Human Factors Engineering - Answers -aims to make technology work for people
-can identify unrecognized needs that can help avoid mishaps and delight customers
-a discipline that consider the cognitive, physical, and organizational influences on human behavior to
improve human interaction with products and processes
human factors engineering improves human interaction with systems by enhancing: - Answers safety
(focus = high risk systems)
performance (focus = design of workplaces)
satisfaction (focus = design of consumer products)
human factors design cycle - Answers understand -> create -> evaluate (repeat)
-iterative process bc there are always ways to improve
design should fit _______ to _________ rather than fit ________ to _________ - Answers technology,
person
person, technology
task design - Answers changing what operators do instead of changing the devices they use
equipment design - Answers changes physical equipment that people work with
environmental design - Answers changes the physical environment where the tasks are carried out
training - Answers enhances the knowledge and skills of people by preparing them for the job
environment (includes teaching and practicing necessary physical and mental skills)
***most applicable for tasks with many repetitions/ long involvement for the job
when is periodic training necessary - Answers rare tasks where performance is critical
selection - Answers changes the makeup of the team or organization by picking people that are best
suited to the job
team and organization design - Answers -changes how groups of people communicate and relate to
each other
-provides a broad view that includes the organizational climate within which the work is performed
6 design interventions of human factors - Answers task design
equipment design
, environmental design
training
selection
team and organization design
when should human factors be considered in the design process? - Answers early on (saves considerable
money and sometimes human suffering)
6 fields closely related to human factors engineering - Answers engineering psychology
ergonomics
human-systems integration
macro ergonomics
cognitive engineering
human-computer engineering
engineering psychology - Answers discipline where ultimate goal is to understand the human mind as it
relates to design
cognitive engineering - Answers -focus on cognitive considerations (particularly in context of safety of
complex systems)
-focus on how organization and individuals manage systems with aid of sophisticated displays, decision
aids, and automation
macro ergonomics - Answers -addresses the need to consider not just the details of particular devices or
processes, but the need to consider the overall work system
-takes a broad systems perspective to design
human-systems integration - Answers -considers how designs must consider how people interact with
all systems
-will go to the extent of forecasting availability of qualified staff based on demographic trends and
training requirements
human-computer interaction - Answers -often linked to broad field of user experience
-focuses more on software and less on physical/ organizational environment
how to designers and users differ? - Answers they have different needs, priorities, and preferences