Industrial Design

Industrial Design Chapter 9

Industrial Design is: • Service of creating & developing concepts and specifications that optimize the function, value, and appearance of products and systems for the mutual benefit of the user and manufacturer.

Work also includes: • User-centered ergonomics • Improving manufacturing methods • Client image considerations, including advertising and layout • Standards setting & verification • Normal professional responsibilities

Involved Professions • Marketing experts – appeal, value • Design engineers – layout, improv. • Biomedical engineers – usefulness, Lots of people usability involved! • Human factors experts - safety • Manufacturing engineers - mfgability • Service personnel – complaints, ease • Returns - complaints

Industrial Design Steps • Set usability goals – Provide quantitative basis for acceptance testing – Objective or subjective – Typically 50 goals, combination objective and subjective

• Examples – Anesthetist will rate alarm control/reset controls as 5 or better on a scale of 1-7 – Machine will be calibrated and ready to go in 30 seconds or less

Industrial Design Steps (ctd.) • Design user interface concepts – Develop conceptual model – Develop user interface structure – Define interaction style – Develop screen template – Develop hardware layout – Develop a screenplay – Develop a refined design – Develop final design

Industrial Design Steps (ctd.) • Model the user interface – Build a prototype to evaluate dynamics of user interface – Software, hardware, mockup

• Test user interface – – – –

At start of development effort When prototype is developed When marketing claims may be displayed Conferences, office, lunchroom

Specifying the User Interface • Style guide • Screen hierarchy map • Screenplay • Specification prototype • Hardware layouts

Additional Industrial Design Considerations • Consistency and simplicity • Safety • Environmental/ Organizational Considerations

Documentation -Not only for Human Factors! • Written to meet needs of various target populations • Study capability and information needs of documentation users

Attempt to avoid this!

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Mental abilities Physical abilities Previous experience Understanding of general operation Special needs of environment

Alarms and Signals • Purpose is to draw attention of operator • 3 categories: – High priority: immediate response required • Red flashing light

– Medium priority: prompt response required • Yellow flashing light

– Low priority: awareness required • Steady yellow light

• Audible signal when not in line of sight

Displays • Visual displays should clearly indicate system status • Graphic displays should be used when perception of pattern of variation is important • Numeric displays should be sued when quantitative accuracy is important • Displays should be consistent

Interactive Control • System response times should be consistent with operational requirements • Control-display relationships should be straightforward and explicit • Menu selection for interactive controls

Feedback and Error Management/ Data Protection • Present status, information, confirmation, and verification throughout the interaction • Standby should be accompanied by ‘WAIT’ message • Feedback should be self-explanatory • Easy methods of correcting errors

Think about: • Your limits in designing a new device, such as an anesthesia machine. Where would you need help?