Basic HTML Version
18
| p2p Magaz i ne | Summer 2013
01732 759725
ERGONOMICS
This chair is perfect for me
Çaglar, who is recognised as the key UK
ergonomics expert in office and school
furniture, maintains that any furniture
item, in particular seating, is doomed
to fail without appropriately devised
usability trials. Here, he explains the
importance of usability trials and the
benefits.
Usability trials serve to address
a number of key issues such as the
dimensional fit, fitness for purpose,
comfort, aesthetics and user perception.
Çaglar argues that usability trials quite
simply result in better products – ones
that are better matched to the users, as
one size does not fit all, the purpose and
the environment.
“People come in all shapes and sizes
and comfort, defined as being when the
user is ‘unaware of the chair, feeling alert
or relaxed’ as opposed to ‘the absence of
discomfort’, is of paramount importance
in the design process,” he said.
The benefits of conducting usability
trials with mock-ups and prototypes can
result in faster development times for
manufacturers, and the experience gained
from such trials will inevitability stop
them from making the same mistakes
again.
“In developing a chair, manufacturers
should carry out usability trials
throughout, starting as early as possible
and using early mock-ups, prototypes and
pre-production models,” says Çaglar.
“Models should be as good as they
need to be – comfort trials need accurate
materials. However, shape trials can be
rougher.”
Trials can be either ‘quick’ to address
a single factor such as dimensional fit for
an early mock-up or comfort for a pre-
production model for example. Or they
can be detailed to cover multiple areas
including dimensional fit; fitness for
purpose and comfort; controls – reach,
ease of use, and intuitiveness; safety; and
user perception in more detail.
In conducting usability trials Çaglar
says manufacturers need to include
a range of users within the target
audience, spanning age, size and shape,
gender and physical capabilities. The
exercises should ensure that users are
simulating the activities the chairs are
being designed for, whether that’s using
equipment, if an office chair, or eating, if
a dining chair. Specific measurable and
consistent tasks should be set to check
the aspect of the chair and the usability
factor. He also advocates that users and
investigators are correctly instructed and
that the chair is used for an appropriate
amount of time.
Feedback from users in the trials can
be gleaned from a variety of sources
through observation of postures and
activities, the use of questionnaires
and/or interviews as well as anatomic
measurements. Once analysed, the
results can be used to identify any
changes that are needed.
www.fira.co.uk
The perfect
slouches
17% more
productivity at
work
BakkerElkhuizen, the Dutch
specialist in ergonomic solutions
for permanent and mobile
computer workstations, is
expanding its operations to
the UK, Germany, Belgium and
France.
To view a number of clear
videos explaining BakkerElkhuizen’s
vision on ergonomic designs
and products please visit www.
youtube.com/bakkerelkhuizen.
www.bakkerelkhuizen.com
Gesture by
Steelcase
The Gesture chair by
Steelcase is the first to
be designed specifically
to support the body in
postures adopted when
using mobile technologies.
Inspired by the movement
of the human body, it is
created for the way we
work today and will be
available in the UK from
September.
During Clerkenwell DesignWeek,
which took place at the end of
May, FIRA International’s Head of
Ergonomics Levent Çaglar hosted an
informal workshop on the subject of
chair development and usability trials,
entitled ‘
This chair is perfect for me;
I can’t see what’s wrong with it
’.
...usability trials
with mock-ups
and prototypes
can result in faster
development times
for manufacturers...