The next few years will see an increase in demand for ergonomics input in the design industry which means the discipline will have to become more accessible
Better ergonomics tools will become available for use by non-ergonomists. For example, computer-based 3-D anthropometric models, which currently require specialised hardware and extensive training, will become available on a PC platform with expert knowledge built in.
Inclusive design will become the norm and the need to consider the multivariate attributes of users will become more important. More rigorous consideration will be given to the combination of attributes which constitute individual users when evaluating product usability. For example, consider Janet, an elderly lady with arthritis who uses a wheelchair, who wants to get cash from an automatic dispenser. She needs to gain access, reach and operate controls, and see and interpret displays. If she cannot successfully complete each separate task, she has been 'designed out' of the equation.
Some ergonomists are playing a major part in the development of affective design or design for emotion. This is an approach to research and development that focuses on the users’ emotional needs and the emotional impact that products, systems and environments have on them. The emotional needs of users have always been of interest to designers but many rely on their own intuition based on minimal research evidence. In today’s increasingly competitive world, the inherent risks of this approach are no longer acceptable to many manufacturers or service providers. Significant competitive advantage can be gained from having a more reliable and rigorous insight into the customers’ emotional needs and so established scientific methods are being adapted and new methods are being developed to support affective design. These methods can more reliably identify product or service propositions that meet emotional needs and exceed them—delivering positive feelings of delight and pleasure in use. It is likely that this area will become even more important over the next few years.
A major new initiative for consumer ergonomics is in the area of home automation, broadband communication, smart homes and so on. These applications are in their early stages at present and much work needs to be done to ensure the usability and interoperability of appliances, systems and technologies.
Demographic change over the last century, characterised by reductions in mortality and birth rates, has lead to population ageing in most developed countries. Europe, in common with the United States, Japan and elsewhere, now has a proportionately greater number of older people than at any stage in its history.
With these trends set to continue well into the new century, the need to design a built environment and develop consumer products that meet the needs of all age groups has been widely recognised by industry, government, and the scientific community. In the consultation document The Age Shift, the Ageing Population Panel of the Government's Technology Foresight recognises that 'The reshaping of the ageing pyramid will reach all corners of society. It offers fresh opportunities for businesses large and small. New markets for products and services will open up in the UK.'