Ergonomics for the Layman

Applications in Design

Prabir Mukhopadhyay

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781000606539
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Cognitive Science
• Index: Psychology

This book explains the application of ergonomics in three different areas of design, namely product, space, and communication. The book is written in layman's language and provides examples so that the reader can easily apply the principles to their designs.

This book is easy to understand for those without a background in science and technology. It provides a guide for designers from diverse fields ranging from product design to graphic design and shows how to apply ergonomic principles in products from hand-held products to larger products. It explains the application of anthropometric dimensions, as well as how to design for different spaces ranging from bathrooms to cinema halls. It also focuses on the application of communication ranging from displays to graphic design and discusses the significance of color selection.

This book is ideal for all design students, practicing designers in any field, design faculty, entry-level engineering students, and anyone who is interested in exploring the field of ergonomics.

Features

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• Specifically written in such a way to make it easily understood for those not educated in the field

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• Shows how to apply the ergonomic principles in design

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• Provides an overview of the topic of ergonomics

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• Written in a storytelling format

1Introduction

Overview

This chapter introduces readers to the concept of ergonomics and its pertinence to design. The genesis of ergonomics, including its application areas, is outlined in this chapter. At the end of the chapter, readers are expected to have a broad understanding of ergonomics and how it can be used in their respective fields of design.

1.1 Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the relationship between human, product, and the environment in which the human exists. For example, let us imagine that a human is breaking a piece of coal into smaller pieces. The components involved are the human, the hammer, and the platform on which the coal is kept and broken. The environment could be outdoors or indoors, wherever the activity is taking place. Now let us consider the factors that could affect the human’s productivity, or that could enable him to break the maximum amount of coal into smaller pieces in the shortest span of time. The answer is not very straightforward, but demands a holistic view of the situation. One needs to look at the different components that we talked before. Let’s take the human first; he has to be healthy and trained to do the job – only then he can do it effectively. So, the human’s health condition also affects productivity. The second element is the hammer, especially the design of the handle of the hammer. If the hammer handle is too short it will be difficult to hold and hence to strike with the required force. If the handle is too long it becomes difficult to grip and force exertion becomes difficult. Thus, hammer handle design is an important element that can affect productivity. The third element is the environment in which the person is working. If the work is done outdoors under the scorching sun, the person will be more tired and his productivity will be less compared to if the person works indoors in a relatively cooler environment. So, the environment also affects productivity. Can anything else affect productivity? Yes, there is probably another factor which affects productivity, and that is the psychological factor. Let’s imagine that the person’s son is ill at home. So as a dad he would be worried about his son and this might also affect his performance or the overall productivity. Thus, a simple task of breaking a piece of coal has so much complexity involved in it, and each smaller component has a decisive role to play when it comes to performance and productivity.

A small thorn got stuck in my left finger early one morning when I was picking flowers in the garden. In an attempt to take the thorn out of my fingers (Figure 1.1), I first pressed the left fingers with my right fingers, but with no success. Next I tried to take the thorn out of my fingers with my nails, thinking that they were relatively sharper and would help. It did not help either. Then I took a needle, used the tip of it to take the thorn out of my finger successfully. If you analyze the stages involved in removal of the thorn from my finger then you would notice a sequence of activities. First, I tried by pressing the finger (a rather crude approach) then I tried using my nails (a relatively finer approach), and finally I used a needle. In essence, the two examples of what happened is that the tool or the needle acted as an extension of the human hand and amplified human capacity. This is exactly what ergonomics is and where it plays a role in design. It acts at the junction between human and product/space or communication, and so on, considers the different issues surrounding it and then helps in designing the process so as to increase productivity, comfort, well-being, occupational health, and safety of the users. Thus, ergonomics makes the design much more user friendly or humane, because tools, products, and machines are for the benefit of the human, to amplify his capabilities.

Figure 1.1 Ways of removing a thorn stuck in the finger.

Ergonomics comprises two broad categories: physical ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics. Physical ergonomics is that tangible part of ergonomics which can be felt, measured directly. Cognitive ergonomics is the softer side of ergonomics – the person thinking about his ailing child at home as in the example above – and cannot be felt, or measured directly. Although these two areas of ergonomics are inseparable, we will deal with them separately for the ease of our understanding of the subject matter.

1.2 Genesis

Ergonomics as a multidisciplinary subject draws from science, technology, psychology, anatomy, physiology, and so on. It has existed ever since humans started hunting and gathering food. For these activities, the human developed his own tools. This was made out of wood and stone. In designing these tools for survival, the human took reference of his own body parts or those of the family members who were residing with him. This was possible through repeated trial and error. This was the first application of ergonomics in primitive times by humans. After the Industrial Revolution, the prime purpose of the human changed. From hunting and gathering food for himself, the human focused on mass-scale manufacturing, for himself and for others. Unfortunately, the structure of the human body did not evolve on a par with that of rapid advancement of technology, even till now. Due to large-scale manufacturing, the human started making products no longer for himself alone, but also for others, and the products gradually increased in number. It was at this juncture that there was a need for a standardization of tools and equipment, as people varied among themselves not only in terms of body dimensions but also in terms of strength, physique, and intelligence. Thus, the need for standardization of tools came to the forefront, and humans first felt the need of ergonomics in the design process. This was all unofficial and not well documented.

