Product Design
Ergonomics
ergon (work)+nomos (laws)=Ergonomic
Ergonomics General
• Ergonomics is the science of fitting jobs to people.
• The discipline encompasses a body of knowledge about physical
abilities and limitations as well as other human characteristics
that are relevant to job design.
• Essentially, ergonomics is the relationship between the worker
and the job and focuses on the design of work areas to enhance
job performance.
• Ergonomics can help prevent injuries and limit secondary
injuries as well as accommodate individuals with various
disabilities, including those with musculoskeletal disorders
(MSDs).
Discipline
• Ergonomics – Ergonomics (or human factors) is the
scientific discipline concerned with the understanding
of interactions among humans and other elements of
a system, and the profession that applies theory,
principles, data and methods to design in order to
optimize human well-being and overall system
performance. (according International Ergonomics
Association 2009)
Figure A simple work system. People interact with machines to turn
inputs into outputs. System capacity refers to amount of input that can be
processed over time. Productivity refers to the ratio of outputs to inputs.
Efficient systems minimise by-products of all kinds (E = local environment,
M = machine, H = human operator).
Five Aspects of Ergonomics
• Safety - Medicine bottles: The print on them could be larger
so that a sick person who may have bad vision (due to sinuses,
etc.) can more easily see the dosages and label. Ergonomics
could design the print style, color and size for optimal viewing.
• Comfort - Alarm
clock display: Some
displays are harshly
bright, drawing
one’s eye to the
light when
surroundings are
dark. Ergonomic
principles could re-
design this based on
contrast principles.
• Ease of use - Street
Signs: In a strange
area, many times it is
difficult to spot street
signs. This could be
addressed with the
principles of visual
detection in
ergonomics.
Five aspects of ergonomics
• Productivity/performance - HD TV: The sound on
HD TV is much lower than regular TV. So when you
switch from HD to regular, the volume increases
dramatically. Ergonomics recognizes that this
difference in decibel level creates a difference in
loudness and hurts human ears and this could be
solved by evening out the decibel levels.
• Aesthetics - the look and feel of the object, the user
experience.
History
• Ancient Greece-Hellenic civilization in the 5th century
BC used ergonomic principles in the design of their tools,
jobs, and workplaces. Hippocrates gave described how a
surgeon's workplace should be designed
• Wojciech Jastrzębowski
(polish biologist) first used
the word “ergonomics” in
his 1857 article Rys
ergonomji czyli nauki o
pracy, opartej na prawdach
poczerpniętych z Nauki
Przyrody (The Outline of
Ergonomics, . Science of
Work, Based on the Truths
Taken from the Natural
Science).
• Frederick Winslow Taylor pioneered
the "Scientific Management" method, which
proposed a way to find the optimum method
for carrying out a given task in the early 19th
century.
• Frank and Lillian Gilbreth expanded
Taylor's methods in the early 1900s to
develop "Time and Motion Studies". They
aimed to improve efficiency by eliminating
unnecessary steps and actions which increase
the bricklayer’s productivity from 120 to 350
bricks per hour.
• World War II marked the
development of new and complex
machines and weaponry, It was
observed that fully functional
aircraft, flown by the best-trained
pilots, still crashed.
• In 1943, Alphonse Chapanis, a
lieutenant in the . Army, showed
that this so-called "pilot error"
could be greatly reduced when more
logical and differentiable controls
replaced confusing designs in
airplane cockpits.
History
• In the decades since the war, ergonomics has continued to flourish
and diversify. The Space Age created new human factors issues such
as weightlessness and extreme g-forces. The dawn of the Information
Age has resulted in the new ergonomics field of human-computer
interaction (HCI). Likewise, the growing demand for and competition
among consumer goods and electronics has resulted in human factors
in product design.
Domains
• Physical ergonomics: is
concerned with human
anatomical,
anthropometric,
physiological and
biomechanical
characteristics as they
relate to physical activity.
(working postures, materials
handling, repetitive movements,
work related musculoskeletal
disorders etc.) Ergonomic Multilock Office Air Mesh Series Desk Chair - W81
• Cognitive ergonomics: is concerned with mental
processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning,
and motor response, as they affect interactions among
humans and other elements of a system.(mental
workload, decision-making, skilled performance, human-
computer interaction, human reliability etc.)
Theoretical Framework for HCI
• Organizational ergonomics: is concerned with the
optimization of sociotechnical systems, including their
organizational structures, policies, and processes.(Relevant
topics include communication, work design, design of working
times, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative
work etc.)
Application
SEATING AND POSTURE FOR TYPICAL OFFICE
TASKS
1 SEAT BACK ADJUSTABILTY
2 GOOD LUMBAR SUPPORT
3 SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTABILITY
4 NO EXCESS PRESSURE ON UNDERSIDE OF
THIGHS AND BACKS OF KNEES
5 FOOT SUPPORT IF NEEDED
6 SPACE FOR POSTURAL CHANGE, NO
OBSTACLES UNDER DESK
7 FOREARMS APPROXIMATELY HORIZONTAL
8 MINIMAL EXTENSION, FLEXION OR
DEVIATION OF WRISTS
9 SCREEN HEIGHT AND ANGLE SHOULD ALLOW
COMFORTABLE HEAD POSITION
10 SPACE IN FRONT OF KEYBOARD TO SUPPORT
HANDS/WRISTS DURING PAUSES IN KEYING
Ergonomics in the workplace
• Ergonomics is the science of designing the
job, equipment, and workplace to fit the
worker.
