Human Factors in Product Design: Current Practice and Future Trends

by Green; W.

• ISBN13: 9780748408290
• ISBN10: 0748408290
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-08-19
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

Manufacturers are becoming more aware of human factors in product design as a major competitive issue. In many product areas, manufacturers have reached a technology ceiling, which simply means that it is increasingly difficult to get ahead of the competition in terms of, for example, functionality, technical reliability or manufacturing costs. As a consequence, design has become a major battleground for manufacturers, and usability is recognized as being a central tenet of good design. This book provides a unique snapshot of current practice in human factors, identifying methods and techniques that work well under tight constraints and providing case study evidence of their effectiveness. The commercial implications of usability are discussed, and special attention is paid to two key trends: inclusive design and smart products. Inclusive design is about meeting the needs of all users with one design, which includes the elderly and the disabled. Smart products are multi-functional products with electronic interfaces containing a vast array of "helpful" functions. Industrial designers and manufacturing executives will find this text enlightening.

Table of Contents

Introduction Ergonomics, Usability and Product Development	1	(7)
W.S. GREEN
P.W. JORDAN
Chapter 1 Essential Conditions for the Acceptance of User Trialling as a Design Tool	8	(7)
W.S. GREEN
Chapter 2 Designing for Usability; Input of Ergonomics Information at an Appropriate Point, and Appropriate Form, in the Design Process	15	(11)
S. PORTER
J.M. PORTER
Chapter 3 Product Evaluation Methods and Their Importance in Designing Interactive Artifacts	26	(10)
V. POPOVIC
Chapter 4 Design Centered Research into User Activities	36	(11)
H. KANIS
Chapter 5 Designing Scenarios and Tasks for User Trials of Home Electronic Devices	47	(9)
A.P.O.S. VERMEEREN
Chapter 6 Implications for Using Intelligence in Consumer Products	56	(8)
J.V.H. BONNER
Chapter 7 Representations of Smart Product Concepts in User Interface Design	64	(9)
S. SADE
Chapter 8 Ergonomics and Safety in Consumer Product Design	73	(12)
B. NORRIS
J.R WILSON
Chapter 9 Usability and Product Design: A Case Study	85	(7)
R.R. HALL
Chapter 10 User Trials as a Design Directive Strategy	92	(11)
W.S. GREEN
D. KLEIN
Chapter 11 The User Interface Design of the Fizz and Spark GSM Telephones	103	(10)
B. THOMAS
M. VAN LEEUWEN
Chapter 12 Usability Testing under Time-Pressure in Design Practice Case Study	113	(11)
R. KAHMANN
L. HENZE
Chapter 13 Spoken Help for a Car Stereo: An Exploratory Study	124	(14)
G. DE VRIES
G.I. JOHNSON
Chapter 14 Prototypes on Trial	138	(13)
M.J. ROODEN
Chapter 15 Best Practice isn't always good enough	151	(8)
S. TRATHEN
D. CARSON
P. MILLER
Chapter 16 Inclusive Design -- Design for All	159	(12)
R. COLEMAN
Chapter 17 Inclusive Design	171	(11)
P.W. JORDAN
Chapter 18 Personal Reader Systems for the Blind	182	(9)
P.J. SIMPSON
Chapter 19 Designing Domestic Appliances for Everyone	191	(7)
L. ETCHELL
Chapter 20 Transgenerational Guidelines	198	(8)
A. FREUDENTHAL
Chapter 21 Pleasure with Products: Human Factors for Body, Mind and Soul	206	(12)
P.W. JORDAN
Chapter 22 Understanding Person Product Relationships -- A Design Perspective	218	(11)
A.J. TAYLOR
P.H. ROBERTS
M.J.D. HALL
Chapter 23 Kansei Engineering and Design	229	(5)
P.W. JORDAN
Chapter 24 The Ergonomics of Pleasure	234	(15)
L. BONAPACE
Chapter 25 Discussion and Conclusion	249	(3)
W.S. GREEN
P.W. JORDAN
Index	252