur démarche de conception de produits à une meilleureprise en compte du facteur humain. Faire vivre aux personnes des expériences positives et de qualité, demandeune démarche spécifique qui les placent au centre des préoccupations des acteurs-métier de la conception deproduits. Dans ce contexte, le processus de conception requiert l'intervention de différentes disciplines sensiblesjustement au facteur humain. Ainsi dans le cadre de nos travaux de recherche, nous nous sommes intéressés aurapprochement de l'ergonomie et du design, deux disciplines sensibles aux personnes qui évoluent vers denouvelles pratiques : le design pour « des besoins » et l'ergonomie prospective. Nous axons nos travaux derecherche sur les pratiques de ces deux disciplines qui convergent vers une vision commune, prospective et «humaniste » de la conception de produits, pour une meilleure prise en compte des personnes. Le principal enjeuscientifique de notre travail est de mieux cerner les pratiques actuelles, de l'ergonomie et du design dans uncontexte de conception de produits. Ceci, pour proposer à ces acteurs-métier une démarche (IDLifeS) et des outils(Guides de Connaissances), interdisciplinaires, qui correspondent à l'évolution de leurs pratiques respectives et quileur permettent de co-concevoir des produits et des situations de vie qui correspondent aux besoins, aux souhaits etaux caractéristiques des personnes.
... Education and training has a primary role to provide and instill in students the application of knowledge about human limitations and capacities in the fluid project practice [6]. According to Zapata [7], new ways to design and produce, through an inclusive and sustainable design development, can be facilitated by the establishment of a methodological relationship between ergonomics and design. ...
... The early incorporation of ergonomics theory, principles, data and methods [3], in all phases of design project [8], can have clear impacts on the quality of the proposed design solutions, adding value to the final product [5,9,10]. It could prevent the need of making corrections in the project afterwards, in order to adapt it to the user [7,8]. ...
In a period of significant change when contemporary society has demonstrated to be more conscious about the principle of accessibility, being no longer focused on accommodating people with disabilities, the current challenge involves the enhancement of inclusive design development. Design education and training has a primary role on the formation of this new mentality, providing the adequate professional skills and instilling in students the knowledge about human limitations and capacities for product design project support. So this paper, as part of a PhD research focused on product design curricula adequacy to business challenges, aims to underline the importance of teaching ergonomics to designers. It is the second part of a specific study about the presence of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) contents in the academic curricula of industrial/product design in Portugal. Using FAULisbon as a case study of a Portuguese institution, we examined the current varying HFE knowledge of undergraduate students in Design in a twofold perspective: the one of the students themselves and the one resulting from the examination of their project solutions. The results underline the relevance of three aspects: a) the HFE principles should be earlier transmitted in the education process; b) the contact and learning of tools and methods of HFE shouldn’t be taught and practiced in an isolated way, instead they should be articulated with the design studio course; and c) this approach should be more practical than theoretical. This way, students could be more conscious about inclusivity and usability of products and spaces, with the focus on a user centered approach. In the future, this will allow them to respond with more social sustainable projects, increasing the chances of being more prepared and adjusted to the market and its demands.
... Saenz (2007) argued that in designing products and systems, ergonomics really does matter. Its relevance shows up mostly in each of the phrases of the design process (as cited in Zapata, 2010). In his methodological proposal Saenz (2007) divided a situation (design process) into three major components of the ergonomics system: the user, the product and the context, and identified thematic subjects and actions (problem identification, evaluation, idea generation, prototyping, validation, production and commercialization) that must be taken into account throughout the design process. ...
The need for sustainable development has been widely recognized and sustainable development has become a hot topic of various disciplines even though the role of ergonomics in it is seldom considered. This study proposes a direction for ergonomics intervention to sustainable development based on theoretical frameworks and a review of literature in the fields of sustainable development and ergonomics. The proposed direction, that is, sustainable healthy, safe and efficient products and systems has been demonstrated by conducting a case study on the design of a motorcycle helmet. The factors making safety unsustainable were identified and a new sustainable helmet was designed in the perspective of safety. The sustainably improved safety feature of the helmet was further validated by conducting survey from stakeholders.
