Understanding user needs Flashcards
meaning of ergonomics
designing a product so that it’s comfortable to use
why does ergonomic design need to be considered when making a product
so that using the product won’t cause any health problems
what is a target market
whoever the product is aimed towards
what is anthropometric data
body measurement data to make sure the product is the right shape and size
examples of anthropometric data
- upper arm length
- head circumference
- height
- knee height
- hand width
how do designers use anthropometric data
- They work out what measurements they need, (e.g if they’re making a mask, they dont need knee height)
- they find out what these measurements are for the typical user of the product - these are collected by sampling lots of people from the target group
- then, they design the product to fit a range of users within a target group
how may products be more accessible for disabled users
- some packaging has Braile labelling to give blind people information
- control buttons can be made bright coloured and large so they’re easy to find and press
- smoke alarms designed with visible signals
- trains and buses need to be designed to have wheelchair access
how can products be designed to be accessible to small children
- larger parts on products as children may find it hard to manipulate small parts and may have difficulty fastening and opening packages
How can designers make products more accessible to elderly and infirm people
- they may have difficulty holding and using products, so designers may consider putting large and easy to grip handles on the product
products are often designed to fit how many of the target market
90 percent
what percentiles are used as cut off points
5th and 95the percentiles
what do the 5th and 95th percentiles mean
5th percentile - 5 percent of people are shorter than this value
95th means 95 percent of people are shorter than this value
