1.1c Physiological Factors

Question 1

What are physiological factors and how do they apply to design?

Answer 1

Physiological factors encompass the physical aspect of the body. Designers consider certain physiological factors to inform their design decisions:
- Muscle strength in different positions
- Endurance in different positions
- Visual acuity
- Tolerance to temperature
- Range of frequencies audible by humans
- Hand/ eye coordination

Question 2

What are physiological factors that designers should consider?

Answer 2

Comfort and fatigue

Question 3

What should designers consider in terms of comfort?

Answer 3

Adjustability: Users will have their own personal preferences and perceptions of comfort. Therefore designers should consider providing an option for users to adjust their product that addresses their preferences.

Pleasure: Comfortable products are pleasurable to use. Focusing on comfort will increase the users’ acceptance of the product while if something is not comfortable, users will not want to interact with it.

Question 4

What should designers consider in terms of fatigue?

Answer 4

Performance: reducing fatigue to increase the duration of high level performance
Health + Safety: fatigued people are more likely to injure themselves and others, and possibly lead to chronic pain

Question 5

What are biomechanics?

Answer 5

The study of mechanical movements of the body (how it moves and how it impacts external forces)

Question 6

How does understanding biomechanics help designers?

Answer 6

Understanding the human body’s range and ability, designers can design products that meet users needs in a comfortable, safe and efficient manner.