This user-centered study compared the usability of old and new models of an inflatable boat during a multi-day high-pressure military exercise. Participants represented the entire population of Special Operations soldiers who were experienced with both models, providing assessments on the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of the boats and their central console, one of the main components that was updated on the new model. The new model was rated as significantly more usable in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction. Although the response to the new model was overwhelmingly positive, follow-up interviews identified specific problems associated with changes introduced with the new model. These included: (a) visibility problems with the windshield, caused by the accumulation of spray and salt; (b) increased difficulty of moving/installing the central console, due to the doubling of its weight; and (c) fuel uptake issues, resulting from the new flexible fuel bladder.
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT
Background: The military has been used as a test bed for human-system performance for decades. The present study used the upgrade of the Zodiac MK VI Heavy-duty (Zodiac MK VI HD) inflatable boat, issued to a platoon of a Special Operation Engineers, as a unique opportunity to compare the old and new model’s usability during multi-day seaborne exercises. Purpose: To compare the old and new Zodiac MK VI HD (with its upgraded central console) in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction, by involving expert users in their most extreme context of use. The assessment implied both a formal empirical measurement that enabled a data-driven comparison between both boat types, and an interview-based problem discovery phase to identify future design improvements. Method: Using a customized questionnaire based on the ISO 9241 standard, a repeated-measures field study was completed using all Special Operation Engineers (N = 17), using both Zodiac MK VI HD types interchangeably, in their most extreme environment of use. Remaining design flaws were explored using open-ended survey questions and interviews immediately following usage. Results: The new Zodiac MK VI HD, including all upgrades (e.g., console, digital controls, LED-based displays) was rated significantly higher in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction. Additionally, problem discovery efforts revealed that design issues remained with the opaque windshield during seaborne operations, weight of the console, flexible fuel bladder, and power loss that affected the console’s digital speed and position display. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of comparative usability research and problem discovery, directly involving end-users in high-pressure operational circumstances. Broadening its inferences to many other high-reliability occupations (e.g., law enforcement, fire fighters, and medical first responders), effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, ease of maintenance, and feelings of increased safety are important considerations, because they affect the performance of human-machine systems.
This study aims to show the particular features of the usability evaluation process, with an emphasis on the analysis models and the way that tests were conducted using protocols and instruments for recording information. The paper also aims to show how the participation of users can be regarded as a substantial tool, not only in achieving a more accurate final result, but also the manner in which the functional analysis process is facilitated. The completion of this project has shown that a detailed analysis of usability at different stages of the design process is a fundamental tool in determining which objects in a public space adapt adequately to their environment and to their potential users.
In the course of Ergonomics and Design 2 of the Faculty of Industrial Design, the relationship between Ergonomics/Human Factors and the Design process is methodologically established. The corresponding criteria of each discipline for each stage and how they should be developed in a parallel and complimentary manner is stated, especially since the beginning of the configuration process of the objects/products [1]. Strategies are developed pedagogically for the development of skills related with the comprehension of the characteristics, needs, and requirements associated with the usage context, where the user unwinds the activity and the product in terms of security. The proposed pedagogical tool or workshop is based on the search, analysis, and systematization of data related to the activity environment of the project, and to the Architectural barriers. Besides being developed and implemented in classrooms, it allows to recognize and characterize the requirements associated with the context, and its interaction with different elements of the ergonomic system (User-Product-Context) [2].
Haptic is explained as the cognitive activities of both sense of touch enabling humans to interact with outer world and proprioceptive sense allowing joint movement and positioning in space. Increasing complication in product usage due to technological advancements and their reflection in today’s daily life, sets forth the requirement of research on haptic interaction between products and users. One of the important reasons of this is the sensory losses associated with aging. It could be said that haptic interaction has vital importance in environments where the attention is needed to be allocated to different units of focus; in particular, for sectors like automotive. The aim of this research is to disclose the effects of sensory losses with aging on haptic interaction and ascertain its associated behavioral changes. In order to achieve this and to identify supportive approaches for design, a methodological approach is adopted. Since this research has the characteristics of a design research, it is built on “Design Research Methodology” (DRM). However, “Soft Systems Methodology” is also used in one of the stages of DRM, in an effort to identify any behavioral differences. Due to the fact that haptic interaction is a complex process, the theory of “distributed cognition” was used and haptic perception is distributed into sub-factors. Based on these sub-factors; observations, verbal protocols and interview studies are carried out with 10 younger (aged between 18-64) and 10 older (65 and older) participants. The results of this research suggest that younger and older participants present different haptic behaviours when compared with each other. By using the key indicators, which are emerged when the findings of this research are discussed with the relevant literature, “haptic interaction reference model” for supporting design process has been developed.