The first official genesis of ergonomics took place during some wars. At the time, it was noticed that trained pilots were making mistakes in activating the right controls when needed. The defense experts perceived that good aircraft with trained pilots would win battles. This did not happen. When investigated with the pilot of one of the aircrafts, an interesting aspect came forward. The pilot in one of the aircraft was hit by the enemy’s anti-aircraft gun, but somehow managed to escape and return to base. The pilot was narrating that everything was going fine during the mission; he was planning for dropping a bomb over the target in the enemy territory. All of a sudden, he realized (Figure 1.2) that instead of pulling the control for dropping the bomb, he had inadvertently pulled the landing gear, leading to the rapid descent of the aircraft and hence coming within range of the enemy’s anti-aircraft gun. Fortunately, the pilot realized his mistake and activated the correct gear, taking the aircraft out of enemy territory and returning safely to the base. This incident was a trigger to the defense experts. For the first time they realized that pilot performance inside the cockpit of an aircraft is dependent on many factors. First is the design of the cockpit, keeping the user in mind. Second is the physical environment inside the aircraft, and the third factor is the enormous amount of psychological stress that the pilot has to withstand. This led to the fact that when a machine or a piece of equipment is designed, one has to keep the user in mind and also the context in which the machine or equipment will be used. In this case, the aircraft was never designed factoring in issues of users’ psychological stress, body dimensions, and the likelihood of making mistakes. The mistake was made because the two controls for releasing the bomb and landing the aircraft were similarly shaped and placed close to one another. Under tremendous stress the pilot had to look in front, and had to locate the right control and activate it to release the bomb by feeling with his hand. By mistake, his hand fell on the landing gear and the aircraft started descending. This proves once again the importance of humans and led to the concept of human, machine, and environment and the interaction between the three in designing equipment or products.

Figure 1.2 Pilot activating the wrong gear during action. (Photo by Mike Yakaites from Pexels. Accessed April 5, 2019.)

1.3 Design and Ergonomics

Ergonomics and design are intricately associated with one another like “blood brothers”. We have seen what ergonomics is by now. Design imparts values and these values manifest in the form of tangible outputs or “products”, or they may manifest in the form of intangible outputs or “processes”. In both these cases, the human and the user is always involved. So, ergonomics becomes essential throughout the design process and keeps the designer on the right track, in terms of human dimensions, characteristics, limitations, desires, and values. This makes the entire design and the design process much more user centric and makes it acceptable to a wide spectrum of the population who vary enormously in terms of dimensions, strength, thought processes, and so on. In essence, ergonomics tries to “refine” the design to make it more acceptable to a large number of users by accounting for different “human elements” and ensuring that these are incorporated in the design, be it a product, space, communication, or service. This approach gives any design that “human touch”, which makes you say “wow, wonderful!”

1.4 Application Areas

Ergonomics can be divided into two broad categories: physical or tangible ergonomics, and cognitive or intangible ergonomics. Although these two divisions exist for the sake of our understanding of the subject matter, they are an integral part of one another in design. The reason for this integration will be discussed in later chapters of this book. When it comes to the application of ergonomics, it is virtually everywhere, wherever humans are involved. Starting from a hammer, the design of the handle has to be in tandem with human hand dimensions. If one has to design a large space like a classroom, then the dimensions of the students as well as the number of students have to be considered. If we move into a complex domain like the cockpit of an aircraft, there also ergonomics will dictate the design of display and control elements, the dimensions of the controls, the type and quantum of information on the display so that the pilot is at ease while flying. In essence, everywhere from pin to plane, wherever there is a human involved using the design or process, ergonomics plays a role. Let’s take the example of an electronic assembly line. It is a process which can be designed. Ergonomics will play a role here by directing how long the person should work at a stretch, how many repetitive movements per minute he should perform so as to improve productivity and the quality of the job (with minimal rejections), and facilitating occupational health and safety.

1.5 Ergonomics in the Role of a Doctor

Ergonomics plays the role of a general practitioner (GP) in the design process. When you have a fever and go to the GP, what does he do? There are certain protocols that are normally followed. First, he gives some medicine (e.g., paracetamol) to control the fever and asks you to observe for a few days (Figure 1.3). If the fever does not subside, then you are asked to go for blood and other tissue fluid tests. If the fever is still not under control, then you are asked to go for an X-ray, or a CT scan or an MRI depending upon the severity of the disease. If he senses any danger, he will refer you to a specialist. Thus, the GP has a very holistic view of your disease and orchestrates the entire treatment in a sequential manner. In design, ergonomics also plays the role of a GP. If someone is designing a hammer, the designer would probably focus only on the form and material of the hammer. Ergonomics will contribute to the dimensions of the hammer in tandem with human hand dimensions. The ergonomist will go further in advising the user on how to use the hammer so that he might get the maximum output from it. For example, if the hammer is used for a long time to hit a nail from overhead, that might lead to shoulder pain. That does not indicate bad hammer design, but rather bad usage of a well-designed hammer. This advice comes from an ergonomist.

Figure 1.3 Ergonomist and the doctor in design. (By rawpixel.com from Pexels.)

1.6 Divisions of Ergonomics in Design

Ergonomics can be applied in the major aspects or types of design: product, space, and communication. In each of these design domains, ergonomics, both physical as well as cognitive, has an immense role to play. In the subsequent chapters we shall discuss them in greater detail.

1.7 Assignments

1.Pick up any product of day-to-day use like a hammer, a pencil sharpener, or a paperweight...