Gary Davis looks at eight successful products designed using ergonomics intelligence
Project: Club World Seat
Client: British Airways
Designer: Tangerine/Davis Associates
Year: 1999
The British Airways Club World seat was the first to provide a horizontal flat bed for business-class passengers and was awarded the Grand Prix Prize in the Design Business Association's Design Effectiveness Awards. A key element in its success was the inclusion of ergonomists in the product development team. Tangerine's unique design concept required detailed ergonomics development and evaluation to provide the optimum comfort and convenience as well as a suitable level of privacy. User trials were conducted on a series of mock-ups, including overnight tests to assess the quality and quantity of sleep achieved.
Project: Sky remote control handsets
Client: Sky
Designer: Frazer Design/Davis Associates
Year: 1999
Sky's original remote control handset was key to the launch of its service and the latest Sky Plus handset has accommodated an expanded range of functions. Both handset designs were developed by Frazer Design with ergonomics by Davis Associates. The arrangement of buttons, the form, its weight distribution and surface finishes are all factors that make these handsets efficient and pleasurable to use. User trials, including blindfold tests, were employed from the early foam-model stage to acquire qualitative feedback from end user representatives.
Project: Brooklands Refrigerated Case Development
Client: Marks and Spencer plc
Designer: System Concepts
Year: 1994-1999
Marks and Spencer is now rolling out a new generation of refrigerated display cases - the Brooklands Case (named after the trial store). The case was developed by a consortium of manufacturers, designers and engineering consultants. The project was directed by ergonomics consultants System Concepts. Ergonomic considerations in setting basic dimensions included easy reach and visibility for customers as well as cleanability and maintainability (traditionally difficult areas in supermarkets with space at a premium). Extensive use was made of prototypes with two streams being developed in parallel - an engineering prototype addressing air flow, structure and temperature performance and a design prototype assessing usability, merchandising and aesthetics. The final design was selected as a Millennium Product for energy efficiency and accessibility.
Project: Managing health and safety in the office environment
Client: Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Designer: System Concepts
Year: Ongoing since 1991
With more than 70 member unions, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) campaigns for a fair deal at work for nearly seven million people from all walks of life, and works closely with System Concepts to ensure its own employees enjoy the most productive and comfortable working conditions. The TUC was one of the first organisations to put in processes to comply with the original EC Directive on Display Screen Equipment which was then brought into UK legislation in 1992, and has maintained this forward-thinking approach with a wide-ranging programme of improvements. A key aspect of System Concepts' work has been to help the TUC to introduce changes to the working environment, assisting with a major refurbishment programme and then steering the move towards open-plan office layouts. The team has also conducted audits of the facilities for disabled people, access, egress and evacuation at a number of TUC sites and provides ongoing health, safety and ergonomics training.
Project: Revision of Body Size Criteria for people who work at height
Client: Health and Safety Executive, UK
Designer: Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute
Year: 2005
This project considered whether the body size criteria in standards used to test the safety of personal protective equipment (PPE) represented the current population of people who work at height. A total of 15 body measurements from 589 people who worked at height, as well as demographic data, were taken. Two additional dimensions were calculated (weight of equipment and working weight) to provide information on how much equipment people were carrying whilst working at height and to determine the total weight of the worker if they were to fall from height. Results suggested that the torso dummy currently specified in BS EN 364: 1993 generally under represents the size of people (including their clothing and equipment) who work at height.
Project: Ergonomics Support to the Gland and Termination Assembly
Client: Cogent Defence Systems, part of Nortel Networks
Designer: Ergo Innovation (UK) Limited
Year: 2001/2
Ergo Innovation was invited to redesign workstations on the factory floor because the existing ones encouraged poor posture. A preliminary review revealed further issues, such as heavy manual work. Two design options were generated which are being trialled - an assembly jig (manoeuvrable sit/stand workstation, which also significantly reduces handling), and a fixed sit/stand workstation. The benefits already realised include the involvement of staff helping to create excellent design features and increase ownership, and the creation of additional opportunities to increase work flexibility, reduce floor space, simplify work methods and promote social interaction. The 'ergonomic approach' has created a wealth of possibilities for improvement which were not contemplated at the start of the project.
Project: KCR Westrail EMU rail vehicles
Client: Kawasaki, Itochu and Kinki Sharyo Consortium
Designer: Cre'active Design/Davis Associates
Year: 1999
The new rolling stock for Hong Kong's Westrail was developed by an interdisciplinary design team working in the UK, Japan and Hong Kong. The ergonomics input by Davis Associates included the development of the driving cab and the passenger saloons. In the cab, a task analysis ensured that cab operation would be safe and efficient while accommodating Hong Kong Chinese anthropometry. The passenger saloons required particular ergonomics input to the seat design, the design of handrails, and placement of information displays. Drawing-based work was followed by user assessments on full-scale mock-ups.
Project: Oresund Link: Control centre and toll plaza
Client: Oresundskonsortiet
Designer: Jones Garrard/Davis Associates
Year: 1996-2000
This new tunnel-and-bridge, rail-and-road link between Denmark and Sweden opened in July 2000. The toll plaza and the control centre required considerable design and ergonomics development Both the toll plaza and the toll collection system had to accept several different currencies, as well as various debit and credit cards, and the throughput rate had to avoid any queue build-up. An automated interface design was developed through a series of user trials to ensure maximum usability and minimum transaction time. The control centre and traffic control system were developed according to ergonomics principles and standards and involved close liaison with the architects and control system providers.