Integration of Ergonomics Knowledge into Consumer Electronics Design

Design needs to collaborate with many other disciplines to achieve success. Ergonomics is one of these disciplines that design needs its collaboration. A designed object should be in good relation with the human body and cognitive system to be effectively used by its potential users. Changes in the competitive market have forced firms to enhance product differentiation for achieving market success. Design is widely used as one of the differentiation tools. As a component of design, ergonomics should also be integrated into the design process to fulfill the user requirements. There are success stories of companies integrating ergonomics into their design process and achieving differentiation and success on their products through the results of this integration. Even their marketing strategies are based on this integration. It is observed that there are some missing points in the integration of ergonomics into consumer electronics design which make results in poor interaction with the end users. The background of this problem is investigated by reviewing design processes of four different firms and integration of ergonomics into these processes.

Autorentext

B.I.D. and M.S., Dept. of Ind. Design (Middle East Technical Uni. (METU), Turkey). Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Ind. Design (METU, Turkey) She has worked as a full-time research assistant for 2 years at METU, Dept. of Ind. Design. She has a wide experience on electronic consumer goods still working as a design architect, R&D, Vestel Electronics Co.