Ergonomics (Product description and Idea Trigger)

i) Describe the product. (Appearance, Color, Function, etc)
- It is red with a inner outline of silver.

- It is made of rubber and the tip is a bit flexible.

- It is light.

- The silver part is made of plastic, which makes the body hard.

- It is a stopper.

ii) What are the design considerations when designing this product?
- If the product is durable

- If the product can stop the object that it is supposed to stop.

iii) Would an elderly faced difficulty using this product? If yes, what are the difficulties that the elderly would face?
- Squatting down gives the elderly some difficulties.

iv) What do you think can be done to improve on the design of the product to suit the elderly? (Sketch the improved design in your sketchbook and take a picture of it. Post the improved sketch at the end of your post.)
- It could have a handle or something inside the product package to prove as an extra "hand" so that it would not take the elderly to squat down/bend down to put it in.

Ergonomics II

1. What is Ergonomics?

It is a form of designing the job, equipment and workplace for the worker.

Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergonomics

2. What are the 5 aspects of Ergonomics?

They are:

- Safety

- Comfort

- Ease of use

- Efficiency

- Aesthetics

Adapted from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

3. For each aspects of Ergonomics, explain with an example of a product that is designed for the elderly, how the product meet that particular aspect of Ergonomics.

- Safety- Medicine Bottles- enlarge the print size of words on the label so the the elderly (those that have impaired vision) could see the instructions more clearly. By using Ergonomics, we can discover the best font size we could use so that the words could fit into the limited space on the label and those with impaired eyesight could still see it.

Adapted from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

- Comfort- New digital alarm clocks (which could have been replaced for the elderly): The displays of some of the clocks are very very bright, so it catches attention very easily, especially when it is left in the dark. Using ergonomics, we could redesign the clock based on the contrast principle and maybe include an auto-dimming device (something similar to iSight) when it is placed in the dark, so that the user may be able to sleep well at night as elderly are very sensitive and mostly are light sleepers so they are easily woken up.

Adapted from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

- Ease of use- Street signs: the signs can be quite hard to spot when the elderly is in a unfamiliar area, so we could use ergonomics to improve the design so that it would be more visible to the elderly, who might have some eyesight problems.

Adapted from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

- Efficiency- Rocking chairs: The rocking chairs are usually made of wood, and it can be very uncomfortable and hard without a cushion, so we could use ergonomics to improve the design such that the rocking chair would not be so uncomfortable to sit on and lighter in weight.

Idea from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

- Aesthetics- Signs at the shopping area: The signs at the shopping area can be made more aesthetic by haveing them made in the same pattern and design.

Idea from: http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Ergonomics

Ergonomics I

Comparing the two workplaces:

The more high-tech workplace has all the items that solved all the issues like comfort and simplicity, incorrect height and depth, task lighting, freedom of movement, prolonged laptop use and usable desk space. It has an easily adjustable chair, a monitor arm (so that the computer would not take up too much space on the table), the freedom chair (a chair which can be adjusted to the likes of its user, like handles, height, depth...), The L2 laptop holder ( something that props the laptop up so that there is more space to spare to write notes. ) It also has an access rail, a rail that the laptop is attached to and can be pulled out from. The not so good workplace could not fit the meets of the worker, as the chair could not be adjusted to make him feel comfortable as he was leaning too forward and his facial expression showed no comfort. The lighting was either too little or too much. He had too many things on his table that he had no more space to put the necessary things, yet alone move freely. His laptop could not be propped to his favorable height.