What’s the difference between an ergonomist and a designer? Gary Davis answers this question and more in one quick-fire session
Isn’t ergonomics just common sense?
Unfortunately no. Common sense is not so common, and it is not so much based on sense, as on individual perceptions, prejudices and personal bias. You only have to consider the number of poorly designed products which exist to realise that!
Why is ergonomics important?
It is important for a variety of reasons depending on the nature of the product and the context of its use. In some cases ergonomics might be a matter of life and death. This may be the case, for example, with military equipment, machinery and automotive products. Sometimes it may simply make a product more pleasurable to use. Almost always good ergonomics will make a product more marketable, hence the huge investments in ergonomics and related disciplines within industry and the commercial sector.
What do ergonomists do?
They study people and the way in which they use products and services. They advise as to how to create designs that meet user needs and give maximum enjoyment in use. Usually ergonomists will have multidisciplinary backgrounds and work closely with designers and marketeers.
I always thought that ergonomics was just to do with seating. Is seating still important?
It is important as we spend a great deal of our time sitting down and in evolutionary terms we were never designed for this posture. Badly designed seats that do not fit us can lead to many problems including the notorious deep vein thrombosis, or economy class syndrome, on aircraft. This condition is not just due to sitting in poorly designed cramped seats, but the compression underneath the thigh certainly adds to the problem in susceptible individuals. Good seats in cars, in the office or in the workplace can provide a stable support to allow us to apply forces effectively and work with a minimum of fatigue. By contrast a poor seat will be tiring and will encourage us to adopt poor postures, cross our legs to gain stability or make us slump or slouch. Ergonomics is about a lot more than seating, but seating does remain one important aspect of ergonomists' work.
How do I find a good ergonomist?
You can find a good ergonomist via the Ergonomics Society. The Society maintains a register of competent consultancies that employ suitably qualified and experienced ergonomics specialists. The register is best accessed on their website where consultancies can be selected on the basis of specialist areas of competence, geographic location, size or other criteria.
Is there a difference between an ergonomist and a designer?
There is a difference between an ergonomist and designer, although there are different types of ergonomist, just as there are different types of designer. Ergonomists are specialists in applying human science knowledge and methodology as part of the design development process. If the issues of concern are predominantly human factors, such as user requirements definition, usability, seat comfort, task design, etc, then it would be best to call upon an ergonomist. If on the other hand, the ergonomics issues are only a part of a much broader set of issues, including branding, materials selection, production costs, etc, then a designer would be best placed to integrate the ergonomist's input with that of other disciplines.