Core77 has a profile of ErgonomiDesign: ErgonomiDesign, Sweden: Human-Centered Since the Sixties. Their office space alone makes you want to work there. And then we haven't said anything about the extremely well-thought-through products they do.

Photo courtesy SizeChina.

Western products hurt asian people, physically
Complaints from Japanese snowboarders that a US-designed helmet gave them a splitting headache, and that they would thus never buy it triggered Roger Ball, former designer and now assistant Professor at Hong Kong PolyU, to setup the SizeChina project: the world’s first digital database of Chinese head and face shapes. Asian heads are shaped differently than 'western' heads, but nonetheless most products are based on anthropometric (measurements of the human body) data of these western heads. Hence the Japanese snowboarders' splitting headache. So Ball set out to measure more than 2000 Chinese heads in 6 different regions in China, driving bulky 3D scanning equipment throughout the country. Ball is not using a ruler to measure the Chinese. He uses state-of-the-art 3D scanning equipment.

Chinese heads are different
And now the first results are in. The data will be made (commercially) available through the SizeChina database and indeed the whole exercise proved worthwhile:

The first prototype Size China head form, constructed from scanned data, revealed a dramatic difference between Chinese and Western head and face shapes: Western heads are generally more oval and appear to have had the corners “filled out.”

Read the full story in MetropolisMag.

Usability and anthropometrics
And why should we care about anthropomotrics? For web- and software, physical ergonomics hardly play a role, because for human-computer interaction most of the time the physical interaction components are the same (usually a mouse and a keyboard). But consumer product usability means you're talking about products that have different physical controls every time, and that should still deliver an efficient, effective and satisfactory human-product interaction. Which includes a comfortable, efficient and satisfactory interaction in the physical sense. So a good anthropometric database, such as Johan Molenbroek - who is also a consultant on the SizeChina project - helped develop in the Netherlands (Dined) is essential for consumer product usability. In every part of the world, and now also in China.

Cylindrical coffee maker for Muji by London-based design firm Industrial Facility (source: neu black)

The Japanese no-nonsense brand Muji (or Mujirushi Ryohin in full, which roughly translates as no brand, just good product) will soon be opening stores in the US, according to an article in business week entitled 'Zen and the Art of Selling Minimalism'. As I indicated before, I'm fascinated by Muji, because a time when feature-, design-, or brand-driven marketing seems to be the most common, Muji goes in a complete opposite direction. Once you remove the price-tag, no branding elements whatsoever remain, and the products are rather down to earth objects. They're not trying to distinguish themselves on features, most products just offer the basics, though often wrapped up in a clever design. It will be interesting whether the Muji proposition survives in America's marketplace.

Be sure to also check out this slideshow about Muji at the business week website.

Those of you who have been active as DIYs (Do_It_Yourselvers) over the weekend and managed to hit your finger with a hammer or electric screwdriver will be happy to see this: the Magwear magnetic wristband. Holds your screws and nails while you are hammering away happily.

via: core77.

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, design, usability, user-centred design

Once in a while you run into products that are just great, that make you feel like someone has finally put some thought into it. During my holiday I visited the Naturkompaniet outdoor store in Sweden. In a secluded corner I found this Friluft toilet bag, that had a detail I long-longed for: you could hang it on the wall. On campings the washing rooms usually are at least wet, and often dirty as well. The last thing you want to do is lay down your toilet bag on the washbasin. And with this toilet bag you don't have to.
While I was walking around it hit me that outdoor products feature lots of details that show great consideration for how they will be used and the physical ergonomics of the products are usually excellent. I can imagine it is because when going on a hike having a product that's annoying or uncomfortable to use will become even more uncomfortable: poorly designed products have a higher impact if you're camping, hiking or canoeing.

Deuter Futura Backpack
For some examples of the details I'm talking about let's take look at the Deuter Futura 32 AC backpack below.

The most striking detail that hit me was this small cord in the upper compartment of the backpack (left picture), that you can use to ensure you don't lose your keys. Great feature, because otherwise if you open the compartment, there's a large risk of stuff like keys falling out of it.
On the outside of the backpack there are two net-like pouches (middle picture) in which you can store items you have to take out regularly, without taking off the entire bag, like drinking bottles. Integrated in the hip belt there's a small compartment for some money, an mp3-player, or a compass. Again, no need to take off the backpack to access it.
Finally, the physical ergonomics of the product are outstanding. It's easy to make the bag fit your body, and there is a trampoline kind of contraption on the back, so your back keeps cool a little longer (right picture)

And I could make the list even longer. The whole bag just seems to have been designed with me in mind. And walk around any outdoor store and you'll find a plethora of products with similar attention to usage. It makes me curious: where do the designers get all these ideas? Do they come from enthusiastic and involved users? Are the designers outdoor people themselves? Can the manufacturers afford to include these details and development time, because users are prepared to pay a premium price for these products? Whatever the cause: I love the result.

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, usability, user research, user-centred design

Symmetric key for my bike lock (click image to enlarge)

You have to appreciate the small things in life that make it more pleasant. Meet one those small things. This key to my bike lock is symmetrical. Which means you can't put it into the lock in the wrong way. That may sound trivial, but bike locks are often operated in the dark and are mounted in places where they are hard to reach, and are not in clear sight. The details are not the details.

