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 termsthe 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

Task
Task: 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 important
consideration 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?