This paper presents a classroom teaching experience from Ergonomics and Design 2 at Industrial Design Faculty in the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) involving the development and application of an instrument. This exercise allows the students to explain the key component of the ergonomic system to the user(s), increase the designer’s knowledge of the user(s) and identify human factors and needs that can be met by the product’s functions. The user characterization workshop constitutes a tool for the implementation of ergonomic criteria in the design process.
This project presents an analysis of the ergonomic conditions of three types of mattress and three types of pillow. The products are manufactured by a Colombian company which specializes in flexible polyurethane foam and other products designed for rest and relaxation. The project was developed through the University - Industry relationship: a strategic partnership based on the knowledge and strengths of each component. The conceptual theories that underpin the Ergonomics Research Division of the Design Studies Research Group (GED) provided the methodological approach for the project: the characteristics, the requirements and the relationships that are established between the components that constitute the User - Product - Context system (basic principles of the Ergonomics - Design relationship). An important factor in the project was the conception and measurement of comfort. Comfort can be measured on an objective level (quantitative measurement), and on a subjective level (a user's particular perceptions and tastes). What constitutes 'comfort' can vary from person to person, thus making the identification of criteria for the standardization of consumer products problematic. This project enabled design recommendations to be made to the Company vis-a-vis future proposals for mattress and pillow products. This experience of applied research was carried out by professors and students from the Faculty of Industrial Design at the UPB in Medellin, Colombia.
Translation dictation (TD) is a translation technique that was widely used before professional translators’ workstations witnessed the massive influx of typewriters and personal computers. In the current era of globalization and of information and communication technologies (ICT), and in response to the growing demand for translation, certain translators and translator trainers throughout the world are seeking to (re)integrate dictation into the translation practice. Contrary to a few decades ago, when the transcription of translated texts was typically carried out by professional typists, the translation industry is currently turning to voice recognition (VR) technologies—that is, computer tools that serve to transcribe dictations automatically. Although off-the-shelf VR systems are not specifically conceived for professional translation purposes, they already seem to provide a more ergonomic and efficient approach, for those translators who are already using them, than does the conventional method, i.e., typing on a computer keyboard. This thesis introduces the notion of Interactive Translation Dictation (ITD), a translation technique that involves interaction with a VR system. The literature review conducted for this research indicated that integrating VR technologies into the practice of translation is not new; however, it showed that past efforts have proved unsuccessful. Moreover, an analysis of the needs of translators who use VR systems shed light on why translators have turned to VR software and what their opinions of these tools are. This analysis also allowed us to identify the challenges that VR technology currently presents for professional translation. This thesis is intended as a first step towards developing translation tools that are both ergonomic, i.e., that take into account the human factor, and efficient, allowing translators to meet the needs of the current translation market. The thesis also advocates a renewal of translator training programs. Integrating ITD into translation training and practice means (re)integrating spoken translation techniques that were used in the past and VR technologies that are now emerging. For such integration to be effective, significant technical, cognitive and pedagogical challenges will first need to be overcome.
Usability is an important factor to the products and systems quality. It consists of a concept widely used in product development and, according to the word itself, aims to observe people using a product from the human-task- product interaction. A growing number of companies are recognizing not only the importance of usability in the design process, but also its potential to ensure advantages in the market. Due to this importance, the topic has been the focus of several studies proposed by researchers and experts. This paper introduces concepts and definitions of usability in consumer products, its dimensions and models of evaluation and testing. The objective of this work is to establish a conceptual study based on various authors.
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