Technorati Tags: consumer products, design, design example, usability, user-centred design

You can call it an example of featuritis, feature blithe, or feature creep. I say the Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife V1.0
16999 is just really, really cool. I'm just wondering whether it comes with a tank to transport it, with its "85 implements
and 110 functions." But, the most important question you have to ask yourself is: how big are my pockets?

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, consumer products, design example, usability, user-centred design

Illustration: Design Council

Sam Farber was inspired by his wife's arthritis to develop a range of kitchen tools that would appeal to the broadest possible market, including people with for example arthritis but not stigmatizing them. Two years after the New York design firm Smart Design started developing the products, the sales of Oxo Good Grips reached $3 million, a figure that has increased by 50 percent each year since.

Read the entire case study at the design council website.

Technorati Tags: business and usability, consumer product usability, consumer products, design, ergonomics, user-centred design

Comfortable hand tools improve working performance and reduce injuries. Lottie Kuijt-Evers showed in here PhD research that the productivity of carpenters, painters and Do-It-Yourself handymen improves when they use tools that feel pleasant, have good physical ergonomic qualities and provide the right force transfer. Kuijt-Evers, who works at TNO and was a PhD candidate at Applied Ergonomics & Design (TU Delft), developed a 'comfort questionnaire'. She asked professional and 'amateurs' that had just used a specific tool (such as a saw or screwdriver). The study resulted in a number of requirements for the development of comfortable hand tools.

Sources: TU Delft (in Dutch only) and Volkskrant (Dutch Newspaper)

UPDATE
Lottie's entire thesis (pdf) is now available online at the TU Delft Library online repository.

Technorati Tags: consumer electronics, consumer product usability, design, ergonomics, usability, user-centered design

The title might sound ridiculous, but think about what happens when you're painting. You're pouring the paint out of the bucket into a small tray, which you use to evenly distribute the paint over your roller. The pouring process is always messy and the tray has to be cleaned afterwards. Dutch design company Flex/the INNOVATIONLAB came up with a solution for Flexa (a Dutch paint brand): a paint bucket of which the lid becomes the tray. So no need to pour the paint and no cleaning afterwards; you just close the lid. Even a mundane product category as paint offers possibilities to improve user friendliness; as was also proven earlier on with the easy-white paint by Histor.

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, design, usability

Bahco is a tool manufacturer with a long history of tools with much attention paid to the ergonomical aspects. A substantial part of their website is dedicated to ergonomics. According to the article 'The stratgic value of ergonomics for companies' by Jan Dul this strategy has proven rather rewarding.

After the introduction of the Ergo-tools, the results of AB Sandvik Saws and Tools in 1995 showed an increased market share in markets where the company had already a good position, whereas no effects were seen in new markets, including the USA. In
1999, AB Sandvik Saws and Tools was taken over by Snap-On, Inc. from the USA, and the name of the company was changed into Bahco Group AB. In its annual report of 2001, Snap-On reports an improvement of its market position, due to the introduction of new ergonomic tools from Bahco.

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, consumer products, design, design example, usability

(click images to enlarge)

Some products have been around for so long that you wouldn't even think about trying to improve them. The spade for example. Enter Arie Appel, your average Dutchman. Average, except for the fact that he has privately designed and produced an ergonomic redesign of the spade. He's selling them at 99 euro (which seems pretty steep to me) through a Dutch auction website. More information on the ergonomic spade (including a manual - in Dutch) at this website. More pictures can be found here.

Source: flabber

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, consumer products, design, design example, design for all, ergonomics, usability

From the Easy White brochure (click to enlarge image)

Have you ever tried to paint your once-white ceiling or walls completely white again? You work for hours and in the end it turns out that here and there you missed a spot. And you know where that spot is, so you'll see it every time your sitting in your living room with a cup of coffee.

Dutch paint maker Histor has come up with a solution: Easy white is a paint that looks pink when it's wet, but becomes white when it dries. Thus you can always see what parts of your ceiling you've missed. A really good example of how taking human skills into account can lead to product innovation.

Technorati Tags: consumer product usability, consumer products, design for all, inclusive design, product usability, usability

's Move Easy
The Stabilo 's Move Easy is roller-ball pen which features a rubber grip, in which special indents have been made for the fingers. Some ergonomist argue whether this is a good path to take, they claim that it is better to offer freedom of movement, and still provide good grip, in pens such as this one, instead of forcing the user to hold the pen in a specific way. But in any case, the design of the pen made me think that it would be very comfortable to use, before having used it at all. After having seen it, several of my friends bought it as well; the pen does seem to have a certain appeal.

Expected usability
Some products have such a design that you immediately expect them to be very easy or comfortable to use. In reference to usability this is called 'expected usability'. Sometimes this is accomplished by making the product look very clean or simple, of which the Apple iPod is a good example (about the aesthetic simplicity of the iPod). In other cases the design of product shows that there has been a lot of consideration paid to the actual use of the product. Of this the 's Move is a good example.

Articles about expected usability
For more information about expected usability and product preference, take a look at this excellent PhD thesis by Turkka Keinonen or the article Apparent usability vs inherent usability by Korusu and Kashimura. Interestingly from both articles it becomes clear that there does not seem to be a relation between the expected and the actual usability of the product.


Left-handed version of the 's Move Easy (courtesy of anything left-handed). The design of the grip of the 's Move requires the production of a dedicated right-hand and left-hand version.
(click image to enlarge)

Technorati Tags: design, design for all, inclusive design, marketing of usability, usability, usability marketing