Design, environment and ergonomics
Environmental and sustainability issues
The role of designers and manufacturers
Designers and manufacturers have an obligaton to develop products that use fewer materials and
components in there manufacture; consume less energy in manufacture and in use by consumers;
and to recover and reuse materials and components afer their disposall
The three r’s
Reduce- Designers and manufacturers aim to reduce the amount of materials used in
manufacturing a product and the amount of energy the product will consume in its lifel
Recycle- Designers and manufacturers aim to ensure products can be recycled, meaning they
are able to be separated, cleaned and used again in a new productl
Reuse- Designers and manufacturers aim to ensure that materials and components that
have already been used, can be used again in a new productl
Eco-design improvements
Image on page 125
Ergonomics and anthropometrics
Ergonomics is the study of the interacton between the human body, products and environmentsl
Anthropometrics involves using body sizes to improve the ergonomics in products, systems or
environments, usually between the 5th and 95th percentlel
How does ergonomics infuence design?
Colour- This is used in many products such as power switches on a ketle, warning lights on a
car dashboard and functon keys on a phonel The type of colour used and how it performs
under different levels of light are important factorsl
Lightng- Visual displays need to be bright enough to been seen in full sunlight but also
adjustable for night tme use so not to strain eyesl
Sound- The sound level and clarity of sound under different conditons such as engine noise
are important to considerl
Comfort- Factors effectng comfort include things like the shape of the product or how sof
the material isl
Anthropometrics
Anthropometrical data taken from the measurements of hundreds of volunteers is normally
recorded in percentlesl The average size is known as the 50 th percentlel Most design actvity is for
the body sizes between the 5th and 95th percentle, which takes into account the majority of the
populatonl
Inclusive design
Inclusive design concerns developing products that can be used by disabled people as well as other
consumersl Designers working on inclusive design projects will ofen use techniques to give them
the experience of what it is like to be a disabled personl
Environmental and sustainability issues
The role of designers and manufacturers
Designers and manufacturers have an obligaton to develop products that use fewer materials and
components in there manufacture; consume less energy in manufacture and in use by consumers;
and to recover and reuse materials and components afer their disposall
The three r’s
Reduce- Designers and manufacturers aim to reduce the amount of materials used in
manufacturing a product and the amount of energy the product will consume in its lifel
Recycle- Designers and manufacturers aim to ensure products can be recycled, meaning they
are able to be separated, cleaned and used again in a new productl
Reuse- Designers and manufacturers aim to ensure that materials and components that
have already been used, can be used again in a new productl
Eco-design improvements
Image on page 125
Ergonomics and anthropometrics
Ergonomics is the study of the interacton between the human body, products and environmentsl
Anthropometrics involves using body sizes to improve the ergonomics in products, systems or
environments, usually between the 5th and 95th percentlel
How does ergonomics infuence design?
Colour- This is used in many products such as power switches on a ketle, warning lights on a
car dashboard and functon keys on a phonel The type of colour used and how it performs
under different levels of light are important factorsl
Lightng- Visual displays need to be bright enough to been seen in full sunlight but also
adjustable for night tme use so not to strain eyesl
Sound- The sound level and clarity of sound under different conditons such as engine noise
are important to considerl
Comfort- Factors effectng comfort include things like the shape of the product or how sof
the material isl
Anthropometrics
Anthropometrical data taken from the measurements of hundreds of volunteers is normally
recorded in percentlesl The average size is known as the 50 th percentlel Most design actvity is for
the body sizes between the 5th and 95th percentle, which takes into account the majority of the
populatonl
Inclusive design
Inclusive design concerns developing products that can be used by disabled people as well as other
consumersl Designers working on inclusive design projects will ofen use techniques to give them
the experience of what it is like to be a disabled personl
