Design-bites - Illustrated product design booklets by Andrew Taylor

Product description

Human Factors and Aesthetics is an illustrated introduction to human factors (ergonomics) and ‘product styling', covering human sensory limitations (visual and auditory) and associated design guidelines, design for sight- and hearing-impaired users, user interface design, anthropometric data, product semantics, and product styling.

52 pages                file size 1.2 MB

Booklet content

"The ultimate aim of Human Factors is to design products, systems and tasks in a ‘people-centered’ way, so as to improve safety, health, comfort and performance".

B1: Human Factors: Human Senses

• Introduction and Terminology
• Vision – lighting, visual acuity and text size
• Vision – color blindness
• Design for visually impaired users
• Hearing – the speech banana
• Design for hearing impaired users
• Design of Controls, User Interface Design 
• Display screen interface design

"For a product to be usable by the widest section of the population, design details must be based on an understanding of human form, particularly in regard to the range of overall body dimensions, and the sizes and mobility of limbs".

B2: Human Factors: Anthropometric Data

• Anthropometric Data: Adult, Standing
• Anthropometric Data: Adult, Sitting at Desk
• Anthropometric Data: Adult Head sizes and Telephone Handset design
• Anthropometric Data: Adult Hand sizes and Hand-operated controls
• Anthropometric Data: Physical access recommendations

"In addition to meeting functional requirements, products should engage the user at an emotional level, to give meaning to the product, and to enhance the experience of both ownership and use".

B3: Product Styling, Product Aesthetics and Color

• Form Follows Function?
• Product Semantics
• Elements of Meaning
• Association and Symbolism
• Manipulating Product Aesthetics
• Product Form, Visual Style, Classic Historical Styles
• Color, color contrasts and color systems
• Visual Mass
• Gestalt theory, grouping and alignment
• Rhythm
• Proportion, Fibonacci, and the Golden Proportion
• Symmetry and Asymmetry

Includes www links to further resources, organizations and suppliers.

Home page: www.design-bites.com