Core 1 Flashcards
What is anthropometric data?
The study of human body properties such as height, mass and volume. It is used extensively in consumer goods design to accommodate how humans use and interact with a product.
What is the difference between static and dynamic anthropometrics? With examples of tools and measures.
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Static data/Structural data:
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Data from measurements such as those between joints
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Recorded using standardised equipment, e.g. callipers
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Easy to collect as the subject is not moving
Include height, weight and various other body structure data
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Dynamic data/Functional data
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Data obtained while the subject is in movement: is often of greater use
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demonstrates range and ease of movements: reaction time, reach arcs, grip strength
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Instruments must be calibrated and of sturdy design for reliability
What equipment is used to collect anthropometric data
Stadiometer: used to measure the vertical distance from the floor to the head of a person standing
Sitting height table: measures the distance from the floor or seat to the top of the head of a seated upright person
Skinfold callipers: Determine the amount of subcutaneous body fat
What are the factors that affect the quality of anthropometric data?
Tools - may be inaccurate if not calibrated properly
Human error - incorrect training or making an error
Time of day - a person can become shorter in the evening
Cultural restrictions - nude body measurements prevent data collection
What is the difference between primary and secondary anthropometric data?
Primary data is collected by the designer
- Measurements carried out on proposed user group
- Relates directly to intended population
Secondary data is collected from a database of measurements
- Often national in nature
What are percentiles?
the hundred equal groups a sample can be divided according to the distributions of value of a particular variable.
E.g, 70th percentile scored as well, or better than 70% of those in the total sample population
What are percentile ranges and their applications in anthropometrics?
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That proportion of a population with a dimension at or less than a given value.Used to measure dispersion within a sample
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‘Mean’ is the 50th percentile
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Spread between 95th and 5th percentile shown as P95 — P5
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Design within a range or to a value can depend on design context and can be critical
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Extremes of any population sample will always require consideration
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Only 95th percentile example: standard architectural doorway
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Only 5th percentile example: ease of reach for vehicle controls
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50th percentile example: crash test dummies (men’s)
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Crash test dummies now developed for women and children
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Issues can occur when having to consider large percentile ranges for products such as primary school age children encompassing significant age variation
What are percentile tables and why are they used?
When designing products for diverse user populations, designers often need to consider multiple body dimensions at the same time. For example, if you’re designing a car seat, you might care about both leg length and sitting height.
Used for inclusivity in product design and accommodating the widest range of users.
What is adjustability in product design? Examples of it?
design made with features of changing sizes
Accommodate for the anthropometric variability between members of the user group
E.g. adjustable car seat height and steering wheel position
Inclusion of almost everyone in a design context
When considering adjustability, in the 95th percentile, the male population is taken, and in the 5th, the female
Human dimensions aren’t always to proportion e.g. tall person with short arms
Range of sizes
Sizes made for different percentile ranges
Making one size would be impossible to fit every person properly
Making a size for every variance would be uneconomical (tailor-made)
Some people may be different sizes in different stores
Clearance and reach
Clearance
Minimum space required to enable the user to move into or through an area
E.g. Important for emergency exits
Reach
Maximum distance around a user that is usable and reachable e.g. desk space. (Work-space envelope)
Space within which a user carries out physical activities when at a fixed location
What is a multivariate analysis?
Used to account for all variations and means more than 5% may be excluded on one or more dimensions if using 5th — 95th
The cost of accommodating all possible combinations increases dramatically past this range and usually isn’t justified
What are psychological factors?
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Factors that impact operations including effects of environmental conditions such as stress, lighting, temperature, humidity, noise, vibration etc.
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Envitonmental conditions include:
Lighting
Accoustics
Air quality
Temperature
Worker densities
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Product effectiveness can be affected by user reaction to external sensory stimuli.
What are the stimuli?
Sight - visibility and readability
Hearing - pitch, frequency and volume
Touch - texture, grip, friction and temperature
Taste - ingestion of toxins
Smell - aroma, perfume and odour
How is psychological data collected?
Interviews: asking others questions to learn about beliefs, experiences and needs - Participants might want to tell the interviewer what they think is acceptable or desirable
Surveys: set of questions asked to a participant - Answers can be nominal, ordinal and interval data
Observation: watching the subject as they engage in a task, work in a space, or try to complete an activity
- Participants could act unnaturally under the feeling of being watched
Standardised tests: measure a user’s performance or ability, results can be compared to other users - Performance may be affected by stress
Case studies: in-depth examination of an individual - May not be easily generalised to others due to its specificity
What different scales of data can be used to collect data?
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Nominal Scale
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Categorizes data without any order or numerical meaning, like gender, colors, or names.
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Ordinal Scale
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Ranks data in a meaningful order, but intervals between ranks are not equal, e.g., class ranks.
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Interval Scale
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Measures data with equal intervals between values, but lacks a true zero, like temperature.
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Ratio Scale
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Has equal intervals and an absolute zero, allowing for comparisons of absolute quantities, e.g., weight.
What are environmental conditions?
Name examples and their effects.
Relationship between an environment and how it affects its inhabitants
Lighting: too dark/light can strain eyes, natural light can reduce stress, can affect alertness and productivity
Acoustics: excessive noise can be distracting or damaging, repetitive or high pitched sounds can be annoying, or distracting, quite encourages concentration
Air quality: links to temperature through humidity and ‘stickiness’, pollutants may make it dusty and hard to breathe
Temperature: too hot can make you sleepy and less alert, too cold and you become very alert, can link to comfort
Worker densities: adaptable space that is flexible to be personalised to fit worker requirements is ideal, offices encourage communication but can be distracting
Human information processing system
Information about one’s surroundings is continually being supplied to their senses.
This information is sent to the brain for processing and forming a response
A signal is sent from the brain to the muscles to complete the physical response.
Input → Sensory processes → Central processes → Motor processes → Output
Effects and reasons for a breakdown in the human information processing system
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When information processing capacity is exceeded, overload may occur leading to decreased response rates.
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Filtering is a response that reduces inputs to manageable capacities. Can vary with individuals due to past experience and practice.
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Pilots taught to “(1)Aviate, (2)Navigate, (3)Communicate” in crises to prevent further problems.
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Some sense perception may change with age.
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Stress is a major contributor to impeding information processing and physical performance.
How can environmental factors be optimised?
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Temperaturs can lead to heat stress, exhaustion.
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Air quality can be managed with air conditioning controlling ventilation, movement of air and humidity or filtering pollutants. (Can cause noise and less than opitmal temperatures)
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Quite spaces encourage concentration minimising distractions and disrutpions. (Acousitcs)
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Natural lighting and outside views can reduce stress, adjustable lighting allows individuals to control it to their liking.
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Adjustable, adaptable supplying space flexible enough to be personalised to fit an individuals work style. (Open plans and defensible space)
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Controlling environmental factors to maximise workplace performance
Impact of perception on the accuracy of psychological data
What is physiological data?
Include examples
Information gathered focusing on the functioning of an individual’s major organ systems
The heart - activity, heart rate, blood pressure
The brain - responses from nervous systems
Sight - eye movement, tracking
Respiration - lung capacity, oxygen exchange
Hearing - audiology, balance information
What is comfort and fatigue?
Comfort: one’s sense of physical or psychological ease
- Qualitative consideration that differs among people
- Making a product that is unpleasant to use will not be used
- Products can be discomforting to touch, to smell, to hear, to taste or to look at
Fatigue: a consequence of discomfort produced as a result of stress put on a users body, physically or psychologically
- Can lead to the perception of poor design
What is biomechanics? and why is it important?
Biomechanics: the study of the structure, function and motion of the human body