• Proper ergonomic design is necessary to
prevent repetitive strain injuries, which
can develop over time and can lead to
long-term disability.
• The four main contributing causes of
these injuries are quick, repetitive
actions, awkward position, use of force,
and lack of rest.
• Minimization of repetitive tasks and
awkward body positions can help to
prevent such injuries from occurring.
• What are common ergonomic risk factors?
– Repetition
– Awkward Body Postures
– Force
– Contact Stress
– Vibration
– Heat
• Common Symptoms
– pain
– numbness and tingling
– stiffness or cramping
– inability to hold objects or loss of grip strength
Cumulative Trauma Disorders
• Prevention
• Good body posture
• Engineering controls
• Administrative Controls
– Job enlargement
– Job rotation
– Work breaks
– Training.
Figure Separate banks of keys for each hand
may relieve wrist strain.
What are individuals responsibilities?
• Faculty and Staff
• Participate in ergonomics training and problem-
solving.
• Implement ergonomic recommendations.
• Choose tools, furniture, and equipment that fit
your job tasks and your body.
• Listen to your body and adjust your workstation
furniture and accessories to support comfortable
postures.
• Think before you lift, get help if necessary, and
follow safe lifting guidelines.
• Vary your job tasks throughout the day, take
frequent short stretch breaks when performing
highly repetitive tasks, and perform simple
stretches.
• Exercise, including walking and climbing stairs,
to build stamina and muscle tone.
• Report work-related injuries to your supervisor
promptly.
• Supervisors
• Learn about ergonomic risk factors and how to
prevent them.
• Provide ergonomics training and encourage input
in ergonomic problem-solving.
• Support your department's computer workstation
evaluator.
• Contact the campus Ergonomics Specialist for a
worksite assessment of non-computer jobs
involving ergonomic risk factors.
• Provide ergonomic workstation furniture and
tools.
• Promote frequent, short rest breaks and
alternative work activities for staff performing
highly repetitive tasks.
• Encourage staff to report symptoms early.
• Send injured employees for medical treatment,
report injuries promptly, and implement work
restrictions and workplace modifications.
• Seek assistance on ergonomic issues from
campus resources when necessary.
Sustainable Design
Chart Analysis
Figure. World oil production
Annual Fossil-Fuel Emissions
• In many past situations, environmental effects
were ignored during the design stage for new
products and processes. Hazardous wastes were
dumped in the most convenient fashion possible,
ignoring possible environmental damage.
Inefficient energy use resulted in high operating
costs. Waste was common in material
production, manufacturing and distribution.
Consumers cast aside products, usually with only
minimal re-manufacturing or recycling.
What is “Green design”?
Green design is the design of a product to
minimise its environmental impacts over its
entire lifetime and to meet customer
requirements
3915
The elements of a life-cycle inventory analysis
Materials acquisition
Product distribution
Product use
Recycle: Products,
components, materials
Waste management
Materials
Energy
Air
Water
Formulation, processing,
and manufacturing
Principal
products
Co-products
Water
effluents
Airborne
emissions
Solid
Waste
Other
environmental
interactions
41
Figure 1. The Shift to Sustainable Design
*General goals for green design
• Reduce or minimize the use of non-renewable
resources
• Manage renewable resources to insure
sustainability;
• Reduce, with the ultimate goal of eliminating,
toxic and otherwise harmful emissions to the
environment, including emissions
contributing to global warming.
• Use less material**
• Use materials with less environmental impact
• Use fewer resources
• Produce less pollution and waste
• Reduce the impacts of distribution
• Optimise functionality and service life
• Make re-use and recycling easier
• Reduce the environmental impact of disposal
Key environmental considerations
*Systems Thinking
• Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a
technique for tracing out all the environmental effects and
resource needs of a new product or process through the
material suppliers, through manufacture, use and disposal
• Material Flows and Cycles is a technique for tracing
material use and location over time. In tracing materials
flows, it is important to be clear about the boundaries of
analysis and the uncertainty of mass measurements.
*Sustainable Product Design
• Five factors have been identified for perfect
sustainable product design.
• Cyclic
• Solar
• Safe
• Efficient
• Social
Minimising Waste Production
• Waste is lost profit.
• The four r’s can help reduce waste.
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Recover
Reduce
• Reduce the amount of materials used for the
product.
• Reduce the amount of materials used for the
packaging.
• Can be done by using:
• Lighter weight of materials
• Only one type of packaging material
• Packaging fits around the product
Reuse
• Reusing containers stops need for:
• New packaging
• Recycling (as it costs money)
• Collection (as it costs money)
• Washing and refilling should be less than
that of producing a new container.
Recycle
• Designers must consider design for
recycling and the product’s life cycle.
• Components should be recycled and
recyclable.
Recover
• When a product is discarded and put into a
landfill site energy is lost.
• This energy can be recovered through
incineration in specialised power stations.
Green Design Methods and Tools
• Mass balance analysis
• Green Indices
• Design for disassembly and recycling aids
• Risk analysis
• Material selection and label advisors
• Full cost accounting methodologies
Responsibilities of the Designer
• What are some of the moral and social
responsibilities of designers in relation
to green design issues?
• Consider issues relating to:
• waste
• Pollution
• Resources
• market forces
• wealth creation.
为良善人生而设计，用良善设计服务于大众人生。
————李泽厚
